Seven Authors to Read if You Love If I Stay

Earlier this week, I re-read If I Stay because I’m seeing the movie TODAY. I can’t wait! I’m stocked up on tissues and everything. After I finished the re-read, I decided to look for books that had a similar feel to If I Stay. Truthfully, it wasn’t an easy task and in the end I decided not to focus on specific books but authors who weave tales that might appeal to fans of Gayle Forman. Here’s what I discovered:

 

 

Laurie Halse Anderson

Out of these three books, I’ve only read Speak, which is a must-read for the YA category. Speak addresses serious issues in a high school setting, and is simple, forward and real. The Impossible Knife of Memory and Wintergirls are on my to-read list.

 

Sarah Dessen

Dessen writes relatable romances about real-life issues. Her tales have strong female leads, unique situations and take place on the beautiful Carolina coast. I’ve read a handful of her books and I’ve never been disappointed by the hopeful nature of her endings.

 

Gayle Forman

Okay, so this might be cheating a little bit. But if you love If I Stay, then Where She Went is the logical next step. And I can’t say enough nice things about Just One Day and Just One Year, Forman’s other series, which is a love-at-first-sight European adventure.

 

Anna Jarzab

 

When I read All Unquiet Things, I was awed. The Opposite of Hallelujah didn’t have quite the same effect on me but it did have a killer Harry Potter reference (that I still remember even though I read it over a year ago!). Both stories are captivating tales about the intricate binds of relationships.

 

 

 

E. Lockhart

We Were Liars is a summer story in the simplest sense, but it's also a thrilling mystery, a twisty-turny tale of life and death and, of course, lying. Even though this is the only book of Lockhart’s I’ve indulged in, I can’t wait to meet Frankie Landau-Banks. I plan to before 2015!

 

 

 

Jandy Nelson

In The Sky is Everywhere, Lennie is reeling from her sister’s sudden death when she gets caught between two boys, one who helps her forget and one who helps her remember. The theme of music swings through this beautiful and honest story. I’ll Give You the Sun will be released September 16!

 

 

Lauren Oliver

Panic is about pushing yourself to the brink. It’s about taking risks, indulging danger and feeling immortal as only teenagers can. It’s about courting death for the chance to escape. Panic is a profound, quotable, heart-pounding thriller. It’s greatness reminds me that I need to read more Oliver, and soon!




What authors do you recommend for fans of Gayle Forman?