Author: Gail Forman
Published by: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 260
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★★
Summary From Goodreads: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
If I Stay was a devastating read. So much emotion and turmoil, with a powerful ending that stuck with you long after you but the book down. When I heard there was going to be a sequel I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. I thought If I Stay was amazingly written and I didn't want a sequel to ruin the overall impact that If I Stay had.
That being said, I adored Where She Went. I think this novel really worked and didn't pull anything away from If I Stay. I think the reason this novel worked so well is that it was told from Adam's point of view. Adam was broken after Mia left for college. He retreated into himself and became a ghost of the person he used to be. His downward spiral actually reminded me of Bella's in New Moon when Edward left. Part of me felt for Adam and another part of me thought it was kind of crazy. I understand Adam's devastation, but I don't understand not picking yourself back up and going on with life.
When Adam and Mia finally meet again it is familiar and awkward at the same time. They make a wonderful couple and Gail Forman really builds each of their characters off of the other one. I love the edginess of this novel. Even though it was highly emotional, it also had a hardness to it (which I'm attributing to Adam's point of view and his pain). I loved getting to know Adam better and more of who he is instead of his connection to Mia.
I must applaud Gail Forman on her directness. There were so many difficult emotions that both Adam and Mia went through after If I Stay and Gail Forman really showed us the grit and pain. She didn't back off on the hard stuff and make it a light and easy read. Instead she made Mia and Adam have those dark feelings that everyone has but are too scared to talk about. We all know that people have irrational feelings after tragedy, but won't talk about them for fear of being ridiculed and ashamed. Gail gave Mia and Adam these feelings and that really made the novel for me.
Where She Went is a novel that will stick with me for a while. Gail Forman truly knows how to write a gripping novel.
I never really thought of it that way, but yes, Adam's reaction is much like Bella's. Good point.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, WSW was rather edgy and emotional. I had the same concerns as you, and I'm glad that WSW turned out to be better than I hoped.
Yes! Just, Yes!! Familiar and awkward is the perfect way to describe their reunion! I just loved this book. It's different from If I Stay, and I loved it in a completely different way, but there is no denying that Forman is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI still need to read If I Stay. I have heard such wonderful things about these books.
ReplyDeleteI was much like you. Except I was actually angry when I saw there was going to be a sequel to If I Stay. If I Stay was one of the best books I have ever read, and I really didn't want anything to ruin that. But like you mentioned Where She Went didn't take anything away from If I Stay. I didn't like Where She Went as much, but I loved hearing Adams point of view.
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