If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The last thing Mia remembers is going for a drive with her parents and younger brother Teddy, and then suddenly she is staying outside the wreckage of a terrible car crash watching paramedics work on her body. While Mia’s body languishes in a coma, her spirit floats around the hospital contemplating her state, reflecting on her past, and observing the loved ones who come to the hospital. Mia must chose between joining her family in the hereafter or returning to a life that will never be the same again.

Forman’s prose is hauntingly poetic and no words are wasted in this meaningful tale. Mia’s story is heartbreaking and her compelling narrative will grasp readers from the beginning and continue to hold them long after the story is finished. Her insecurities regarding her future and her relationship with fellow musician Adam are realistic and add credible weight to the difficult decision she will have to make.