Thanks to Penguin Teen and Warner Bros. Canada, several of the FYA Book Clubs got to feel totally superior to the rest of the world by attending sneak screenings of If I Stay. And now they're ready to rub it in share their reviews of the film with you! Spoiler alert: Almost everyone loved it.
Austin
"I think this is one of the best book to film translations I have seen. Absolutely gut-wrenching, just like the book." - Joelene H.
"I thought the movie was fantastic and did a great job of staying true to the book. I also loved the opportunity of seeing it with others who had also read the book (and were willing to share extra tissues)." - Meredith C.
"The two things I most enjoyed/was most pleasantly surprised by were a) the casting! Everyone was spot on. Who knew Stacy Keach would ever move me to tears like that? I did not see that coming. Mia's parents also really stood out. and b) that the emotion didn't seem too forced/cheesy. I mean, I knew I was going to cry no matter what, but I also thought a little sliver of me might think, "Wow, that was over the top. C'mon." It felt dramatic without being melodramatic." - Becca S.
Boston
"The movie does justice to the book. I daresay the movie is just as good as the book -- and books are (almost) always better than their movies! The movie was true to the book in story (without being laborious) and true in tone (without being too clever/earnest/twee).
Chloe Grace Moretz was fantastic as Mia. I enjoyed watching all the subtleties in her facial expressions. I loved the interactions between Mia and bestie Kim. All of the actors were well-cast and acted well. That said, I felt that the weakest cast member was Jamie Blackley. He was perfectly fine as Adam, but he wasn't as amazing as Chloe Grace Moretz. His face didn't have as much expressiveness as hers so I was constantly watching her instead of him." - Justine W.
New York City
NYCFYA was REALLY excited about this movie.
Pittsburgh
"In many ways If I Stay was what I had expected -- an overly dramatic adaptation of a book whose complicated drama was inherent to the situation in which the protagonist found herself and didn't need any of the added Hollywood-omg."
"It felt like an after-school special and a badly directed episode of E.R. rolled into one."
Small Drinking Game Suggestions:
- Drink every time Adam & Mia make out (you'll get half-lit from this alone)!
- Drink every time Chloë Grace Moretz wrinkles her nose like a bunny (you should be drunk now)!
- Drink every time Chloë Grace Moretz does pouty lips (find a place to go sleepy, 'cause you're gonna pass out)!
- Drink every time Adam acts like an asshole (we don't remember him being like this in the book)
San Diego
Vancouver, BC
Washington, D.C.
"It’s been a few years since I read the book, so I’m a little fuzzy on the details, but I was very pleased with how closely the film adhered to the spirit of the novel. I love, love, LOVED how Mia’s parents were portrayed – they’re so alive and full of character. In a lot of books/movies, the main character is orphaned and their late parents are vaguely good, but not really dwelt upon in any great detail. Mia’s family members, on the other hand, are so much more real. The detail that they’re the kind of parents who take their little kid to a rock concert, BUT make sure she’s wearing proper ear protection is just the perfect encapsulation of these wonderful characters. Excuse me, but it’s getting a bit dusty in here…." - Maddy W.
If I Stay comes out this Friday, August 22nd! (So you only have a short amount of time to fortify your tissue supply.)