Mia's story is told in two time levels. On one hand, the present, in which you stand by the relatives and friends, trying to get into her room, she alive. On the other hand, the passages from her past as Adam, her boyfriend gets to know how their lives have been developed by then, what plans they had. A flashback to the others who will help her to decide what to do. Take up the fight and survive or give up and look death in the face.
The protagonist himself is a character who already stands out for its interests from the crowd. She loves music, classical music and she plays the cello. The instrument is part of her life as breathing, although her own family, although musically, but comes from the rock camp and thus often fail feels in place. Even thus it works quickly as an outsider who can not get a high rating in terms of popularity. Despite everything, she has her dreams, where she holds her and you remember the passion for music. This also fits her friends and environment. Above all, her boyfriend Adam, despite playing in a rock band, but Mia loves for her love for her instrument and the music. A love that holds them together and where she still often questioned.
Even if Mia looks up, she is still an adolescent who has to deal with future fears, doubts and other problems. Where are we going, what to do? Studying? Where? This affects "If I Stay" from the first moment not only after a tragedy, but also based on a novel about youth, their decisions and how their actions affect the lives of others. And especially how one little moment can revolutionize the entire life and we might have to make the important decision, even if we do not want. You play all these variations through, considering how it all started and thus finally decide if they want to survive or not.
The actions of their friends to get Mia to face, are incredibly touching and between the tragedy is the humor and honesty not lost. It is not overwhelmed by the circumstances of the funeral. You just hovering over us the whole story along and is the backdrop for a story about life.
The loose style of writing, the teen never sounds forced, but about passion and love speaks without additional Schnulzfilter makes this history pleasant and quick to read. Despite everything, they often remain too much on the surface and does not affect deeper into Mia's feelings. It almost acts already supercooled and lacks emotion and mood, trying to suppress the author to give the action space, but at the same time but also results in that they appear somewhat bleak and loveless. So sometimes it seems downright cold as will react, although this is not meant in this situation.
Whether at the end of Mia out of the coma? You live or want to die? Then you wait until the end and hopes and fears for them just like the ones they love.
Conclusion
"If I Stay" is an interesting novel for young people with a simple basic idea. What if you have to decide between life or death? What would you do at this time? Mias touches history and especially by their unusual character, it is a special novel about life as Teenanger with a Passion without much kitsch and Blur. About decisions and moments that define our lives and influence forever, even if we do not see them coming. Worth reading!
