If I Stay by Gayle Forman

On a wet, cold and snowy morning 17 year old Mia decides to take a ride with her parents and younger brother to visit family and friends. It’s a Snow Day for them and they’ve decided to make the best out of this impromptu day off. They jump in their car and head off... in the blink of an eye, Mia is standing by the side of the road watching as her injured body is being pulled out of the wreckage. As she travels in this state, between life and death, she watches as her body is transported and treated for injuries, as her family and friends all gather in the hospital, and as she makes the toughest decision she’ll probably ever make... should she stay?

To be honest, I can’t gush enough about this book. I found it to be unputdownable. I fell in love with Mia, her family, friends and her boyfriend, Adam. The underlying importance of music was also very moving. I loved how the characters express their feelings toward music and how music affects them as a being. The characters are very well-developed and you can’t help but fall in love with them all, from the trendy punk parents to the hipster teens. Mia’s memories are like a family photo album full of snapshots of happy times.

This book is about friendship, family, love, life and the tough decisions we are faced with in order to have these things. It is a well-written and well-formulated story which makes you think long after you've turned the last page. There were times where I laughed and some where I cried, and although it wrenches the heart, it definitely is not one to be missed.

Getting some insider info on the book - I just read that Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) will direct the movie. That’s definitely something I’ll be looking forward to. If it’s even half as good as the book was it’ll be worth the time to go see it.