If I Stay Book vs. Movie Review

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Published by Penguin on 2009
Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 199
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

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... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Director: R.J. Cutler

Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Jamie Blackley

Information from IMDB.

 

 

   Julie’s Review –   Book:    Movie:

I actually liked the If I Stay movie way better than the book, even though I read the book first. I know, that’s almost unheard of in the bookish world, but there it is. The book wasn’t as interesting to me and I had a hard time with the flashbacks. I’m not a fan of flashbacks in general as they seem very choppy to me, and I prefer a cohesive story line, and it just wasn’t quite working for me. This worked so much better in the movie because the scenes were so visually interesting and the acting was so good. I also thought the movie was much more emotional than the book was. I didn’t really find the book all that sad or as spectacular as people were making it out to be. But the movie was so much more moving and interesting.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Skip to Rose’s review to avoid spoilers)

The biggest compliant I have about the movie is the ending – what follows is a spoiler. I think they took out the most important part! When Adam is telling Mia to stay, begging her to stay, he tells her he would be willing to let her go. He never says this in the movie, and I felt that was so important to the book, and the sequel Where She Went. That was kind of disappointing to me.

“If you stay, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I’ll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it’d be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I’d do it. I can lose you like that if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.”

Rose’s Review –   Book: Movie:

I read this book for my YA for Adults Book Club. The book was decent. It was well written and emotional, but for some reason, I just didn’t connect. It was just sort of bland for me. Chalk it up to a weird mood of mine, perhaps, who knows. I went to see the movie adaptation this past Sunday with aforementioned book club and really really loved the movie. It was emotional and beautiful and I cried and cried and cried some more. I fell completely in love with Adam. (Check out my That’s What HE Said Thursday post for more Adam information and a movie clip!) In fact, I enjoyed the movie so much, I am going to start reading book two, Where She Went which I had not previously planned on doing.

Things that I liked about the movie: I liked that it supposedly took place in Portland, Oregon. Julie and I just visited there for the first time this past Spring. (Click here for more on that.) I liked the entire cast. Everyone was wonderful. I loved the cello music. I love Adam’s band name being changed from Shooting Star to Willamette Stone. I liked the scenery. I really liked Mia’s clothes. Strange for me to comment on that, but I did. I really wanted to know what happens next at the end of this movie! I liked how the way Mia explained her family really came across in the movie. I loved her parents and even her little brother. In fact, call me shallow, but the movie just seemed to add a visual for me to everything that was already in a great book, I just didn’t really “get it” until I saw the movie.

 

What did you think of the movie? Sound off in the comments.  

 

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