First:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Borders Book Description:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
So like I said, I heard great things about this book. The book description above doesn't really summarize the book or prepare the readers for what to expect out of this book. In a nut shell, the book is about a girl named Mia who doesn't fit in at school or even in her family. Girl meets boy, falls in love, struggles with the decision to stay in this world just for this boy.
I might get some harsh feedback from this review as I know a good bit of people loved this book (like 5 stars loved it). If I was rating this book I would give it...maybe a 3. But let me explain.
I don't think I got this book the way a lot of others did. I didn't once think to my self this is thought provoking as others often included in their reviews. I didn't cry while reading it either. Maybe it makes me sound shallow or cold....I don't know. I just couldn't connect with Mia. Even after I accepted Mia for how her character was written, the biggest struggle I had was accepting the "undying" love between Mia and Adam. It might have been there in the dialogue, but I had trouble accepting it at face value like that.
However, this book portrays a good sense of family, staying true to yourself, and love. I think with that it sends a good message to young adult readers. A draw back when referring this book to a young adult reader though...there is unnecessary swearing and if I remember correctly underage drinking. Now, I am no prude, believe me (lol), but I just felt that my younger cousin might really get something out of this book, but I can't let her read it because Mia's parents might just drop the f-bomb every once in a while.
Overall, I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book. It kept me going as I wanted to find out where the story was going. If you've read or plan to read it, let me know...maybe you can shed some light to let me know what I was missing since so many people out there loved this book.
Second...
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Borders Book Description:
In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: for the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen—terrified, but intrigued—is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess
Now, this book description intrigued me. How is a ghost going to fall in love with a human, right? Well, I don't want to give away to many spoilers in the review, but they work it out. :o) While reading there was always an eerie feeling lurking in the background. I guess its the talk of ghosts and haunting people, but I didn't find it overwhelming and it didn't take away from the story.
One thing I loved about this story...it had almost a historical romance feel to it. The way James respects Helen and courts her (swoon). James often refers to the main character as Miss Helen. There is just something about that time period that I find romantic.
I didn't rush through the book, but it kept me curious enough to keep reading.I did have to reread some paragraphs multiple times as I had a hard time picturing what the author was trying to portray. I felt that the ending was almost too easy. The whole book is a struggle for Helen and James and then the last 50 pages just fly by and we get our happily ever after. And that happily ever after was what I was expecting and yet what I wasn't expecting all at the same time. This was definitely a very unique book, unlike anything I have read before.
Have you read it? What did you think?
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