One Sentence Summary
If I Stay is an emotional journey of a 17-year-old girl as she explores life, death, and love in the face of remarkable tragedy.
Book Genre
If I Stay is a young adult novel.
Main Topic of the Book
If I Stay is a story about Mia Hall who is faced with an impossible decision – does she stay or go? Where does she turn when her world is shattered by grief and heavy questions.
Key Ideas
- Life – Mia must confront the value of her own life and the lives of the people around her.
- Death – Mia must learn to accept death, its meaning, and how loss impacts life.
- Love – Mia discovers the power of love and how it can be a source of hope and healing in a time of tragic grief.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
- Part One focuses on Mia’s life before the accident and serves as an introduction to her family, friends, and music. It also introduces readers to her love interest, Adam.
- Part Two follows Mia as she goes through the harrowing experience of the accident, seeing it from both the perspective of her alive body as well as her dead soul.
- Part Three explores the consequences of the accident and the aftermath of her decision. Mia must reconcile with her own survival and decide whether or not to stay alive in the face of overwhelming grief.
Key Takeaways
The main takeaway from If I Stay is that life is precious and must be appreciated, even in the face of tragedy. Mia must learn to accept death and how loss impacts life, as well as discover the power of love and how it can provide hope and healing.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Gayle Forman is an American writer of young adult fiction. She has over 20 years of journalism experience and has written a number of best selling books.
Target Audience
The target audience for If I Stay are young adults looking for an emotional and thought provoking journey of self-discovery.
Publisher and First Publication Date
If I Stay was first published on April 1, 2009 by Dutton Books.