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Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 35,889 ratings · 4,764 reviews

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 Juilliard'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.

...more

Paperback, 260 pages

Published April 17th 2012 by Speak (first published November 4th 2010)

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Feb 11, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of The Piper's Son

Recommended to Arlene by: ARC - Alexa... Thank you!

Shelves: favorites, read-2011, arc, autographed, reviews-with-music, rock-stars-need-luv-2

Undeniably 5 Shooting Stars!!

Adam’s Promise: If you stay, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll quit the band; go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I’ll do that too. .. And that would suck, but I’ll do it. I can lose you like that, if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.

Fans of If I Stay who thought the story concluded after Mia’s choice will experience the post trauma that not only changed her life, but altered Adam’s happiness. In Where She Went, we face the after...more

154 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Basuhi *is Marchetta-obsessed* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone.

Recommended to Basuhi by: Komal Mikaelson

Shelves: best-covers, amazing-sobfest, favorites, beautiful, can-t-erase-that-goofy-smile, loving-him-is-red, that-cover-makes-me-wanna-read, my-love, tears-and-smiles, forever-s, no-words-to-justify, romance, memorable-reads, beauty-incarnated, life-n-love

5 "This is it, This is LOVE" Stars.

Music mends souls, music mends hearts, they say, but can music bridge the unfathomable chasm of fear and uncertainty ?

Mad to take, yeah.
Hypnotized.
Anything to take from your mind,
But it won't go.

-Six degrees of separation,
The Script.

NOTE: While reading this book, being the music aficionado that I am, I was overwhelmed with memories of songs I haven't heard in a while, so I'll be writing some lyrics in between. And plus this is a very succinct review, sc...more

33 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2011 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ala-ya-2012, 2011, ya, series-finished-good, favorites

I wonder if it is ok that I liked Where She Went so much more than its predecessor. I mean, If I Stay was all about people dying and lying in coma and there were hardly any tears in my eyes and here I spent hours sobbing over a guy's broken heart? Am I that much into emo guys?

Don't think that's the answer though. Super-emo Shiver's Sam and Beautiful Creatures's Ethan didn't rock my boat and how could they with their obsessions over puffy coats, Scarlett O'Hara and leaky womb type poetry? Adam W...more

140 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, favorites, contemporary, young-adult, arc, treasured, own, bookers-tour

Once in awhile comes a story that has touched me in a way that I will never forget.
It's a story about one girls journey and her ultimate decision about life and death, to let go or to move on. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
That story was; If I Stay, and after I closed that book, my first and only thought was more.

"You know. I thought about that a lot these last couple of years," she said in a chocked voice. "About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all t

...more

80 likes · like · see review

Jul 27, 2011 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction, bookers-tour-read, favourites, romance-awww, tear-jerker, read-in-2011, swoon-worthy-read, favourite-of-2011

Visuals for Adam http://irresistiblereads.blogspot.com...

"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security.
She never came back."

Note: My review is not going to do this book justice. I don't think I can possibly express how awesome Where She Went is.

Wow! Where She Went is an intense and breathtaking read. I have to admit I enjoyed If I Stay but I wouldn't say I loved it. But Where She Went is one the BEST books I have ever read. It m...more

43 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, signed-arcs, books-i-own, signed-books, favorites

If I Stay is easily one of my favorite novels, ever. And Where She Went was just as incredible. As soon as I heard that there was going to be a sequel to If I Stay and that it was going to be in Adam's point of view... I knew it was going to be epic. And it was.

I loved Adam in If I Stay, and after experiencing this story through his eyes, I love him even more. God, this story.... I'm steel reeling... I'm up, I'm down. I just finished the story a mere hours ago and I'm still not over it. I don't...more

26 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2012 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Before I fall by Lauren Oliver

Recommended to Kat Kennedy by: Tatiana

Shelves: favorites, kat-s-book-reviews, to-ya-or-not-to-ya, books-i-want-for-christmas

Where She Went is the successional addition to Forman's spectacular If I Stay. If the seminal theme of If I Stay were about finding a reason to continue living, then Where She Went’s theme could be construed as finding what makes life worthwhile and livable.
Adam, an infamous badboy rocker, has been in a perilous emotional and mental state since his longtime girlfriend, Mia Hall left him. Chance brings them together for one more night and this novel chronicles those precious twenty-four hours tog...more

