Summer List Review {If I Stay + Love Actually}

This is the sixth installment of me reviewing a list of books and movies I set out to read, watch, and enjoy throughout the summer (even though this is going up in the winter). You can check out my other posts in the following links. 

Summer Reading and Movie List

First Installment

Second Installment

Third Installment

Fourth Installment
Fifth Installment

This one is another girl book that I'm half ashamed I ever read. If I Stay kind of left me irritated similar to last weeks book. But alas, I feel this is what I get when I read these young adult romance novels that I should have never indulged in to begin with.

I really wanted to love this book, but I couldn't. I found it hard to get through although in rare moments enjoyable. The writing style was decent, but many of the metaphors left me feeling all 'what the hell did I just read.' I specifically remember at one point Mia describes that when she watches her boyfriend on stage she wants to 'lick the sweat off his body' or something like that. I almost gave up reading it after that to be honest, but I alas I persevered. 

I liked how there was no real description of "the accident," but an abrupt skip from her normal life to being halfway dead. It was metaphorical and awesome in a writer way, but I found everything that went on in the hospital to be boring and part of a bad Disney movie. For instance, her boyfriend and best friend create a diversion by having some famous singer start singing outside the ICU so they can run inside and escape past the "mean old nurse" to see Mia. Like, seriously? Could the characters get any more dumb? It was such a stupid solution to a problem that shouldn't have even been in there in the first place.

One thing I really enjoyed though was the flashbacks into Mia's past. I'm weird and sentimental, and I enjoy simple memories of normal people involving stuff like labor day parties in their backyards. I don't know, call me weird if you want.

Anyways, it was an OK book. By far not my favorite by any means, not to mention the ending was predictable and rather blunt/quick.

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Love Actually, was also another OK in my book. 

The movie featured a great list of actors, but I found there to be way too many characters and plot lines to keep track of. Also, the ending was kind of a like a weird communal Christmas celebration albeit slightly cute. 

To be real, I'm a sucker for movies where there's five or six characters whose paths all eventually cross, but I found this one to be hard to follow and not as interesting as I would have hoped. The movie also seemed rather long and drawn out, and the plot line somewhat dumb (I mean the Prime Minister shows up at an elementrary school Christmas production to chase down a girl), but I guess this is what you get with romantic comedies.

Alas, OK movie with a brilliant cast.

Have a fabulous day.