If I Stay Movie Review

If I Stay: The Movie

After a long summer of waiting I finally got to see one of my absolute favorite books come to life on the big screen! I read If I Stay for the first time a couple years ago and it's stuck with me since. It's such a heartbreaking and beautiful story. After the great emotional adaptation that was The Fault In Our Stars, I went into this one with pretty high hopes.

All the casting and the trailers were really well done. I didn't have any problems with anyone. Heck, I even teared up watching the trailer. What can I say? I'm a sap.

So, it was........INCREDIBLE!

We've got the main character, Mia Hall, a shy dedicated cello player. She has her parents, her younger brother Teddy, and her best friend Kim.

Then enter Adam.

Lead singer/guitarist of the band Willamette Stone (which was Shooting Star in the book but whatev) and wonderfully charming. The two hit it off due to their mutual love of music and start one epic romance.

And they have some hiccups of course. You put a punk rock dude and a introverted girl together and they don't mesh perfectly at first. But it makes it so much more real.

Things get really rocky once Adam's band really starts getting some recognition and Mia applies to Juilliard. Neither wants to hold the other back.

Then on a snow day in Portland, Mia and her family decide to go out for the day. They all hop in the car and argue over music and everything is normal. Until...it's not. It's never normal again. The ice on the road causes another car to swerve into them and BAM emotional whiplash.

Be aware that this is what you're signing up for. Don't go in blind. This movie is saaaaaad.

After the crash Mia wakes up to find she's standing next to her body. She calls for her family and searches. But the ambulance starts to take her real body away so she follows it. 

While in the hospital Mia asks everyone for answers but no one notices her. While in surgery a nurse whispers her the truth, whether she lives of dies, it's up to her. You think it's an easy choice. Who wouldn't want to live?

But not everybody makes it out of the crash.

With all the loss she'd be waking up to, it's not so easy.

The movie goes back and forth between flashbacks and the hospital. It gives you a chance to really see what the relationships and friendships were like and worked smoothly. I was a bit worried about how they were going to pull this off, but they did.

While debating Mia gets a few key visitors that nudge her in different directions. Her grandpa's speech made me sob out loud in the theater.

By a certain point I just cried the rest of the movie because even the happy parts hurt and non-crash related fights hurt and everything hurt okay.

Should have brought some tissues man.

Then we finally get down to the hour of truth where Adam makes the final plea for Mia to stay.

I don't want to give too much of this movie away because it's just so worthy of actually seeing. Who wants to go to a movie where they know exactly what happens??

So you want to know if she stays? Go see the movie. Bring a friend. Buy some popcorn. Or sneak in a tub of ice cream like I did. A few Kleenex should also be a must.

Overall: 5/5 Stars

This movie did the book so much justice. All my favorite parts were perfect and it was just great. It really captured the feel of the book. The acting was brilliant and so was the pacing. It doesn't drag at all. At the beginning it felt a tiny bit cheesy and iffy but quickly grew out of it.

There were some changes, but none that I wasn't okay with. Adam and Mia fought more and the grandpa was more involved (sobs over grandpa). I thought the changes actually made the movie better. As did the song at the end. Right in the feels.

BONUS!!!

Excited about all the great music you heard in the movie? You should be. The movie band recorded all the music and it's actually the guy playing Adam singing (#swoon). It's a great movie soundtrack purchase that I am enjoying listening to on repeat.

So if you're looking for a nice emotional movie or a good cry go buy a ticket. Of course I recommend reading the book first, but if you don't you really should go see it. It's a great movie on it's own.

Fingers crossed for a Where She Went movie!

Quotes

"But the you who you are tonight is the same you I was in love with yesterday, the same you I'll be in love with tomorrow."

"Wanna bone? Come on, at least give me your bone number!"

"I'm not good about writing about things that make me happy."

"Life is a big fat gigantic stinking mess."

*pretty much everything Adam says*

#liveforlove

Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Contemporary YA

By the Book and the Bookish

Top Ten Snoozeday. (Did you see what I did there? I'm hilarious.) Yes, late again...