39 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2011 Janina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Shelves: death-loss-grief, music, covers-i-love, contemporary, favourite-characters, read-in-2011, made-me-cry, unputdownable, best-of-2011, on-my-shelf, male-pov, older-ya-vibe, one-night-only, for-review, young-adult-fiction, the-rich-and-the-famous

What a ride! Where She Went definitely was one of those books for me. One that had me glued to the pages and forgetting everything around me. One that had me gulping down the whole story in only a few hours, reading as fast as possible (maybe even too fast) to find out if my beloved characters would get the ending they hoped for. One that left me glassy-eyed and exhausted, but feeling that this book gave me something more than just a few hours of fun – it gave me a story that will stay with me a...more What a ride! Where She Went definitely was one of those books for me. One that had me glued to the pages and forgetting everything around me. One that had me gulping down the whole story in only a few hours, reading as fast as possible (maybe even too fast) to find out if my beloved characters would get the ending they hoped for. One that left me glassy-eyed and exhausted, but feeling that this book gave me something more than just a few hours of fun – it gave me a story that will stay with me and that I will come back to eventually.

I think this is one of the rare cases where I’d actually say that I liked the sequel better than the first book. I loved If I Stay, and it was a story that stayed on my mind for a long time, but it failed to provoke the emotions in me that Adam’s story did. In Where She Went, Gayle Forman succeeded in making me feel Adam’s hurt and pain, his loss, his anger and rage. She had me sitting in front of my laptop, sobbing like there was no tomorrow, over Adam’s broken heart and his bitter loneliness. I can’t even pinpoint why. Why did this guy’s misery touch me so much more than Mia losing her family, having to choose between life and death? I mean, I know I am into tortured musicians à la Thomas Mackee, but can that really be the reason? And doesn’t that make me terribly shallow? I am not sure, but I hope not ;).

Again, I have to say that I love the format of this book. How the story actually only covers two or three days, but manages to be so much more by including memories from back then, from happier but also sadder times. It made the characters feel so much more authentic and complex. Also (view spoiler) I am grateful that Gayle Forman didn’t tie this story with a pretty little bow. It somehow goes with one of my favourite quotes: "Stories never really end...even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page." and that makes Where She Went feel a bit less like a fictional and more like a real story.

I will definitely buy a paper copy of this book to display proudly on my shelf and more importantly, to re-read favourite passages and savour the story after the rush that was this first read. And I would love to actually be able to listen to Adam’s songs. I always have a hard time imagining a melody to go with the lyrics I read. For me, Chasing Cars and Numb somehow are the songs that fit best with this novel. Sad and angry. Melancholy and furious. Quiet and shouting out loud.

Thanks a lot to Penguin and NetGalley for providing this Advance Readers Copy.
(less)

26 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2011 Nomes rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, books-that-linger, read-it-in-a-page-flipping-frenzy, lived-up-to-the-hype, tissue-box-books, ya-male-pov, faves-of-2011, music, older-ya-protag, riding-the-older-ya-vibe, swoon-worthy-crushes, you-broke-my-heart, you-make-me-smile

4.5 stars

WOW. This wasn't what I expected. Not that I know what I expected, but, you know. Adam very much reminded me of Tom Mackee from melina Marchetta's

It was quite completely unputdownable. Also, the prose felt so much more heart-felt and self-assured than If I Stay.

review to come :)

18 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 Becky rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, disappointing, reviewed, romance, young-adult, review-copies, blog_etb, challenge-1010

I loved "If I Stay". LOVED IT. It was one of those books that made my heart and soul ache. It moved me and surprised me and lingered... So much so that I kept mentally comparing the way I felt reading the two books, and I admit to being a bit disappointed by this follow-up.

This is Adam's story. I loved Adam in "If I Stay". He was this incredibly supportive and sensitive and wonderful guy who loved a girl so much that he would do anything for her, who accepted and honored her for being the unique...more I loved "If I Stay". LOVED IT. It was one of those books that made my heart and soul ache. It moved me and surprised me and lingered... So much so that I kept mentally comparing the way I felt reading the two books, and I admit to being a bit disappointed by this follow-up.

This is Adam's story. I loved Adam in "If I Stay". He was this incredibly supportive and sensitive and wonderful guy who loved a girl so much that he would do anything for her, who accepted and honored her for being the unique and oddball opposite to him, rather than wanting her to be something she wasn't, who loved her family so much that their deaths were as painful to him as his own family's deaths would be. I liked Adam so much, that I didn't even talk about him in my "If I Stay" review, because nothing would have really done justice to how perfect I thought he was. I don't mean literally perfect, he had flaws, but just perfect in the situations he was in.

