A Book Review: If I Stay By Gayle Forman

For some reason I had never thought of writing a book review but once the idea popped up in my head literally five minutes ago I thought of what an idiot I was to not have thought of it before. So here I am half way under my duvet and leaning back on my newly cushioned pillows typing away on my laptop at 23:30. 

When I upload this, it will be the day the film ‘If I Stay’ is released in cinemas in the UK. Therefore I’m thinking why not write a book review on the book which ‘If I Stay’ is based on since I’ve already read the book. In addition it just happens to be my favourite book.

About one or two years ago I read ‘If I Stay’ for the first time. I do wish I could tell a magical story of how I found it but I really can’t remember where I came across it. I am certain though that no one recommended it to me or that I found it in my school’s library. Just putting that out there. It was the first book that stood out to me and started my current reading habits. In other words this book is very special to me.

Before I joined secondary school, I never read a book. It was a struggle for me to get through one book. But then I came across this book and read it in a day. It may be a small book of only 210 pages with font that is slightly bigger than average but just believe me when I say that this was a miracle.

I had never come across a story that centres around a girl, who is in a coma following a tragic car accident, where she is able to witness the lives of the people around her as they try to cope with her condition. Now don’t walk away from this book, it may sound a bit too heavy or too descriptive but it’s not, it’s gripping and you’re left never wanting to put the book down as your shown hope again and again. 

Mia, the main character, has to make the decision to stay and experience the loss of her family, or to simply let go. She has nowhere to run to but she is not alone in making her decision. Her loved ones are always beside her encouraging her to make the decision for herself. Some are selfish and some ask her to be selfish. She may not be alone but when it comes to the end, it’s up to her.

As a result of death occurring in the book, the story could have been lost in a pessimistic and sad atmosphere but Forman somehow saves the story by describing past happy moments with many of the other characters and Mia through her life as well as prevailing hope.

There’s something about this story which has and may always be special to me. As you can tell by the photo of my copy of the book is a bit battered, could be worse, but is not all perfect and new anymore. This book has been everywhere with me, in the bath tub (not in the water, has come close though but luckily I’ve managed to never let it drop in when I’ve had a bath), on just about every holiday of mine and I will of course be taking it with me on holiday next.

Between you and me, I’m slightly protective of this book. I’ve always wanted it to be adapted into a film but I never thought that would actually happen until a month ago when the trailer appeared in my YouTube side box. I just hope the story truly shines through in the film.

My Relationship With My Bed

At the beginning of this week and out of nowhere I was sick for around three days. From past experience I was expecting to wake up and feel like my normal self after day one but I didn’t. However finally I felt better and was able to leave my bed without feeling dizzy or having the need to rush to the nearest toilet. But it made me consider that this would be a good time to write this post, which I’ve been wanting to write for a few weeks now, after my long hours staying in bed.

Although I’m really not sure how to tackle this or where to go with this just like so many of my other posts.

My bed is my little home. I probably spend 90% of my time on my bed when I’m home. I’m either on or under my duvet. I may have a desk but that doesn’t mean anything to me apparently since I spend all my time on my bed. I remember hearing about how you shouldn’t do work in a place which makes you tired etc. I have tried this but I always end up on my bed. Ironically I’m not writing this on my bed, I am in fact at a desk typing this. However I usually write my posts when I’m in bed at late hours when I have a spur of the moment writing energy.

Anyway….

My bed has been around longer than me by the way. That may interest you, may not. Now this might be a bit of unsettling news to you but when I was a toddler I slept in my bed that I now sleep in. The unsettling part may be that it is a double bed. Maybe I’m just overreacting but as far as I’m aware it’s quite uncommon for a toddler to have their own double bed. But don’t worry I haven’t lacked the experience of having a single bed. After I was a toddler we had construction done to our house and I ended up with having to use a single bed and up to three years ago I still did.

I don’t think I can go back though to using a single bed on a regular basis. My double bed is just so comfy and big.

Summer Ending...

Summer ending… There may be three weeks left until the end of my summer holidays. But three weeks can go very fast as I have learnt over most of my life. One thing that I’m concerned about is wasting those weeks. There are a few things that make this summer holiday really precious to me. After this holiday is over I begin my GCSEs which even the thought of scares me.

As well as doing a lot of exciting things, I want to sleep more. Today I slept until 13:00 and it was great. But that was mainly down to the fact that the two previous days I had to wake up before 7 in the morning and spend both my days standing up. However I think I need to wake up a little earlier from now on and not start a running pattern. Starting your day early allows you to get so much done which feels so much more rewarding. Maybe I’ll allow myself to have one day every week of sleeping until 11.

Anyway here’s a list of a few of the things that I want to do before this summer ends:

• tidy and organise my room
• make a photo album
• see the sun set
• get wet in the rain
• make pancakes 
• write a message on a balloon and set it off
• see the sun rise
• enter a photography contest

Although I still don’t want to feel tied down to completing this list because recently I’ve been trying to minimise the amount of stress that could be caused in my life. But I will try.  

