Hooked on YA books 2015 discussion

I just began to read If I Stay by Gayle Forman and I already love it. I am only about 40 pages into it, but it has been a quick and enjoyable read so far. Right away the family is hit with tragedy through a deadly car accident. I thought the transition between the comfortable family life to the actual accident was great, and that is what captured my attention. The main character had just fallen asleep in the car and then all of a sudden this horrendous car crash is being described. Of course that is not all, the character describing the scene eventually realizes she is having this out of body experience as she finds herself among the debris.
Over the summer I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Deadline by Chris Crutcher--both of which deal with disease and death in teenagers. This book seems to fit along those lines. I had been thinking of using these books as part of literature circles, but I am afraid this group of books might be too sad all together.

I just stole this book from my mom to read for class. We'll have to chat when we are both done with it.

You are both going to love it or at least I hope so..I did...when you are done you have to read the follow up Where She went...

I am reading "the Fault in Our Stars" now and I'm not sure I want to read another depressing book. It seems these types of tragic stories sell movies and then eventually more books. I would love to do some sort of research on why such sad issues in Young Adult books are so popular.

Task 2.1 - In the book If I Stay the social relationships are between Mia and Adam, Mia and her family which include her parents, Teddy, Gran and Gramps. She also describes her relationship with Kim. I also think the relationship between her “other” self, the one not in her body, to the people surrounding her like doctors and family in the hospital is important as well. Based on what I have read so far in the first 100 pages, Mia’s family seem to be the most important relationships she has. I feel bad knowing that relationship has ended between her and her parents, and I do not know if it has ended between her and Teddy. I am enjoying the set up in which Mia goes into a memory and then back to the present. I think this style really sets up for good character development and pulls the reader in to the book. If it were me, I could see why family relationships would be important to my decision to “stay”.

Great book! I can’t wait to read the sequel. Gayle Forman kept me guessing as to whether Mia was going to stay or move on, until the end. I enjoyed the format going from the past to the present in order to learn more about the characters. This book was sad, but not so tear jerking as The Fault in Our Stars. Although, I find it harder to write about, as it may give away the plot. I loved all the music references, and the fact that it was Adam and music that ultimately brought Mia back. Now I am just left with questions, that I hope are answered in the next book, but if there was not a sequel I still think If I Stay is great as a stand alone.

Task 13.1
After looking at all the books I've read this semester, it came down to this one and The Fault in Our Stars. Both are amazing, but what drew me to this one was the sequel. Usually I love books that can stand alone, but the fact that If I Stay has a sequel, yet can stand stand alone too gives it that edge. Gayle Forman writes about topics others try to stay away from in a way that pulls in the reader. The way she is able to connect with the reader and bring out emotion in the characters makes this a wonderful book. It ends up being a quick read because one will not want to put it down in order to find out what happens to the characters. I have already recommended it to my students and my Mother-in-law (only to find she has already read it and is starting the sequel). Loved this book, this would be my recommendation for sure.