If I Stay - Personal Response

If I stay written by Gayle Forman is such a love tragedy. Mia who is the main character goes on a family road trip and ends up getting in a car accident, and she and her whole family end up getting in critical shape, the whole book is based around Mia's life events. I honestly loved this book, one reason I loved this book is because it really made me think about my family, in this book her whole family didn't make it alive, they all passed away except for Mia. It made me realised that at any given time, my mum or dad or even my little brothers lives could be taken away for good. I shouldn't take my family for granted because at any moment they could leave my life. I would be extremely devastated if that happened to me.

There was one part of the book that really touched my heart. It was when Mia was in the hospital in a coma and her Grandpa was visiting her. I think he was upset to see her there before he was. He was telling her how much of a fighter she was and how strong she is here's how it went:

  "“It's okay,' he tells me. 'If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I've ever wanted anything in my life.' His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. 'But that's what I want and I could see why it might not be what you want. So I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It's okay if you have to leave us. It's okay if you want to stop fighting.''

This just really hit home for me, while reading it, all I could think of was my Pretty Nan. (This is my Grandma, all her mokopuna's called her this.) She had leukemia in 2012, and she was in intensive care just like Mia, she put up a good fight in the hospital. She wasn't going to give up so easily, a few months later she got released from the hospital and went home. A few weeks from being released she past peacefully in her sleep, it was a sad but blissful night when she passed. Before she forever went to sleep she told my dad that my Grandad was calling her home (he passed away as well). I feel like Mia could feel like this because her whole family passed but her, she could stop fighting and be with her family, but towards the end of the film we see that Mia does decide to stay.