Book Love: Where She Went

WHERE SHE WENT
Gayle Forman
Dutton

If I Stay was an amazing novel. It was intense, emotional, and gripping. It was an entirely new take on the theme of grief in YA (at least for me) and it handled everything so well. Obviously the sequel, Where She Went, has a lot to live up to - not only because of how great the first book was but also because If I Stay is not a novel that demands a sequel. It told a complete story that ended, not with a cliff-hanger, but with various threads that didn't really need to be sewn up. I didn't finish If I Stay hoping for a sequel; I finished it thrilled at what a great story it was and how much I was drawn in and wrapped up in Mia's life-or-death struggle.

So while I knew that Gayle Forman is a talented storyteller, I wasn't quite sure what Where She Went would be like. Told from Adam's viewpoint and picking up three years after Mia's accident, it somehow manages to do the impossible. Not only is it just as emotional and gripping as its predecessor, but it also takes a story that is complete and made it even better, delving deeper into what happened when Mia went into her coma. It made a sequel to If I Stay seem not necessary, but inevitable... all while telling a completely different story from a different character, in a different place, and a different time.

I picked up Where She Went one afternoon and didn't put it down until I had read the entire thing. I didn't close the book, check the clock, or reach for a bookmark even once. I just kept turning the pages, holding my breath and crossing my fingers right along with Adam.

I love this book. I hesitate to say it's better than the first, because opinions will vary on that, but it's definitely a worthy sequel as well as being absolutely brilliant in its own right. It's amazing, incredible, and absolutely stunning.