Review: If I Stay

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: eBook
Pages: 262
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (I hope Goodreads stays): On a day that started like any other,

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, admiring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. In an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left. It is the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

So: Kristen gave me this novel and warned me not to read it when I was around other people because I would cry. I didn't cry but I came very close. This novel made me really consider my life and what I would do in the main character's situation. It was hard to imagine but this novel is written beautifully. I don't usually like flashbacks but in this novel, they were not only necessary but perfectly placed in the story to further it. You have to pay a little bit more attention to this novel because of how the main character thinks and bounces back to the past but it's worth it.

I really fell in love with the characters. I felt their pain but still wanted to laugh at some of the funny things they did. What I laughed at wasn't always funny. Sometimes they needed to do what they did and I laughed in disbelief. I want someone to fight for me like that...also, her boyfriend rocks...literally and figuratively. 

The idea for this novel was wonderful...wonderfully sad, I suppose. It really is just a beautiful story, a beautiful novel. I wish that I could tell you more about it but I don't want to give too much away. I think that if you enjoy young adult fiction at all than you should at least pick up this book at the store and look at it. Just look at it. I ask nothing else of you. 

Conclusion: This novel was really unique. I've never read another book like it so I'm glad I took the time to read it. Tears were close to falling a few times so read it alone but make sure to go read it. I'm sure the movie will be awesome. I already got my hands on the sequel!

Already read If I Stay? Check out Kristen's review for its sequel, Where She Went, which Kristen enjoyed even more!

Special Note: Today this book has been released as a movie. Go show your support at your local movie theater. Kristen and I will be checking it out soon!

A Christmas Carol

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Charles Dickens
Format: Paperback (all available) 
Pages: 89 (depending on copy but all short)
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (via Goodreads): Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like...and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas

Thoughts: Don't worry; it being Christmas, I'll keep this short. This was not my first Charles Dickens novel but it was definitely my favourite. I had never before read it but it's a Christmas classic so I needed to this year. I wasn't disappointed at all. I was glad to be thrown right into the life of Scrooge. The story would have been boring with extra background at the beginning. The reader did, however, need the description of him. In the first two pages, you understand what kind of man Scrooge is. This is good because the story goes right into trying to change him. This novel has some of the best descriptions I've ever read. Then again, my copy had a few pictures so...

I thought the whole premise was pretty incredible too. There are a lot of people that don't know what Christmas really is about and this book not only teaches that but also shows that people can change, forgiveness is possible and people can be truly happy. I can never really understand why the Ghost of Christmas Future scares everybody though. 

It was an easy read. My copy had huge font and pictures, like a said before. It was short, sweet, and to the point. I've seen many versions of this movie so it was great to be able to compare them to the real book. I love watching (or reading about) people changing.

In Conclusion: If you have the time before next Christmas, you should read this book. You might even make it a Christmas Tradition.

My Favourite Movie Versions:
A Muppet Christmas Carol: I loved this. Last year was my first time seeing it but I'm going to watch it every year now. The songs are catchy and who doesn't love the Muppets? I've never seen a movie that sticks so closely to the novel it came from. I read along with parts of the movie and entire lines were right from book. I loved it. The only big, big change was that the business partner in this movie was two brothers instead of one man, big deal!

Scrooged: This one is a bit more serious than the Muppet's version though there is a lot of humor in it too. The humor in this is more grown up. It is not exactly a children's movie but the ghosts are pretty hilarious  My favourite ghost is that of Christmas present because she hits him with a toaster! She's violent and it's the best. (P.S. The video doesn't go all the way to the end but it shows you what I mean. Sorry for the end!)

Turn My Way by Shane Gamble

I heard this song on my way to school tonight and it made me smile like an idiot through my whole class. It was bizarre. What do you think? 

I don't know if you like country but deal with it! :P

~Kelsey