As of now I've decided to do Top Ten Tuesday every two weeks. The decree has brought much joy to the queen. Once a week is pretty hard to do.

Top Ten Books I'd Give to Readers Who Have Never Read Contemporary YA

So you want to jump into the wonderful world of contemporary YA. Let me be your guide young Padawan. 

What is a contemporary novel you ask? It is a work of fiction set in the real world with no elements of fantasy or unrealistic things. Contemporary YA? Real world books for young adults!

10. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A recent YA book that is unique for its twists and mystery. It's on the list because A) it's actually a pretty fantastic book, B) it's not mushy like a lot of contemporaries C) I've never read another book quite like it. It's a good place to start.

9. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

I'll be upfront with you right now. I don't like Nicholas Sparks books. I find them rather too similar to each other. Plus I don't connect well with books about adult romances at this point in my life. However The Last Song is the wonderful black sheep of the family. It's emotional and I loved it. Also has a pretty great movie with back in the day Miley.

8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Pretend for a second like you've never heard of The Fault in Our Stars.

Okay, you can stop now. It's just worth the hype.

7. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The best feel good teen romance out there in my opinion. Nobody is super angsty and it's in Paris for crying out loud.

6. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is without a doubt my favorite contemporary author. Nothing beats a good Sarah Dessen book. This one is one of the best ones. Auden is very serious and into her grades (hello self). Then she goes to her dad's for the summer and becomes a much cooler person, meets sweet friends, and falls in love. Super great.

5. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The Designated Ugly Fat Friend. One of those books most girls can just really connect to. Bianca is a snappy girl who doesn't pretend to like you or hold back. It's horribly refreshing. Plus Wesley Rush.

4. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Another from Ms. Dessen. This one deals with Annabel who after a fallout with a friend has been living a pretty passive life. Her sisters troubles are straining the whole family and she's basically alone. Enter Owen, a boy who never lies. This one is a bit darker and I loved it.

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a socially awkward freshmen in college alone for the first time. I read this book last fall. When I was a socially awkward freshmen in college. It was kind of the best thing that ever happened to me at the time. It's adorable and heartwarming. Cath is the character I've related to the most in a book.

2. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

The book that wins the award for the hardest I've ever cried during a book. It just tears up your soul in a wonderful way. Plus there's gonna be a movie!

1. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

The best YA contemporary book out there. Macy has been trying to be perfect ever since her dad died. Then one day she spontaneously takes a catering job and everything changes. She discovers that pretending isn't coping with her new friends.

Top Ten Favorite TV Shows

I've seen Top Ten Tuesday on many of the blogs that I like. So I've decided to start doing it too! So every Tuesday y'all will be getting a brand spanking new list from me on whatever topic is given. Man I love making lists.

Plus this one is excellent because TV is my second love right after books (movies is probably tied with TV too but this post isn't about that so I'll shut up). I have been binge watching a lot this year too.

Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish!

LET US BEGIN THE TELEVISION COUNTDOWN!

(YES, I realize it is Wednesday. I was going to finish this last night but then I decided to go be social.)

10. How I Met Your Mother

It's funny because before the series finale this show probably would have made top five. But I still get enraged about that horrible painful hour of my life that ruined everything. Sorry if you liked it.

Anyway, the first 207 episodes are awesome. It's the story of Ted Mosby,

a hopeless romantic, telling his kids the story of how he met their mother. It quickly turns into a long (like nine seasons long) of hijinks between him, his past girlfriends, and his four best friends. The gang consists of Ted, his college roommate/golden sweetheart from Minnesota Marshall and his (slightly crazy) wife Lily,

Ted's first love interest Robin,

and Ted's eccentric "friend" Barney.

This show is like the funniest thing ever and I love love love it. When it's not being funny it's deeply real and serious. The lessons are good and not too forced and cheesy. Well...most of the time.

Barney is my favorite. 

9. That 70's Show

HELLO WISCONSIN!

