Though written for a teen audience, Twilight had the mom audience fully engaged. I'm not in the least bit embarrassed to say I was bitten.
(Embarrassed by the bad pun? Well, kinda). So if you're a mom mourning the end of the Twilight series, I've got good news. Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke has chosen a new project, and the book might be even better than the real thing.
If I Stay is another teen lit pick, but where Twilight reveled in relaying teenage angst, Gayle Forman's short novel tackles sweet teen love without leaving a saccharine taste behind.
Julliard-bound high school senior Mia's life changes forever in the time it takes for her parents car to cross a lane of traffic and collide with another driver. Watching the aftermath from outside of her body, the teenager explores love and loss in flashbacks to her pre-accident life. A cautionary tale for teens of the power they hold when they get behind the wheel, the novel deftly explores teenage passion and family dynamics without preaching.
But even as it lives up to its YA classification, If I Stay is a haunting tale worth a night on the couch for mom - even if she leaves it blubbering over the thought of a child facing life without her parents.
Want a copy? Publisher Penguin is offering signed copies to 10 Babble readers. Shoot an e-mail to babblecontest@gmail.com with the "If I Stay Contest" in the subject line. Please include your name and address. Ten winners will be chosen at random after the contest closes on May 1.
