I was actually very happy with how If I Stay ended. When I heard that Gayle Forman was coming out with a sequel to If I Stay, however, I was curious to see how it would turn out in Gayles talented hands. Turns out, its as good as it gets.
At first, Adam seems like a rather unlikable character. In many ways, he acts like a spoiled, ungrateful brat, being nasty to people and taking the whole I was dumped by my girlfriend thing too far to be sympathetic to. However, he is easy to sympathize with. A romantic situation that couldve easily been melodramatic is meticulously revealed to us in small, emotional bits, filling in the three years between the car crash and the present day. Everything in this book just progresses effortlessly: we can pretty much believe that these are two real people whose lives are simply being recorded down in this book.
In Adam and Mias story, we see the emotional complexity that goes into a relationship rife with tragedy and change. Why do people act the way they do? How can what one person does or thinks about their relationship seem so irrational to their partner? WHERE SHE WENT is the best book Ive read that explores these subtleties. Its deep, and yet its not preachy, or so deep as to be unrelatable.
WHERE SHE WENT is, simply put, so, so good. Its beautiful without being over the top, memorable without being unrealistic. If you read and loved If I Stay, then this sequel is an absolute must-read, if simply for the fact that you will get more of Adam and Mia. And if you havent read If I Stay yet, I think I will have to come after you and bug you until you do.
At first, Adam seems like a rather unlikable character. In many ways, he acts like a spoiled, ungrateful brat, being nasty to people and taking the whole I was dumped by my girlfriend thing too far to be sympathetic to. However, he is easy to sympathize with. A romantic situation that couldve easily been melodramatic is meticulously revealed to us in small, emotional bits, filling in the three years between the car crash and the present day. Everything in this book just progresses effortlessly: we can pretty much believe that these are two real people whose lives are simply being recorded down in this book.
In Adam and Mias story, we see the emotional complexity that goes into a relationship rife with tragedy and change. Why do people act the way they do? How can what one person does or thinks about their relationship seem so irrational to their partner? WHERE SHE WENT is the best book Ive read that explores these subtleties. Its deep, and yet its not preachy, or so deep as to be unrelatable.
WHERE SHE WENT is, simply put, so, so good. Its beautiful without being over the top, memorable without being unrealistic. If you read and loved If I Stay, then this sequel is an absolute must-read, if simply for the fact that you will get more of Adam and Mia. And if you havent read If I Stay yet, I think I will have to come after you and bug you until you do.
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