Although the first four seasons are my true favorites, this show is fantastic. All the characters are so wonderfully stupid and teenagers. Even the parents are hilarious. The basement, man.

8. Hart of Dixie

I'm just gonna warn you right now. I really like the CW. The CW is the television network of my dreams. They make the kind of sappy, intense shows that I love.

That being said Hart of Dixie is this cute little show about a doctor from New York who moves to Bluebell, Alabama to take a job there. She gets sucked into all the crazy town drama and romance. It's quirky and southern (two of my favorite things). It's a great destresser show.

7. Friday Nights Lights

What's better than an inspiration sports movie? Five seasons of an inspiration sports TV show.

Friday Night Lights is about football in the heart of Texas. The Dillon Panthers are the stars of the town and Friday is the most important night of the week. Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tammy do their best to coach the team on and off the field.

Not to mention the eye candy that is Tim Riggins.

We don't talk about the tragedy that was season two. Ever.

6. One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill is the show that I always look back at fondly at being so warm and fuzzy. That was on the CW also.

It's a drama that takes place in a small town in North Carolina where one man has two sons with different that are the same age. They rarely interact until their sophomore year when they both join the basketball team. Cue tons of family angst, friendship angst, romantic angst, and just some pure angst angst.

Plus Brooke Davis is the best.

Eternally team Brucas.

5. Gossip Girl

Gossip Girl is set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and details the lives of some rich and snooty kids as they try to ruin each others lives and make theirs perfect. All the while the mysterious Gossip Girl puts out all their secrets to the whole world through anonymous texts and a blog. And it is wonderful. And on the CW.

It starts out during their junior year of high school when It Girl Serena returns from boarding school to find her best friend Blair isn't happy to see her again. This show is the best guilty pleasure out there. Season one and two are best because then they leave high school after that.

Ha I love Blair.

4. Once Upon A Time

I have very recently gotten super into Once Upon A Time. The first season was pretty meh. The middle of season two got going and my opinion changed drastically. May or may not be due to the appearance of Captain Hook.

Once Upon A Time takes place in Storybrooke, Maine. Due to a curse placed by the Evil Queen, all the fairy tale characters are forced to live in this town with no memory of their past lives. No one can enter or exit the time. The only one who can break the curse is Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. But she is pretty skeptical to believe even though her song Henry tries to convince her.

There is no way to describe this show without it sounding odd.

Every episode usually has a backstory plot line from the past that lines up with the current story line. It puts some interesting spins on some fairy tales and is pretty sweet. I'm not quite caught up yet.

3. Sherlock

Every episode of Sherlock is 90 minutes of thrilling detective bad assery.

It's a modern retelling of the classic detective in London. There's a new mystery every episode. It's intense and funny and sucks you in.

2. The Vampire Diaries

I judged this show harshly before I ever saw it. I was like, another vampire show? Another love triangle? How is this original at all?

IT IS.

This show is gritty and amazing. These vampires do not sparkle. These vampires are psychotic killing machines and dangerous. They do not lay in fields of flowers and talk about their feelings. They plan to murder their enemies and drink lots of bourbon. 

Although they do talk about their feelings quite a bit as well. It is a CW show.

1. Teen Wolf

AWOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (That was me howling, BTW) 

Teen Wolf is THE BEST SHOW EVER.

I judged Teen Wolf even more than The Vampire Diaries back in the day. An MTV show about werewolves?

But it's not like that at all. True, the first season is mostly like that. It has some pure cheese. But it also has some pure heart and horror.

If I had to categorize Teen Wolf I would call it a horror show. It's actually gory and there's lots of death. There's also lots of other supernatural creatures besides werewolves. There's kanimas, kistunes, nogitsunes, werecoyotes, werejaguars, windigos, and banshees. Not to mention the differences between alphas, betas, and omegas.

The main character Scott McCall is bitten one night in the woods while searching for a dead body with his best friend Stiles. His life is never the same.

A show with love, friendship, strangely acrobatic fighting, family, pain, loss, comedy, death and pretty much all the feelings you can think of. This show has it.

Moonday is the best day of the week.