Infinite Satellite

When she has a chance to attend Julliard, Mia is torn between following her cello dreams and staying in Oregon with her family and boyfriend. But after a car wreck kills her parents and leaves her spirit stranded in a hospital, watching friend and relatives visit her broken comatose body, Mia must reflect on her past and future to decide whether she wants to stay in her body and live or pass on.

The writing isn't earth-shattering, and the plot isn't the most original I've seen. This book is definitely no "Elsewhere." On the other hand, the characters are likable, and Mia's dilemma is honest and well-explored. Forman pulls no punches. A definite tear-jerker with quite a lot to say about the enduring power of music, love, and combinations of the two, I predict "If I Stay" will become a mainstay of school libraries and public library teen departments.

Recommend to: Teens who appreciate understated stories, teens who think death is glamorous.

Don't recommend to: The overly-sensitive. This baby is SAD.