The Book Addict Reviews: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Genre:  Young Adult, Social Issues
Order Online: Amazon.com
Review for previous book in series: here
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 3 stars   
Borrowed this book from the library.  

In A Nutshell:  
This book surprised me in so many ways--from a change in narrator to a change in the focus and feel of the story, but in the end I came to love it.  I do not know what more could be told of the story of Mia and Adam, but I really want to have them return because I am not ready to let them go.

Review:  
It took me longer than I initially anticipated to finish this series.  The first book had hit me so strongly that I just knew I was not emotionally prepared to finish Mia's story yet.  And in some ways, I am glad I waited.  But in some ways I felt this story lacked some of the power and emotional punch of the first.

A big part of the change was the complete change in narrator.  Instead of following Mia, we (the readers) are now following Adam.  This took me by surprise and took me a little bit to get used to--particularly since the title of the book was Where SHE Went. Eventually we learn where she went, but in reality this book seemed to focus a lot more on what happened with Adam after the end of If I Stay.

The change in narrator also affected the feel of the story.  Where Mia as narrator had a strong focus on her feelings and emotions--Adam as narrator had a stronger focus on actions.  He was so confused by emotions (both his and Mia's) that he kept his focus on the actions.  What Mia did.  What he did.  What his bandmates did.  This is not a bad thing--but it was unexpected after reading the first story where Mia was very focused on her own emotions and feelings about the accident.

But the end worked for me.  It made all of my confusion about the change in narrator and the change in focus work for me.  It made me glad I read this book and this series.  It made me hope that there was more to the story of Mia and Adam because I am just not ready to give them up.

Recommendations:
I was looking to see what else Gayle Forman had written, when I found a book I want to read because it reminds me a little of a book I had to read for school that really impacted the way I see globalization and its effect on the world:

The Book Addict Reviews: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Genre: Young Adult, New Experiences, Family Life, Social Issues
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info:  Website | Goodreads
Rating: 3 stars
Borrowed book from library. 

In A Nutshell:
It is almost ironic that I had read this book and was writing this review when an event happened that changed my life forever (if you don't know what I am referring to please see Taking A Break).  After everything has happened, I re-read what I wrote and the magnitude of this story hit me even more.  As someone who has lost someone important in the blink of an eye, I can say this book has an impact beyond what I initially thought and expected.

Review:
It has often been said that your life can change in the blink of an eye.  Mia can tell you that better than anyone.  One moment she was in the car with her family listening to a classical song and finguring  the next moment she is looking at the crumpled remains of the family car and watching the emergency rescue people trying to save her life. 

Wait--how can she be watching that?  Mia struggles with seeing everything going on around her, seeing everything that is happening to her, but not quite understanding what it all means.  Is she alive?  Is she dead?  Does she want to continue to fight to live?  Does she want to join her family?  But the biggest question she has is how to make what she decides to do actually happen?

I have seen this idea of the consciousness leaving the body in movies such as Ghost Dad and Ghost, but I feel that Gayle Forman has added something different to the mix.  In both Ghost Dad and Ghost, the ghosts desperately want to get back to their bodies or their lives.  Mia struggles with what she wants to do.  Either way, she knows her life has changed.  So which way will she choose? 

Recommendations:
In some ways, the ending disappointed me a little.  There was no closure, but I just learned that there is more to Mia's story: