As an avid movie watcher and an even more avid reader, I was thrilled to hear that they were making a movie adaptation of If I Stay by Gayle Forman and directed by R.J. Cutler, but apprehensive as to how they would transform such a rich book into a movie. While there were mixed reviews; It had a 37% rotten tomato score and had a 7/10 average rating on IMDB, most cinema watchers (including me!) and fans were more than delighted with the final product.

The story follows Mia Hall and her struggle whether to live or die after her entire family dies from a tragic car accident in the form of a out of body experience.

One of the most unique parts of the book was how it seamlessly weaved together the past and the present in terms of flashbacks and how they ultimately affected Mia’s final decision, and the movie made it look almost effortless. One of the best executed scenes was the Labor Day barbeque scene where Mia finally accepts that it is okay to play and that the cello doesn’t have to be a solo instrument.

The movie definitely wouldn’t have been the same without the tremendous acting of Jamie Blackley (Adam Wilde), Chloe Grace Moretz (Mia Hall), and Stacy Keach (Mia’s grandfather). The book is great in that the characters are people whom you would find in real life and go through the same same difficulties as us. It is no different in the movie. Chloe Grace Moretz handled the role so well that by the end, I was convinced that she was actually Mia and her relationship with Adam was a whole rollercoaster of emotions. The entire theater was sniffling by the end of it.

If I Stay was definitely worth seeing. From the phenomenal acting to the perfect soundtrack, I was blown away with how good it turned out, especially since the book was complicated and full of twist and turns. But make sure to bring a box of tissues. I guarantee that you will be sobbing by the end.