Unfortunately, I barely even liked Adam in "Where She Went". I get that Mia leaving him left him heartbroken. I get that. Even taking into account the unusual aspect of the end of their relationship (meaning him supporting her through the accident and the recovery), I just find being heartbroken, anxiety-ridden, depressed and self-destructive for 3 years (with no end in sight) a bit... tiresome. That's longer than they were even together. And yet, after three years, a meteoric musical career, fame and fortune and success, all Adam can do is blame Mia for walking out on him and leaving him cold, and take that bitterness and anger out on others.

I don't mean to sound insensitive. I know that many, many people will find just this thing I found so tiresome to be rather romantic. We all want to be the center of someone's world. Someone's soul mate. I understand what she meant to him, and what their potential meant to him. But with every outburst and cynical thought, I just got more and more tired of it.

I also missed the music that was so much a part of what brought "If I Stay" to life. I know that there was a lot of musical references in "Where She Went", but it wasn't the same. I have no interest in where each of Shooting Star's songs debuted on the charts, or other details of their rise. It's enough to know they made it, for me. What I missed was the way that music mattered, the way they LIVED through music, not just lived by it, or with it, if that makes sense.

All of this is not to say that I disliked the book. I didn't. I liked it, overall. Some parts quite a bit more than others. The writing is still fantastically emotive and brutal in a way. It pulls no punches and makes sure that the reader feels everything (to a fault - see above). I WAS sad and hurt for Adam's loss, and I did want him to find a measure of happiness again... and if not happiness, then closure and acceptance. It's hard to lose those we love. It's even harder to lose those we love after we've helped them through their own lost loved ones. Who's there to help pick up those kind of pieces? I grieved for him for that.

I liked the way that the story came kind of full circle, and Adam did get his closure, even though it came through finding out things that certainly hurt. I liked that he was able to understand and appreciate the decision that Mia made in leaving, even though he was shattered by it. I liked the way he found new reserves of self-respect in himself because of this revelation.

This book didn't live up to "If I Stay" for me, but it is by no means a bad book. I like themes of lasting love, and I think that many people will love this book for that reason, but I just didn't think that this one had the same heart that "If I Stay" had, and for that, I can only give it 2 stars. (less)

40 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2011 Lora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who weren't happy with If I Stay's ending

Shelves: g-ya-realistic, favorites, music

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you."---Taylor Swift, "Back to December"

It has been three years since Adam's girlfriend, Mia, left their small Oregon town for a scholarship at Juilliard after a horrific car accident claimed the lives of her family and left her with both emotional and physical scars.
Now, Adam, the lead singer in a hugely popular rock band, is still dealing with the grief of loosing the only girl whom he's ever loved.
But just before he's set to leave New York and...more

24 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: hopeless romantics everywhere

Recommended to Anna by: ❤Sarah

Shelves: hand-to-my-heart-and-tears-falling

STAY

If you stay, I'll do whatever you want.....And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you....

SHE DECIDED TO STAY

Where She Went

It's been three years since the devastating accident...three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever

This book, to me as a HOPELESS ROMANTIC, was a dream come true. This story is set in New York City, where by chance/fate/destiny...Adam and Mia are brought together again where they have a chanc...more STAY

If you stay, I'll do whatever you want.....And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you....

SHE DECIDED TO STAY

Where She Went

It's been three years since the devastating accident...three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever

This book, to me as a HOPELESS ROMANTIC, was a dream come true. This story is set in New York City, where by chance/fate/destiny...Adam and Mia are brought together again where they have a chance to open their hearts to the past and to their love. I spent the first half of the book with my heart in my throat. I needed answers. I needed to know why??? Getting Adam's point of view and getting into his heart and his head...that's where I wanted to be. Where I wanted to stay Dammit!

❤Adam~Outside Carnegie Hall New York City. Look at the sunset, I tell myself. Look at something with beauty. My gaze returns to Earth and when it does, its her eyes I see. I don't want to see her. I won't see her. I only want to hear her. I guess I always knew she was capable of this level of artistry, but witnessing it fucking blew me away.

Is it really you? Mia asked.

My heart did that leap-into-throat-thing from that point on. The music was playing in the background, the sun shone brighter, the world stopped and Anna melted away into ❤ nothingness.

❤Adam~I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can't understand

Mia~ "I hear their voices"

Adam~ "Can you hear them now? What are they saying?"

