The Best Reader: Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (April 5th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 264 pages
Source: Won ARC
Series: If I Stay #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
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.
Review: Spoilers! I started reading this book right after I finished If I Stay. Although I wasn't crazy bout If I Stay, everyone I talked to said that Where She Went was much better. They were right!

Where She Went is from Adam's point-of-view. It's 3 years after the accident and since Mia left for New York. Adam is a famous rock-star and Mia is a musician but they haven't spoken in years.

Adam is shocked that Mia just left without a word since. Now he finds himself in New York getting ready for a tour and all the memories return. Sometimes it's difficult to find a story with a great male POV but this one has it. I really enjoyed Adam and hearing about his adventures. Even though he was far from a"good guy" he was much more likeable than Mia had been in If I Stay. I believed him more and he showed more emotion.

Adam runs into Mia and they have 1 special night together. She takes him around New York to explore the city before they both go off on tour. Their relationship is strained at first. It takes a long time for Adam and Mia to reconnect. For obvious reasons, Adam is mad. He doesn't understand how someone he loved could leave like that. To make matters worse, Mia doesn't really acknowledge his pain or what she did to him.

The setting and plot in Where She Went was much more interesting to me. We get a glimpse of New York and flashbacks of how Adam got to where he is now, but it wasn't too much. I was still able to stay connected with their present-day time together.

Again, the only downside of this book was Mia. I was furious with her! She left, didn't say a word, then ignored the subject for most of the time they were together. I believed Adam loved her, but I honestly wasn't convinced she felt the same.

Where She Went far surpassed If I Stay, in my opinion. Adam is a fantastic character and his POV truly allowed me to see his personality and his true essence.

Recommended: I would recommend readers check out book 1, If I Stay first. It wouldn't be a must but it would help to understand what's going on. Readers who love contemporary or more emotional reads would enjoy this.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (April 9th, 2009)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 199 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: If I Stay #1
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…
Review: Yes, it's true. I just read this book a few weeks ago. I had super high expectations about this book because it has terrific reviews. I gotta say, I wasn't blown away by it. Maybe my expectations were too high? I dunno.

If I Stay introduces us to Mia. Mia is in a terrible car accident with her mother, father, and brother. One thing about this novel that grabbed me immediately was the strong bond Mia had with her family. Typically, in YA books, we may not get a great look at family relations. We only get a peak into the character's home-life and it may not be the best view. If I Stay paints a beautiful picture of a family. Mia's father and mother were loving and supportive. As Mia spends time in the hospital she remembers some of their times together.

The idea behind this novel, as well as much of Gayle Forman's writing, was terrific. She has a way of describing a setting that really helps the reader grasp what is going on around the characters.

I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks. Much of this book is series of flashbacks to Mia's memories of her parents and of Adam. Some people may enjoy this. It's just a personal preference but they make me feel really disconnected from what the"real" story is about. I don't mind learning about a character's past through their own thoughts, but this book just had too much of that.

The other downside for me was Mia herself. She just wasn't what as emotional as I would have thought she should have been. And she seemed a bit.boring. At the end I just kept thinking"Why does Adam even love her so much?" I couldn't get a good handle on her personality besides just knowing what she loves music.

Adam was the person who saved this book for me. He was interesting, caring, and passionate. Even though we really don't get to see him that much, he always managed to get my attention.

The main character and all the flashbacks were what really brought this book down for me but, as mentioned, those are just personal preferences. The plot, writing, and events that occur during the actual story were exceptional. I just wanted more from Mia.

Recommended: Contemporary fans or people who don't mind a story with a focus in the past and present.