Where She Went

I don't know how I have gone this far and still not read the follow up. I think that I was afraid of it being from Adam's point of view because then I wasn't so used to the dual narrative and getting into the heads of our guy protagonist. But I have grown to love so much the second chance stories of love, especially first love. I wasn't easy to be in his head because he was pretty messed up and that was apparent from the beginning. Stardom hasn't been as easy on him and he'd hoped. He is anxious and feels awkward and has an issue getting through one day much less facing down a 67 day tour. It's obvious that this is a few years after the first book, but I just don't know what sort of decisions led him where he was and what became of Mia. The story is told like If I Stay, partly in the present and then flashbacks. It is interesting to get Adam's perspective for what drew him to Mia, what he thought about her more reserved nature. It was also heartbreaking to see him so messed up and wanting resolution to her disappearance without a word. The night that they spent together reveals so much and it made my heart lighter and also hurt at different times in their talking. Its hard to see how both of them are dealing with the loss of her parents and Teddy as well as their relationship. It is neat to see them on their own paths, following dreams and love of music. How the experience changes them both and little by little showing them what's important and worth fighting for. There was a good bit in this one that I didn't think that I was going to get the ending that I wanted, but I think that the weighted conversations needed to be had and the pink elephant talked about. The tension was so well written but also painful and heavy. I knew the ending I wanted for them I just didn't know how I wanted for it to come about, but I think that this way resolved it in ways that the simpler path would have left too many avenues unexplored and issues swept under the rug. I enjoyed this and can't wait to see if they make this one into a sequel movie, I will surely read it because I loved Adam's character and how Mia grew and changed. Bottom Line: Raw, emotional, but conclusion I can be happy with even if a bit different than I imagined.show more

My sister and I fell in love with "If I Stay". Yes I was the one who cried constantly from the beginning of the book but we both came out of this book breathless and heartbroken. The idea of losing my family is unbearable and reading how she went through it? Just open up my heart and slice it will you? Yes this isn't a post about "If I Stay" but its sequel "Where She Went". If you've read the first book you'll know its told from the perspective of Mia, however I was surprised when I found out the second book is told from the perspective of Adam. That.Was.Awesome. I was SO bummed out when Stephanie Meyer stopped writing Midnight Sun which is the perspective of Edward. I always love it when I get to read both sides of the story so it was very refreshing. "Where She Went" does not rip your heart out, it maybe pinches it but you recover automatically, I didn't cry *shocker* so overall it was a 'happier' story. It's set three years after the accident, Adam is a rock star and Mia is a classical music prodigy. There is the flashbacks and the hurt and confusion Adam has kept pent up in his heart because of Mia's sudden disconnect from him. Again the whole book is set in one day of their life. I guess you can say Gayle Forman's books are more about the emotions and internal conflicts and reality. So while if you think about it the story can be summarized in a couple of lines but the FEELINGS and EMOTIONS that the characters and yourself experience can't be summarized, at all, trust me I've tried. While I enjoyed the book, it wasn't as emotionally deep and heart wrenching as "If I Stay" but it was nice to know what has happened to the two main leads for the long run. I didn't understand the reason for Mia leaving Adam and also blaming him, but what do I know? I've never had to go through what she went through. Adam truly loved Mia and it showed through this book. He might just be one of my top fictional character crushes. Maji Bookshelf http://majibookshelf.blogspot.com/show more

About three years ago, Mia and Adam went their separate ways - Mia off to Julliard and Adam off to live the life of a rock star. Adam is about to start a European tour with Shooting Star. Since heading off on his own, he has attempted to push aside the emotions he still feels for Mia. Doing so has created a whole new set of problems. Adam is becoming cut off from his fellow band members, and the resulting pressure is becoming more than he can take. His days are filled with annoying interviews, meetings, and rehearsals that he only manages to get through with the help of prescription drugs and cigarettes. His equally famous girlfriend constantly berates him about living with a ghost from his past. In New York City for a brief interview before leaving for the tour, Adam has an angry outburst due to questions from a nosy interviewer. Knowing he won't be popular, he takes off, avoiding his flight and, hopefully, the anger of his manager. His thoughts are filled with Mia, and when he stumbles across her name on the marquee for a Youth Concert series, he asks if any tickets remain. Fate intervenes and he finds himself sitting in the concert hall watching her perform. After the concert he plans to slink back to his hotel and attempt to make up for his earlier bad behavior by contacting his manager. But on his way out of the concert hall, Adam is approached by an usher, asking him to follow him to Mia's dressing room. What follows is a twenty-four-hour period of emotional ups and downs as both Adam and Mia confront the demons surrounding their complicated relationship. Adam relives the terrible months of watching Mia struggle to recover from the accident that killed her parents and her little brother. He knows he is the reason why Mia left. He had prayed for her recovery and promised he would let her go if that was what she wanted. For three lonely years, he has lived with the fact that that must have been her desire. Can Adam and Mia forgive each other and themselves before each must leave to fulfill separate responsibilities on opposite sides of the world? Author Gayle Forman takes readers back into the lives of Mia and Adam in her sequel to IF I STAY. With the focus more on Adam and his heartbreak both during and after Mia's family tragedy, Forman broadens the heartbreaking story in an emotional yet realistic direction. She explores the impact of death and separation as two people strive to overcome pain and connect with futures that satisfy them both.show more