Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

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.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review:

Two years ago a little book named If I Stay captured my heart with its fantastic writing as well as characters and world building, and with Where She Went, this statement rings even more true. Heartbreaking as well as heartwarming, Gayle Forman’s Where She Went picks the reader up with the very first word and doesn’t let go until the very last.

Where She Went opens up three years after If I Stay left off. However, everything is much different from what it used to be. Adam is a famous rock singer, and Mia’s thriving at Julliard, quickly becoming the next big thing in classical music. Moreover, while these two seem to have everything and more, they don’t have each other…they haven’t since Mia left Adam all those years ago unexpectedly. However, when Adam runs into Mia once lonely night in New York City, everything shifts once again. Thrown together on a wild goose chase, Mia and Adam are left to face the past as well as the future. Will they came together once again, or will they be left even more far apart at the end of the night? In addition, what exactly happened all those years ago as well as the one’s leading up to this night? Only time and more pages will tell in this heart-wrenching yet hopeful sequel to If I Stay.

When I first learned that Where She Went would be told from Adam’s perspective, I have to admit, I was a bit worried. I wondered if Gayle Forman would be able to pull it off…if she would be able to make me as dedicated to Adam’s story as she did with Mia’s. However, I should never have doubted her, as not only did she allow jump Adam and his emotions and feelings to jump of the page, but she left so much room for me as well as other readers to relate to him and like him.

Adam is a character who is very lost in life. He doesn’t really know what he wants, let alone how to get it. He’s a character who while whined a bit too much, still remanded loveable, easy to root for, and most importantly, relatable. However, what I liked most about it was the way I was able to see the whole situation from If I Stay in a very different light, a very intriguing one to say the least.

I also adored the plot in this one. The way Gayle jumped from present to what occurred in the past three years was nothing short of brilliant, as it truly opened my eyes to what lead Mia and Adam to becoming so far apart yet so close. I also loved the wild goose chase Mia lead Adam on, as well as the way through it Mia and Adam’s characters both grew. I could go on and on for days about it but I don’t want to give anything away.

Lastly, just like in If I Stay, Gayle Forman’s writing is flawless. I’m constantly awed by how easily she’s able to develop her characters into such well-rounded people so to say. She’s just an incredible writer.

In all, Where She Went blew me away in all ways possible. It was, without a doubt, the perfect ending to Mia and Adam’s story…the ending I didn’t realize I needed.

In addition, can I just add how much I’m looking forward to reading more by Ms. Forman?

Grade: A+

Where She Went is now out!

Source: Netgalley