Book Review - Where She Went

Good evening my dears, I would have liked to have done this review for yesterday but it is proving to be quite a difficult set of thoughts to pin down so apologies for any general vagueries and incoherency.

Title: Where She Went
Author: Gayle Forman
Date: 17/3/2011 PM
Source: Borrowed from Jess
Description: 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. (Description taken from Goodreads)

My Review

When I read If I Stay last year I was utterly amazed at how one small book could be so beautifully moving in the face of its tragic subject matter. Needless to say I was desperately excited to read this book and leapt at the chance to borrow a finished copy before it's official release day (Which is today I believe - although I saw copies of it in a bookstore last week :S).

What I loved most about this book from the outset was having it from Adam's POV - I want to give that lad such a big hug it's unreal. Seeing how he has tried to protect himself from hurt in the three years since Mia left him does make him come across as a bit of a Rockstar Douche but you can feel how much pain he hides under that exterior and my heart really went out to him. I especially loved all the song lyrics at the start of certain chapters (I think it was the "present" ones).

Another thing I really like about Gayle's writing - besides how darn gorgeous it always is - is how wonderfully we drift from what's happening in the present with Adam and Mia back to memories of how things were before and after she left. I also really liked how the blanks between Where She Went and If I Stay get slowly filled in from Adam's side over the course of the book and you can begin to understand why Adam is the person he is at the start of the book.

Although I know that it was Mia who went through the incredibly harrowing experience of being in the car accident and all the long months of recovery after she woke up from her coma, I can't help but feel like Adam got a pretty raw deal too. He had to spend three years wondering why the girl he loved so much he couldn't bear to lose her, just left him without any sort of explanation. That was some major heart-stomping shit right there and it actually made me dislike Mia a bit (although I'll grant you her reasons for doing what she did are somewhat understandable).

The setting of New York for the present sections of the story really made me wish I could visit the city since I am kind of in love with the idea of pulling an all-nighter whilst wandering the streets of Manhattan as I'm sure there's endless amounts of cool stuff to see when the majority of the people have gone to sleep - although I won't deny that I'd probably be just a wee be terrified of what else may lurk in the dark :P

Overall I really enjoyed how Adam and Mia reconnected over this one night although it didn't move me to tears like If I Stay did (but that could have been down to my mood when I read it cos normally I'm a big baby and cry at everything :P) it was still a truly wonderful read and I highly recommend it. If you've not read If I Stay then seriously what have you been doing? Yes this review may have spoilered the ending but the existence of the book at all kind of does that as well so just get on and read it already!

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 Stars

*sigh* I am so glad I've got that done, it was one of those books that you kinda need review with some sense of eloquence and I find that really darn hard sometimes. If I pulled it off then hurrah, if not well I'm sorry but it's my thoughts either way.

Now if you'll excuse me I have some Supernatural to be watching

LadyV