If you loved
If I Stay
Gayle Forman · Book · 2014
What hooked you in If I Stay is how it balances the crushing weight of profound loss with the fragile hope of young love.
Start with the source
Adaptation
If I Stay
R. J. Cutler · Film · 2014
Films on the same thread
The Fault in Our Stars
Josh Boone · Film · 2014
Explores: Terminal Illness, Young Love, Existentialism.
If you loved the emotional intensity of If I Stay, you will appreciate this story of two teenagers navigating life and mortality while falling in love under impossible circumstances.
Five Feet Apart
Film · 2019
Shares a thread with If I Stay: Coming-of-age.
Just as If I Stay explores the limitations of life through a medical crisis, this film captures the ache of a romance forced to endure strict physical boundaries.
I Still Believe
Andrew Erwin · Film · 2020
Shares a thread with If I Stay: Grief.
This biographical drama mirrors the themes of grief and resilience found in If I Stay, focusing on how love persists even when facing the most devastating personal loss.
A Star Is Born
Bradley Cooper · Film · 2018
Explores: Fame and Addiction, The Price of Fame, Intergenerational Romance.
Much like the musical focus of If I Stay, this film examines the intersection of artistic passion and romantic sacrifice as two souls navigate the complexities of fame.
Series on the same thread
Heartstopper
Alice Oseman · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with If I Stay: Identity.
If the coming-of-age vulnerability of If I Stay resonated with you, this series offers a similarly tender look at the transformative power of first love and self-discovery.
Looking for Alaska
Josh Schwartz · Series · 2019
Shares 2 threads with If I Stay: Grief, Identity.
This series shares the heavy atmosphere of grief present in If I Stay, following a group of teens as they grapple with the sudden, life-altering impact of tragedy.
This Is Us
Dan Fogelman · Series · 2016
Explores: Intergenerational relationships, Family secrets, Trauma and healing.
If you valued the deep family connections in If I Stay, this show provides a sprawling, emotional exploration of how trauma and love bind a family across time.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny Han · Series · 2022
Explores: First Love, Summer Romance, Love Triangle.
This drama captures the same pivotal transition into adulthood found in If I Stay, focusing on how summer romance and family secrets force a young girl to change.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
While different in tone, this podcast provides the same sense of community and emotional support that readers sought after engaging with the heavy themes of If I Stay.
We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Vulnerability, Personal growth, Emotional support.
If I Stay deals with the raw experience of facing life's hardest moments, and this podcast offers a similar space for vulnerability and processing the challenges of existence.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is If I Stay based on a book?
Yes, the 2014 movie If I Stay is an adaptation of the 2014 novel written by Gayle Forman. The story follows seventeen-year-old Mia as she faces difficult choices regarding her future, her music, and her relationships following a tragic accident involving her family.
What is the main conflict in If I Stay?
In If I Stay, seventeen-year-old Mia faces a difficult choice between pursuing her passion for music, which may require leaving her family and boyfriend behind, or staying true to her current life. This conflict is further complicated after a February morning drive with her family ends in a tragedy.
Does If I Stay feature a character named Adam?
Yes, Adam is a character in If I Stay. He is depicted as having a voice that sounds like shrapnel and he plays a role in the emotional narrative of the story when he urges Mia to stay following the events that occur after her family drive.
How old is the protagonist in If I Stay?
The protagonist of If I Stay, Mia, is seventeen years old. At this stage in her life, she is forced to confront significant decisions about her future, including her commitment to her first love of music and the potential consequences for her family and friends.