Where She Went

Summary:

"In the three years since the tragic accident Mia barely survived in If I Stay, she and high school ex-boyfriend Adam have lived separate lives on opposite coasts. But then Adam, now the dissatisfied front man of popular LA-based band Collateral Damage, stops over in New York City for one night before kicking off the European leg of his tour. It happens to be the same evening that Mia, now well on her way to becoming a renowned cellist, is performing at Carnegie Hall. Adam buys a ticket, planning to slip in and out, but Mia spots him and for the first time in years they’re face-to-face with each other and their shared past. Over the course of one evening, as Adam and Mia traverse the city’s streets, they relive the four days Mia spent in the intensive care unit as well as her departure to Juilliard and from the life she knew. Emotionally raw and incredibly moving, Gayle Forman again showcases her considerable talent for drawing complex characters who face impossible decisions and then bear the consequences."

Plot: I did not expect this plot, but I truly fell in love with it, because although Ideally we would want Adam and Mia to be together and be the Hollywood fairytale romance, reality is going through an accident like Mia had, changes a relationship, growing up changes a relationship, different ambitions changes a relationship. So I enjoyed how the story played out and how heart wrenching it was. I also liked that the story is told through Adam's POV. So major kudos to Forman! Also, while being realistic, Forman somehow brings in the "Hollywood" element into the book, sucking you in and wishing you were  Mia and living that night through New York.

Character: Three years can change people a lot, so I love how much growth Forman's characters had, how much matured they sounded while being true to who they are in the core of things. Plus, even though he smoked and became a "guy" as Mia says. I really fell in love with Adam in this book. Something about the edgy bad boy, with a good heart, that makes a girl melt.

Pros: Emotionally Compelling, Well Written, Cohesive with the 1st book..while being its own book, realistic.

Cons: I can't think of any.. and I have only said that about one other book. Maybe, I would have liked the touring process to go on more and extend the story; instead of being wrapped up nicely.

Final Thoughts: I died when I began reading this! I was sucked into and could not put it down, I just had to know where Mia and Adam were going, had gone, etc. I love the couples who make my heart start beating faster, put butterflies in my tummy and basically essentially make me envious of them. Not even always couples, but the connection between two people. I haven't felt this strong off a connection for a couple in a long time and the way  it was set up and written was just amazing. I mean really can this be turned into a movie?  This book is more the worth your time to read.