A Trip To France: A Wedding

 

 I wish I could say that I remember the first wedding I attended but I think I was a baby so I have no memory of it. The only reason that I’m aware that I attended a wedding when I was a baby was as a result of conversations with my parents about how many weddings that I had been to.  Anyway apparently I have been to five or six weddings in my life. The number of weddings which I have witnessed only interested me when the topic surfaced  in conversation with my friends. A few of my friends announced that they had never been to a wedding and if they had, then only one or two. So I rethought my opinion on the number of weddings that I have been to, and considering I’ve only been alive for fourteen years, five or six seems quite a few.

In addition about three years ago, I was a bridesmaid at my cousin’s wedding. Let’s just say I skip all photos from that day with me in even the ones with just my back in. I had just started secondary school and was going through that period of change between the way I looked at primary to secondary school. I’ll probably laugh at the way I felt now in ten years’ time but right now, photos from that day still haunt me.

However that wedding holds, not only some of the worst but also some of the best memories I have with my family. Also I was still at a stage in my life where I wasn’t embarrassed by my family’s dancing and felt comfortable to attempt to dance alongside them. I do wish I could still be like that, care free. But unfortunately I’ve turned into ones of those teens who gets embarrassed by their parents dancing after midnight, if not before. I am trying though and I like to think that if others had been in my shoes then they would have felt more embarrassed. By the way, I’m mainly talking about the dancing that went on at my Aunt and Uncle’s Wedding last weekend.

Five years ago my Uncle married a German girl in Whitehaven, England. Now you may be thinking ‘hey you just said last weekend and now you’re saying five years ago’. But just hold on a second: They got married in a small registry office which was then followed by dinner in a B&B. The newlyweds claimed that they were going to hold a big wedding in Germany where my new Aunt’s mother’s vineyard was in the next two to three years so that as many as possible of their friends and family could attend. But as you can guess that didn’t happen.

To put it simply, they arranged this second wedding in France. It was my first wedding that was hosted outside and I thought it was beautifully put together. Once I saw the layout in the garden of the hotel for the ceremony, I got a sense of ‘Twilight’ but I think that was mainly down to the fact that the wedding was outside.

during the wedding, rain started pouring from the heavens and we were given umbrellas from the hotel staff

As I’m typing this now, I’m thinking about how I would want my wedding to be. The idea of having a wedding outside appears so romantic to me and having the sky above me as I say my vowels. But then I remember how I’ve always wanted to have a traditional wedding in a church with a small number of close friends and family which is then followed by a big party with all of mine and my partner’s friends and family. I guess it will come down to what I want then if I ever get married and what my partner wants. Seems a way off but a fourteen year old needs a dream.  

A Trip To Wales: A Little Getaway

I’m not sure how to handle this post. Do I describe parts of the journey? Or do I just ramble on and on? Or do I focus on an aspect of my little holiday? Well I guess we will see…

Wales. A place where I have memories of walking along the beach, dipping my toes into water that has caused my body to shiver, and walks up hills which have left me wanting to never hike again. Let’s just say I haven’t been a fan of walks in the countryside with my parents beckoning me on. Once one of my parents has mentioned the word ‘walk’ I crawl under my bed and hope to never been found. In the past, I have just never been interested in the idea of walking for miles with only my parents. I’m an only child by the way.

Recently, however, walking has offered me chances to witness incredible views. I was, just like so many others, someone who laughed at the idea of going on a walk to get a view. But now I love the idea of being able to see a view. There seems to be something more special about a view if you have to put effort in first to get to see it. Maybe next week, my opinion will change about walking but right now I’m up for it. Anyone want to go for a walk?

Anyway, feel like I’ve gone a bit off track. Back to my little holiday in Wales... 

I’m not even sure why I have written over a paragraph on walking when I didn’t even go on a proper ‘walk’ in Wales this time. It was too hot. Never mind.

I spent four days in the middle of nowhere. I tried to restrain myself from looking and then using the wifi password and I think I managed about a day, which I find astonishing considering that I’m always using the internet. I really need to take a step back from the internet though. (I don’t seem to be doing very well at that since I’m using the internet to upload this post, oh well).

I feel that it’s important to get space from the internet once in a while and get away from your everyday life.  

During my trip to Wales, I spent most of my time reading, taking photos, and sleeping. The most active thing I did was visit the beach, which included the walk from the car to the beach and then to the edge of the water. From past experience, I was aware of how cold the water is and yet again, the water was unbearable. My aunt somehow managed to get into the water and swim out for a good two metres. Just thinking about her being in the water, gives me the shivers.

Even though I didn’t do anything really productive, I enjoyed being lazy. Everyone needs time to do nothing and take a step back from life.