Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Singing in the shower (and maybe dancing) is a good way to relieve stress. When I am singing in the shower, I imagine myself to be the artist. I imagine myself singing, dancing and waving to an adoring crowd. Who hasn’t had a dream about being a famous artist? Who hasn’t imagined having their amazing talents discovered? I think we all have at one point, but never does it occur to us that it could be a nightmare if that passion dies.

One thing I found interesting about Where She Went was that it was from Adam’s point of view. It was a really good read so much that I could not put the book down. If I Stay was a lovely read, and it was very emotional and compelling. I was glad to see that Forman was able to keep consistency with both stories.

Where She Went

It has been three years and Adam is now the lead singer of a very successful band. He is getting ready to go on tour, but the fame and the lack of normalcy have gotten to him. The most life changing thing for him however, has been the fact that Mia left him. After three years, she is still not a topic that he is comfortable discussing and protects Mia and himself from his chaotic life (media, his new girlfriend). I don’t know about you, but I think not having closure on an emotional subject can be a little consuming. What if you have no idea what happened? What if one day, the person you love most just stopped talking to you and you have no idea why? I mean, most of us would move on but in this case Adam has a hard time letting go.

The story develops a little slow, and we don’t learn about Mia’s reason for ending their relationship until much later. I was a little angry with her, because when they finally see each other (pure coincidence) she avoids the topic all together and embarks on this tour of New York while Adam is trying not to explode with questions. When Mia explains her reasons it makes a lot of sense, and it ties back to If I Stay. Mia didn’t want to stay. Adam has always felt guilty for making her stay, and he promised that he would let her go if she did.

Anyway, the last part of the book was pretty amazing! I am a sucker for lasting love, and these two little music birds sure did know who to show it. I strongly recommend the book. It's just that type of story, even if you haven’t read If I Stay you can still understand the entire story. I can't wait to read another book by Gayle Forman, she is a talented author.