Mia~ "They're saying its so good to see you, Adam"

Mia~"Because I hated you. Because you made me stay. You made me stay!"
"I needed someone to hate, and you're the one I love most, so it fell on you"
"And then Adam Wilde shows up at Carnegie Hall on the biggest night of my career, and it felt like more than a coincidence. It felt like a gift. From them. For my first recital ever, they gave me a cello. And for this one, they gave me you"

Adam~Mia is walking away, walking toward the other end of the bridge. Without me. I get it now. I have to make good on my promise. To let her go. To really let her go. To let us both go.

**I am afraid to give too much away. This story was just so beautiful. I was moved to tears very often and I finally, finally got my wish. The most beautiful happily-ever-after.

~Love is not about how much you say I LOVE YOU but how much you prove its true~

Mia has my guitar

*that made me wail ****

~Never give up on someone you can't go a day without thinking about.

You don't share me. You own me.

* book bats attacked my stomach*

~I give you everything I am, all my broken heartbeats~

5 gorgeous hopeless romantic stars !!!! ❤❤❤❤❤
I can't express it enough! READ THIS BOOK !(less)

25 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Shelves: 2011-reads, favorites, early-reviewers, own, signed, exceeded-expectations, new-adult

This review was difficult to write. I didn't even know where to start. All I wanted to do was pick up the book and reread it. Because it was amazing, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I loved it even more than If I Stay.

"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security.
She never came back."

I loved reading from Adam's point of view. The writing was so, so good. Some moments were really intense. And I felt like I could feel everything he wa...more This review was difficult to write. I didn't even know where to start. All I wanted to do was pick up the book and reread it. Because it was amazing, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I loved it even more than If I Stay.

"She kissed me good-bye. She told me that she loved me more than life itself. Then she stepped through security.
She never came back."

I loved reading from Adam's point of view. The writing was so, so good. Some moments were really intense. And I felt like I could feel everything he was going through. His love, anger, loneliness, and anxiety. I just wanted to comfort him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Adam's emotions were so strong that, even though I love Mia, when he got angry and upset at her I couldn't help but to get angry and upset with her too. Like Adam, all I wanted to know was why she left and why she did this to him. When Mia finally told him, I was shocked. I was not expecting what she said, and it hurt so much. But it made complete sense, and I couldn't hold it against Mia.

Like Mia's story, the majority of Adam's story is told in one day and includes flashbacks, which were really great. But Where She Went is a bit different. There are chapters this time. The book is longer. And there is some other things. But I don't want to reveal too much, and I won't say whether or not Adam and Mia have a happy ending. I will say though that I believe Gayle Forman gave us everything we wanted to know and more. Closure being one of those things.

I hope I haven't overhyped the book. I don't want anyone to feel disappointed. (Although, I do think the hype is deserved, and I believe it lives up to it, but this is only how I felt.) If you loved If I Stay, I don't see how you won't love Where She Went. And if you didn't love the previous book, I think you should seriously give this sequel a chance. Where She Went made me appreciate If I Stay even more.

Thanks to Penguin and LibraryThing for the opportunity to read this ARC. And of course, the biggest thanks goes to Gayle Forman! For writing this amazing book that a lot of us readers desperately needed.(less)

38 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, 2011, romance, fave-ya, contemporary

I liked If I Stay, but I absolutely loved Where She Went. I'm having a hard time trying to compile my thoughts on the novel because I'm still reeling from the deep, heartbreaking effect it had on me.

Tatiana's review said what I've been thinking best of all:

"I mean, If I Stay was all about people dying and lying in coma and there were hardly any tears in my eyes and here I spent hours sobbing over a guy's broken heart?"

That about sums up the reaction I had. If someone asked you which would upset...more

24 likes · like · see review

Apr 17, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone who is into contemporary fiction

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, read-2011, contemporary_fiction, love-story-romance, favorites, stays-with-me, high-expectations, male-point-of-view, favorites-of-2011, scb-challenge-2011, hug-them-lick-them-favorites, new-adult-fiction

