Where She Went

Author: Gayle Forman

Series: If I Stay # 2

Genres: Realistic, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Released: 5 April 2011

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com 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.

For Fans Of: If I Stay, The Piper’s Son, and The Sky is Everywhere

My Review:  Okay, I’ll admit, when I saw Where She Went at the bookstore, I kind of freaked out.  I had no idea that Gayle Forman was planning a sequel, and because of that I was really hesitant to pick this one up.  If I Stay was such a good read for me, and I felt like it ended in a really good place without having to continue onwards.  So, it was with this attitude that I picked up Where She Went.  Purely to see what Forman had done.

And I’ll admit, I was a little bit surprised.   And, I’ll admit, kind of bummed that Adam and Mia weren’t together.  That Adam had, in fact, turned into kind of a dick.  Maybe I needed a refresher of If I Stay before I headed into this one, but really?  I don’t remember Adam acting this despondent.  Of course, If I Stay was told from the perspective of a loving girlfriend, and not from Adam’s point of view, but still.  A little confused at the character turn.

However, by the time Adam ends up in New York with Mia on their last night, I felt like he had begun to redeem himself a little bit.  Where If I Stay was all about Mia and her healing, or at least acceptance process, Where She Went is all about Adam’s acceptance and healing process.  I’ll admit, I spent a lot of time in this novel kind of wanting to rip my hair out, but in the end I was glad I read it.  If only to see what happened after If I Stay.  It was a quick read that definitely made you think, and if you’ve read If I Stay, I definitely recommend that you also read Where She Went.