Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went
Published: April 5, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 264/Hardcover
Series: If I Stay #2
Source: My personal library


Summary: 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 Julliard'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.

***This review may contain spoilers for If I Stay***

Review: I fell in love with Forman's If I Stay so I was ecstatic to see there was a sequel. I had seen many early reviews of Where She Went and it seemed that no one had anything bad to say about it. This book had a lot going for it and it did not disappoint.

I loved that Where She Went took place over the course of one day like If I Stay. It helped to show how both Adam and Mia were affected by seeing each other again. I loved loved loved Adam's POV. He's not the happy camper he once was. You get to see exactly what Mia's accident did to him which you don't see in If I Stay. 

The story was a bit slow to start, but it was utterly un-put-down-able. I wanted to know exactly what happened to Mia and Adam and where their relationship would go. Many people say that they thought that Where She Went was better than If I Stay. This is where I must disagree. I think it's just as good as it, but not better. But that's more a personal thing than anything with the writing or story. I tend to prefer the first in a series no matter what.

As usual Forman's writing is exquisite. I'm pretty sure her stories are the only ones that have made me cry in a long time. Her writing is half the wonder of this book. She makes her characters believable and likable,  even when they're acting like jerks.

I heard from many people that they didn't think the ending was believable or that it didn't end the way it was suppose to. I disagree. Seeing how Mia and Adam interacted throughout this novel and how many things they went through I think it was the right ending.

This review is definitely not doing Where She Went the justice it deserves. As I'm writing it I just keep thinking about it and realizing how much I love it. If you haven't yet read If I Stay then you need to...now. Through her exquisite writing  in Where She Went Forman tells a beautiful story of how grief and guilt can affect people and tear apart relationships, but also how forgiveness can lead to happiness and acceptance.

Where She Went is a truly magnificent novel that everyone needs to read. Everyone.