This is it, the moment I had feared: I am sitting in front of my computer and frown. I am scrutinizing the small list of all-time-favorites displayed on my Goodreads profile. And I know one of them has to go. It is a sad step, but inevitable. For Where She Went is simply that overwelmingly good. I really, really loved If I Stay and I anticipated the sequel from Adam's point of view like a druggie longs for his next shot, but I still wasn't prepared for the bone-shattering impact. For the turmoil...more This is it, the moment I had feared: I am sitting in front of my computer and frown. I am scrutinizing the small list of all-time-favorites displayed on my Goodreads profile. And I know one of them has to go. It is a sad step, but inevitable. For Where She Went is simply that overwelmingly good. I really, really loved If I Stay and I anticipated the sequel from Adam's point of view like a druggie longs for his next shot, but I still wasn't prepared for the bone-shattering impact. For the turmoil of Adam's emotions after Mia dumped him without even the hint of an explanation, his fame with his band "Shooting Star" and his utter loneliness, angst and despair, his trying to go on, to cope, to cheat himself, for my strong urge to wring Mia's pretty, slender neck when the two of them meet again by fate or chance and she cheerily treats him like someone nice but essentially irrelevant from her former, pre-Julliard life.

About 30 minutes have passed since I closed the book with a soft snap and looked snotty-nosed and leaky-eyed up to my hesitant husband, who tip-toed around me not sure if mentioning breakfast to me would be in the range of acceptable things at that particular state of after-reading-shock. He has fed me rolls and mango marmelade and I have returned near enough to earth to write this review and to make the choice mentioned above.

So, seriously, if you haven't considered buying this book but are positive that a good book in your book does not indispensably have to include a paranormal creature, a murder or the end of our civilization, Do Consider Now. Reading the precessor from Mia's point of view is certainly beneficial, but not necessary.

An afterthought: Reading a six-star-plus book like this makes me wonder again why publishers choose to buy manuscripts that will inevitably balance out to be raved about by a few, hated by a lot and treated like cheap, disposable tights by most: They last a night of fun and are used to polish boots or given to the perpetually broke flatmate or sister afterwards. Dear agents and editors: Please hold out patiently. Read books like this one, repeat after me: "The real thing is out there." and keep your eyes wide open. Otherwise I'll hold you responsible for my misplaced time.

TBR Pile Reduction Challenge 2011, Book #15 (challenger = Nomes)(less)

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Apr 15, 2011 Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: yay-for-ya, reviewed, wyld-stallyns, ugly-cried

I really liked how If I Stay ended and had definite reservations about the existence of a sequel. As I told Maggie, the only reason I saw for it to be written was that readers and the author liked Adam so much that they wanted to spend some more time with him. And since that was also undeniably true of this particular reader, it wasn't too hard to convince me to give Where She Went a chance.

You know how you make up for being totally unnecessary? Be totally freaking awesome.

Let's break it down:
T...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Jake Rideout rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I feel like anything I say about this book will be a spoiler, so I'll keep it short. It rocked. In many ways. It's hard to imagine what could possibly follow IF I STAY...no conflict could ever be as wrenching and poignant as the one Mia faces in the first book.

From the first pages of WHERE SHE WENT, we see where Adam and Mia went in the three years since the end of IF I STAY. The question, then, is less where they went and more how they got there, and why. Forman uses the same style of flashback...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Isamlq rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Isamlq by: EVERYONE

Shelves: arc-galley, favorites

My brain hurts. My heart hurts. My everything hurts!

I had not started it yet, but already I was upset with Mia. It’s been a little over a month since I read If I Stay, so I know what she went through. I also know what she does to Adam. And like Adam, I didn’t know why. Like him, I wondered. Like him, I was angry. But once I got started on this, I saw quite clearly what losing her did to him. Then I felt a little more angry and heartbroken for him. And still I wondered, as he did, why?

Like If I...more

28 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Kat (Le Pauvre Cœur) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eh, stupid-heroine, lust-and-love-are-not-the-same, sex-sex-and-more-sex, scarred-for-life, second-book-curse, wtf

It's been three years since Mia woke up from her coma and since the car crash that killed her family. It's also been three years since Mia left Adam's life forever.

One fated night, Adam walks into Carnegie Hall when Mia is doing a concert, and it seems like destiny had brought them together again. But when old wounds open up and constant questions are rolling, any hope of rekindling their relationship is broken. Told from Adam's perspective, this is a book about despair, heartbreak, music, sex,...more

11 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

Update 03/23/2012: After thinking about this one a little more, I've decided to adjust my rating of this book by half a star.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, is told from the point of view of Adam Wilde, Mia's boyfriend in the previous novel. It's been three years since the events in If I Stay and Adam is now a famous rockstar, living the celebrity dream, only he isn't happy. Adam is still haunted by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, Mia, who left for Julliard and c...more Update 03/23/2012: After thinking about this one a little more, I've decided to adjust my rating of this book by half a star.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay, is told from the point of view of Adam Wilde, Mia's boyfriend in the previous novel. It's been three years since the events in If I Stay and Adam is now a famous rockstar, living the celebrity dream, only he isn't happy. Adam is still haunted by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, Mia, who left for Julliard and cut all ties with him without explanation. While in New York, a chance encounter with the girl who broke his heart leads to a heart-wrenching journey of self-discovery and redemption.

