Now I went out and bought If I Stay by Gayle Forman on a whim because I kept walking by it at work and the cover kept jumping out at me. After reading what it was about, I was intrigued by the comparison to it and The Lovely Bones (I had just seen the movie and it was fresh in my head). As soon as I slumped down into a seat on the bus, I immediately started in. It was an easy read and I finished it in one day. Though I couldn't put the book down, I was let down in the end. Of course she was going to stay was all I kept thinking throughout the whole thing, and that's exactly what happened. Perhaps I just don't have a normal reaction to these types of books - maybe because I write about the same general thing? Who knows. But the fact that there is now a sequel kind of blows my mind. Sure, the ending to If I Stay was kind of frustrating, but I thought the story was pretty much finished. She stayed, so why did it matter what happened after that?
Well, apparently it matters a hell of a lot. Where She Went is told from Adam's point of view, Mia's boyfriend from If I Stay. This story is set three years after Mia's accident, and reveals that Mia is living her dream in New York, and Adam is living his as a rock star - but they are no longer a couple.
I started reading the first chapter of this new book, but I just don't see how this story can measure up to its precursor. While If I Stay had a mystical element to it - as well as a young love story - Where She Went is just a love story. I don't see, in my critical mind, why I should care. Perhaps I should care whether or not Mia and Adam end up together, but I feel like they'd be fine either way, whereas with epic romances, such as Romeo and Juliet, they would die if they couldn't be with one another (literally). You'd think with the kind of crap I write, that I'd be rooting for Mia and Adam, and I guess I am. I've already started reading it, so I'll finish it when I have time (School. Sigh). And hey, other people really like the book, so who knows, maybe my mind will change after I'm done.
But if you've read If I Stay, you should probably get your hands on this book, and see for yourself what all the buzz is about and why it's Amazon's Best Book of the Month. And if you haven't read If I Stay, then I would recommend it. The story has an interesting concept and has even provided inspiration for new projects in my little head. And according to the cover, it "will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight" (which cracked me up because the two really have nothing in common, other than the fact that romance is involved), so now you really have to read it!
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This has absolutely nothing to do with this post, other than the fact that when I was searching for videos, this one came up in relation to the book for some odd reason. I thought it was hilarious, and I love the song! So enjoy. Randomly.
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