Gossip Time...If I Stay

After Kiersten White recommended the sequel to If I Stay on her blog the other day, I felt like I had to go read this book. I mean, if her Dad loved it, then why wouldn't I.

So I checked out the audio book from the library two days ago. I'm about seventy five percent of the way through, and I'm not going to lie, I kind of want to go out in the garage, sit in my car, and listen to the rest.

The author Gayle Forman does several great things in this book that leave me in complete awe.

• Characterization. She is awesome at it. I find myself invested in every character. I love in particular the small details, like how Grandmother believes in angels, Dad smokes a pipe and used to be in a band, and best friend is Jewish and believes that everything falls in one of two categories.
• Voice. Wow. The main character Mia is quirky, smart, and passionate. Hearing the story unfold in her words is like the best lesson in voice for any writer.
• I think many of us wonder, including physicians, how much a comatose patient experiences in the real world. I love Ms. Forman's take on this. I know it's fiction, but part of me finds it extremely believable.

Gayle Forman has an awesome website and blog and I can't wait to read the second book Where She Went.