I enjoyed Where She Went much more than I did If I Stay mainly because I found Adam more likable, relatable, and compelling than Mia. I could identify with his pain over their breakup, and I could understand his anger and frustration at her for how she ended things. I thought Adam's downward spiral due to his unresolved feelings for Mia as well as the pressures of being a celebrity were well written, although I suspect that Foreman hasn't spent much time in Los Angeles because her description of the city didn't feel right. (view spoiler)

This novel might have been a five star read if it were not for Mia, who I still find utterly unlikable and much too perfect. Like in the previous book, Mia is still worshipped by everyone around her (other than Adam), and she's still the greatest cello player ever. Despite having lost her family, she doesn't seem to have had many struggles. While my dislike for her worked in Foreman's favor for most of the novel because the reader through Adam is supposed to dislike her, it became problematic once Adam begins to soften towards her.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I think this novel would appeal to those who are fans of Melina Marchetta's writing, particularly The Piper's Son.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 24, 2011 Dija rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, cover-heaven, favorites, cotton-candy-fluff, authors-i-stalk, my-harem, second-chances, my-reviews, ya, reread-worthy

“You know, I thought about that a lot these last couple of years,” she says in a choked voice. “About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all that you’d lost?”

My thoughts exactly. Why did Mia leave Adam? Why did he let her leave? Why didn’t she say anything? Why did he become so self-destructive? Gayle answers all of these questions in Where She Went, but in the most heartbreakingly beautiful manner ever.

I read If I Stay when it first came out, so I’ve forgotten most of the details about what happened in it, but what I definitely remember is the emotional rollercoaster ride. And like many other readers, I didn’t expect there to be a sequel, but was also extremely intrigued and sad to hear about Adam and Mia’s breakup in the upcoming book.

At the beginning of Where She Went, everything seems extremely hopeless and dark and tragic. Despite the fact that she dumped Adam, I wasn’t really mad at Mia because of course there must be a reason for why she would do such a thing. What did get me angry though, was afterwards, when she’s talking to Adam like she hasn’t totally ruined his life. But on the other hand, her words also brought out what an amazingly sweet and strong character she is. When I wasn’t so furious with her, I could completely see and understand why Adam fell so crazily and madly in love with her in the first place.

The tremor in my hand has become so normal, so nonstop, that it’s generally imperceptible to me. But as soon as my fingers close around Mia’s, the thing I notice is that it stops and suddenly it goes quiet, like when the squall of feedback is suddenly cut when someone switches off an amp. And I could linger here forever.

And the part that I love the most about this book is how incredibly real everything and everyone is. I know that’s to be expected, since this is realistic fiction, but it’s also not always a given that a book will be so powerfully gripping. Adam’s life post-breakup is heartbreaking to read about, because he seems so broken and irreparable and halfhearted about everything, but I also found his reaction to the breakup tragedy sort of sweet in the way most sad things that have nothing to do with you are sweet.

The ending was expected, but then again, the simplicity with which Gayle describes Adam and Mias’ feelings makes the whole clichéd factor pretty much unnoticeable.

And I know I say this at the end of every good book I read with lovable characters, but is it too much to ask for a short epilogue set a few years after the ending?? I really want to see more of Adam and Mia as a couple. Pretty pretty please?(less)

13 likes · like · see review

Dec 16, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, ya-contemporary, favorites, autographed, rock-stars-need-luv-2, young-adult

Where She Went definitely ranks at the top of my list as one of my favorite YA Contemporaries for 2011. I read the book at the beginning of the year, but recently heard how awesome the audio version was from one of my fellow flisters. When I saw it at the lib, I grabbed it and decided to give it a try. So thank you Wendy for rec’ing this to me. What an unbelievably AWESOME audio version to a FANTASTIC story.

The voice of Adam is perfect and spot on with what I imagined him to sound like. I loved...more

8 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2012 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, ya, 2012, boy-crush, good-grief, heart-skipped-a-beat

“How does it feel that the only worthy thing you ever created came from the worst kind of loss?”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
This book is the love child of The Piper’s Son and Before Sunset.

