Where she went by Gayle Forman

book: Where she went
written by: Gayle Forman
genres: romance, young adult
pages: 264
own / library / borrowed
publication date: April 5th, 2011
series? If I stay #2
publisher: Dutton Juvenile


note: I reviewed #1 of the series. You can find it HERE. If you haven't read If I stay, this review will contain spoilers!

the book: 
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. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

my review: 

This book was nothing like I expected it to be! First of all, the point of view was Adam's, and not Mia's. I liked that, actually. When I started reading this book I was a little worrie; would the author be able to write a sequel to If I stay that was as great as the first installment in the series, from a male POV. But Gayle Forman did it!
What could possibly change in 3 years? *Well, A lot, I know...* In this book I found out that we all have the oppotunities, we just have to take them and hold on to them, and we might just get what we want. Also, it told me about dreams and how they can turn into our worst nightmares.
When I found out that Adam and Mia broke up during the 3-year interval between If I stay and Where she went, my heart broke. They were such a good couple! Then I found out that both Mia and Adam became successful with their music careers, and I liked it. The author did not make the life of a rock star seem like a fairy tale, more like one of the worst nightmares from which you can't wake up. Rock stars and other celebrities really are people, we just forget that sometimes...
Adam and Mia both had developed a lot between book 1 and 2. The had hardened. And this was not only because of their new lifestyles. Of course, Mia had to live without her family after the accident, something that must be one of the hardest things you have to do. Continue your life without the people that are your life. Then she breaks up with her boyfriend, and there's no-one left who loves her. Or at least, that's what I first thought. Of course, there were still her grandparents and friends. Friends really are important! Then there is Adam. He became a celebrity, not only his way of speaking changed a lot, but there was something else. He became more honest then he was before. There were some lyrics of the songs of his band written above every chapter, and everytime you read his honest words, pure and from the heart, and you could almost see his tears.And all of those songs are for Mia. They are heartbreaking!
The pace of this book was average. Sometimes it was a little boring, but it was not too slow. Also, the writing style was great, just like it was in If I stay!


An exiting read that you won't be disappointed by after reading If I stay. A worthy sequel!


rating: 
4.5 stars


xo Mar

If I stay by Gayle Forman

book: If I stay
written by: Gayle Forman
genres: death, young adult
pages: 210
own / library / borrowed
release date: april 9th, 2009
publisher: Random House children's books


note: This book looked so thin, I thought this would be a quick and easy-to-read book. But reading it took longer than expected, it made me think. What would I choose?

the book: 
Everybody has to make choices. Some might break you. For seventeen-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and a gorgeous boyfriend decisions might seem tough, but they're all about a future full of music and love, a future that's brimming with hope. 


In a horrible accident, Mia's parents die. But that's not all. She herself is severely wounded and ends up in the hospital. Only, there is something strange happening. Why does nobody hear her when she screams, and why can she see her own body lying a few feet away from her? That's when she finds out that she is a ghost. She gets to choose: Will she choose to stay alive, or will she die, leaving behind her best friend, boyfriend and what's left of her family. How valuable is her life?

my review:
This book was nothing like I expected it to be. It was way better! The characters were great, and easy to relate to. Their love for music was awesome, since I love music, too. This book made me want to listen to classical music, something I have never ever wanted to do before.
The plot was very interesting. I have never read anything like this before, which means it's quite original :)
The book was written in a few present-time pieces and a lot of flashbacks, which I totally love. Flashbacks make the story look way longer than it actually is.
The love in this book *only in flashbacks* was great, it was not like boy meets girl and BOOM! love, but more like boy and girl are friends and fall in love slowly. That is so much better than most YA romance!
This book was a fantasy novel, but it was so realistic. It made me wonder if we all have to make this choice someday, and that made me think about it until I got a headache *which took pretty long*, and I think that the realism in this book contributed in the popularity of this book. If she were a 'ghosty' ghost flying around and walking through walls no-one could have related to her as much as you could when she was just a 'normal' girl.
The way the family of Mia and her friends deal with the accident seems realistic, like the author has experienced it herself.
Of course there were the few things that annoyed me, like the shortness of the story and the continuous 'should I stay or should I go' and a few minor other things, but overall it was a quick, great and most of all moving book with lots of almost-cry-moments. *yes, almost, I have not cried, only almost*


overall rating:
3.8 stars!!