REVIEW: "Where She Went"- BY: Gayle Forman

Hey book lovers,

Let's get started with another book review. I'll make this short and sweet because well, spoiler alert, that's pretty much how I feel about the book.

"Where She Went," is the sequel to the ever popular book turned movie "If I Stay." No doubt "If I Stay" is a classic. I also reviewed it on this blog a few months back. You might want to check out that post before you read this one. But if you are all caught up I will get on with this review....

"Where She Went" is told from Adam Wilde, Mia's boyfriends, point of view three years after the tragic accident that killed Mia's parents and her little brother. After the accident, Mia went off to Julliard and basically left Adam in the lurch.  As you could probably surmise, Adam was completely devastated by this. However, his anger and depression fueled him to write the hit album Collateral Damage that launched his band Shooting Star into mega stardom. Adam had the life. He was living like a rock star and had a celebrity girlfriend named Bryn.
On the East coast, Mia was fulfilling her dream of because a concert cellist. She was making waves at Julliard and even graduated early.

The book picks up in the present when Adam is in New York, where Mia is, about to do an interview. However, Adam doesn't like the rock star life. He is just going through the motions but still distraught over Mia leaving him high and dry. Music doesn't speak to him anymore and he is really ready to quit the band but he has a tour that he has to leave for the next day. Adam erupts during the interview which gives his manager a clue that he needs some time off. Adam gets another day to recoup.

Adam takes his time off to go explore the city and stumbles upon a poster advertising that Mia will be playing a concert that night in the city. Adam decides to go under the radar. However, at the end of the concert, Adam was requested by Mia to go backstage.

This starts the night that will rekindle the lost love between Adam and Mia. Mia takes Adam on a tour of her favorite parts of the city. They talk and reminisce about the old times and at first skating around the bigger issue which is why Mia left Adam. But when they get to the Brooklyn Bridge, Mia lets out everything and Adam loses it. He finally breaks down everything that he had been feeling for the past 3 years. They talk some more and then they go back to Mia's place where they fall asleep. The next morning Adam walks around her apartment and realizes that neither of them want to let each other go. They kiss and everything falls right back into place.

Okay,... so maybe this won't be so short. BUT I do have some valid things to say. This book is extremely unnecessary. I can understand that the way "If I Stay" was left off was made to seem like a sequel was necessary but it wasn't. I can't say that I hate the  book but it just seemed so played out. I like using my own imagination to decide what happened after Mia decided to stay. And I understand that not everyone will feel that way. It was a beautiful story, something I can't deny. And something else is that it was nice to know exactly where the author decided to go with the story but it felt like a waste of a book. Literally, all it was is within the span of two days they find each other talk  and fall in and out of love all over again. Yes, it has a beautiful happy ending like I love but it seems like not something I would waste my money on. Maybe borrow it or go tot he library.

I hate to sound so harsh but if I am one thing, I am honest.

That's all I have for you today. If you have any other questions or comments. leave them below!

Ciao,
Cheryl

REVIEW: "If I Stay" - BY: Gayle Forman

Long overdue, but here none the less...

"If I Stay" is not a new book to me. Almost 3 years ago, I was browsing the book store with a friend of mine. When she spotted the book, she told me that this was definitely one I had to read. I could tell by her reaction that I knew I needed to find out what made this book so great. 

Fast forward to present time, "If I Stay" is just days away from its movie premiere and like any book lover, you need to read the book before you watch the movie. So in book lover fashion, I dug out this book and decided to re-enter a book with no hesitation. 

First off, I love the plot of this book. The concept is right on track with the kind of premise for books that I enjoy. I would like to disclaim that I'm not necessarily in love with the pure tragedy of the book. However, I am into reading about things that I either have not experienced or things beyond human explanation. Basically, far out things that only our imaginations can explore properly. 

This all relates back to the core of this book, which is the tragic story of a family who went out for a drive on a snowy day and got plowed by a truck. There's no easy way to explain it. Mia without realizing it wakes up after the accident and sees her dead family laying on the side of the road. The only person she can't find is her little brother Teddy. When she thinks she found him, she actually finds her own body and starts to realize what has happened. Mia is having an out of body experience. She is somewhere between life and death but she doesn't really know. She follows her body as it is rushed to the hospital. It is there where she will make her life changing decision, whether she stays and lives or goes and dies.... You can see there is so much intrigue with this kind of story. No one really knows what that is like because this kind of experience doesn't happen everyday.

Mia doesn't have much to live for. She lost her whole family in one swipe. The only thing she has left is her boyfriend Adam, who wants nothing more then for her to stay. Adam and Mia have a charming high school love story, where to seemingly to opposite types of people find love over music. Music is another theme of this book, which I think is the gap that makes the book actually have something to work with. But, I digress... Mia has to make an almost impossible decision until she Adam finally gets to touch her and it all makes sense. 

Of course, I'm giving you the short version. There is so much back story intertwined in this book that reading it the second time it seems almost unnecessary. However, I started to think a little deeper about the need for the back story and I thought: Mia is between life and death, it's possible that in this state you reflect on some really significant or memorable times in your life. This makes the most sense to me. The back story gave me a great perspective on this family and you can't help but fall in love with the whole clan. 

"If I Stay," is one of those books that I will always recommend. Reading it a second time did open my eyes to a few things that warped my initial feelings toward the book. The font type makes the book a quick and easy read and you don't find out until the very last page the decision that Mia makes. Some things that I'm not so happy about is that you don't even get a hint or an idea of what happens after she makes her decision. It just ends abruptly. Also, you never truly find out what happened to Teddy. She just made a probably accurate, but non the less an assumption. No one even talks about the loss of her family. They are just keeping vigil waiting for her to wake up. I think there was a miss in this area. Overall,  this book makes the list and doesn't disappoint to charm all those who let it.