High Points.
Adam. Rock stars. Guitars. Song lyrics. Bowling. Camping. Groupies.[ “I’ve come all the way from England to f-...” You took the words right out of my mouth, nameless hussy!]. Brooklyn Bridge. Lady Liberty. Dinosaur eggs. Awkward conversations. Voids. Photographs. Borrowed iPods.

Low Points.
This i...more

26 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Vinaya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, books-i-loved, favorites, romance, the-real-5-star-deal, wrung-me-dry

This was less of a book and more of a roller coaster. You know how you sometimes get off a roller coaster, and your legs feel like jelly and your middle feels like someone's wringing you dry?

I'm not going to give you plot synopses. I'm not going to give you my favourite quotes. I am, however, going to tell you a story. I knew I would love Where She Went before I ever read it. I read a review of the book about a month ago, and it inspired me to stop procrastinating and pull If I Stay out of the...more

39 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2011 Cassy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fiction-general, physical-own, region-america-canada, event-met-author

***Update***

By pure fluke, I learned Forman was visiting a local indie bookstore a few days after I finished her book (and wrote my original review). Here are some tidbits I took away from the event.

Most importantly, I am 99% sure she is a natural redhead. The color, while still beautiful, is not nearly as vivid as depicted in the picture on the jacket.

Hearing Forman talk contradicts lots of what I surmised about each book. Honestly, I feel a little guilty for some comments like “very superfici...more

11 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2011 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, emotional, series

"You crossed the water,left me ashore
It killed me enough,but you wanted more
You blew up the bridge,a mad terrorist
Waved from your side,threw me a kiss
I started to follow but realized too late
There was nothing but air underneath my feet"

It took me a while to sort out my feelings and start writing the review. It is not because I had problems with the book (the 5 stars speak for themselves) but because of the relation between this book and the first one.

You see, I didn't like Mia.
...And if I...more

9 likes · like · see review

Nov 17, 2012 Nina ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ridiculously-hot-guys

“Quitting’s not hard. Deciding to quit is hard. Once you make that mental leap, the rest is easy.”
“Really? Was that how you quit me?” And just like that, without thinking, without saying it in my head first, without arguing with myself for days, it’s out there.
“So,” she says, as if speaking to an audience under the bridge. “He finally says it.”

Wow.

This was beautiful! Beautiful, even though it ripped my heart out (boy, am I dramatic today or what?). It was definitely one of those "real" books. O...more “Quitting’s not hard. Deciding to quit is hard. Once you make that mental leap, the rest is easy.”
“Really? Was that how you quit me?” And just like that, without thinking, without saying it in my head first, without arguing with myself for days, it’s out there.
“So,” she says, as if speaking to an audience under the bridge. “He finally says it.”

Wow.

This was beautiful! Beautiful, even though it ripped my heart out (boy, am I dramatic today or what?). It was definitely one of those "real" books. Oh, Adam. If only there were more guys out there like you; guys who played guitars and cried (I believe the more correct term would be, 'lost their shit') and loved girls like you love Mia. This book is just so full of bitterness and resentment, fear and desperation. It made want to get inside the book and give Adam a fierce hug (though I'd probably freak him out more), to put him back together, because he seemed so fragile it looked as if he would break any moment.

Why, Mia?

But, really, as much as I didn’t agree with what Mia did to him, I could understand where she was coming from. When something terrible happens, more often than not you want to blame it on someone, hate someone for it. You resent those around you because they couldn't possibly understand what you're going through. And then you sort of regret it later. It has happened to me. To be honest, I started to dislike Mia a bit in this book, but she redeemed herself in the end when she finally justified why she did what she did.

You know, halfway through the book, I stopped wanting the Happily Ever After, I wanted a brutal, real ending. I wanted them to talk through everything, but ultimately part ways, which is weird because I’m always a happily-ever-after type of person. I always want the love interests to be together. But then I wanted Adam to leave this time, completely let go, and I didn't know why I wanted that. I though it might be because I wanted Mia to pine for a change. But then I felt terrible for it, the poor girl has been through so much, so that wasn't really it. Maybe I thought it'd be more realistic. But I actually really liked the ending, and I was sort of glad that it didn’t turn out to be mega-cheesy. It was…bittersweet, sigh. I loved it and it was perfect conclusion to Adam and Mia's story.

All in all, great book. It will be on my mind for a while. The pace was very slow at some points and the dialogue was scarce with a lot of inner monologue (that's why reading this took a while, it's really very short), but that's just how it needed to be for Mia and Adam's progression.

