I just got
home from the movie theater after watching If I Stay, one of my most anticipated
book-to-movie adaptations this 2014. And I had these nagging thoughts that I
really really want to blurt out. Or write. For those who haven’t read both the
books, this post will most probably spoil you the book 1 and book 2 (not
really), i.e. If I Stay and Where She Went, respectively.
First, I
wanna throw out that I have mixed emotions with the movie. Or how it was
adapted.
And then I’m
gonna throw this background story on you:
If I Stay is
based from the bestselling novel of Gayle Forman. It follows the life of Mia
Hall where she had an out-of-body experience after a very tragic accident she
and her whole family have been through that caused the lives of all of them
except for her, who’s battling with life in the ICU. The title of the book is
very straight forward because it’s a war with herself if she’s going to stay
even though she’s the only one left in her family or if she will not stay and
join them.
So the story
revolves around there with a bit of flashbacks on the side to tell about Mia’s
story.
I liked the
book. Maybe not so much as I like Where She Went, but I still liked it. I liked
If I Stay even more so when I read it the second time. There’s something about the book that got me so hooked. I liked the
writing of Gayle, how emotional it can be. I liked how it switched from present
to past. And I can’t just imagine how it will play out in the movie without
being too weird or obvious or cheesy. Adam and Mia, while their love save Mia from comatose state,
it felt like a side story to me at the time I’m reading the book.
But enough about
my sentiments about the book, let’s talk about the movie!