On a side note: did anyone think of Linkin Park while reading the track lyrics of Collateral Damage? AND WHO'S EXCITED FOR THE IF I STAY MOVIE???(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2011 ~♥*Marianna*♥~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: guy-pov, want-more, ya

Adam. Adam. Adam.
Thank you so much for this Gayle Forman. With many books I read I'm always wondering: "What is the guy thinking?"

And Adam. Adam is so... heartfelt and unabashed with his feelings toward Mia. I can't wait to read his thoughts.

----------

Ok, I just finished it. I'm still reeling from all the emotion.

Adam is not a tranquil guy. Not at all. Especially not at this point in his life.

The book starts out with him on edge and reels him through stages of misery, desolation, indignation...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 05, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, 5-splendid-stars, favorites, romance

5 GLOWING STARS!!!

YES! It's official. I've finally joined the club and I'm yet another reader sold; blown away, and thoroughly impressed. Alright, so I was a bit let down with If I stay because it wasn't as dark and "gloomy" as I'd hoped. I mean, I didn't cry, dammit. And I'd wanted to so badly, but I couldn't. However, Where She Went DELIVERED in the doom & gloom department. The angst and drama were turned up – volume maxed, cranked upped to the hundredth degree. Does that even make sense?...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Kristine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-series, books-that-made-me-cry, all-time-favorites

W-O-W. truly A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! **,

This book really blows me up. I want to give Ms. Forman a standing ovation.
A perfect sequel for If I Stay. The moment I've read this, I almost couldn't put it down. It's such a page turner that I couldn't get my hands off this book. If I love Adam in the first book, well it multiplied hundreds of times here in Where She Went. I was stunned by Adam's transformation, he became that person after all the things that he had gone through because of his intense love fo...more

5 likes · like · see review

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About Gayle Forman

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything fr...more Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything from child soldiers in Sierra Leone to migrant teen farm workers in the U.S.). Later on, I became a freelance journalist, writing for magazines like Details, Jane, Glamour, The Nation, Elle, Budget Travel, and Cosmopolitan.

In 2002, I went traveling for a year around the world with my husband, Nick. I spent time hanging out with some pretty interesting people, a third sex (we’d probably call them transvestites here) in Tonga, Tolkien-obsessed, role-playing punks in Kazakhstan (bonus points to those of you who can find Kazakhstan on a map), working class hip-hop stars in Tanzania. The result of that year was my first book, a travel memoir called You Can’t Get There From Here: A Year On the Fringes of a Shrinking World. You can read about my trip and see pictures of it here.

What do you do when you get back home after traveling the globe for a whole year? First, you get disproportionately excited by the little comforts in life: Not having to look at a map to get everywhere? Yay! Being able to drink coffee without getting dressed and schlepping to a café first? Bliss! Then, if you’re 32 years old and have been with your husband for evah, you have a kid. Which we did. Presto, Willa!

So, there I was. With a baby. And all of a sudden I couldn’t do the kind of gallivanty reporting I’d done before. Well, you know how they say in life when one door closes another opens? In my case, the door came clear off the frame. Because I discovered that I could take the most amazing journeys of my life without ever having to leave my desk. It was all in my head. In stories I could make up. And the people I wanted to take these fantastical journeys with, they all happened to be between the ages of 12 and 20. I don’t know why. These are just the people who beckon me. And I go where I’m told.

My first young-adult novel, Sisters in Sanity, was based on another one of those social justice articles I wrote when for Seventeen and you can click here to read the article. Sisters was published in 2007. My next book, If I Stay, was published in April of 2009 by Dutton. It is also being published in 30 countries around the world, which is surreal. The sequel/companion book to If I Stay, Where She Went, comes out in April 2011. I am currently working on a new YA novel, that is, when my kids (plural, after Willa we adopted Denbele from Ethiopia) allow me to. And after that book is finished, I’ll write another, and another….

Wow. This is crazy long. I suppose the short version of this bio could simply read: My name is Gayle Forman and I love to write young-adult novels. Because I do. So thank you for reading them. Because without you, it’d just be me. And the voices in my head.

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in such publications as Jane, Seventeen, Glamour, Elle, and The New York Times Magazine, to name just a few. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. (less)

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“You don’t share me. You own me.” — 580 people liked it

“I needed to hate someone and you’re the one I love the most, so it fell on you.” — 496 people liked it

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