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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
"Quitting's not hard. Deciding to quit is hard. Once you make that mental leap, the rest is easy." (Mia Hall)
Where She Went is the sequel to If I Stay and is told from Adam's POV. I enjoyed the sequel much more than the first book. If I Stay was about loss, grief and sacrifice. It was about a girl struggling to survive after her entire family died in a car crash. However, Where She Went, a book about a celebrity with a broken heart and a lot of issues connected with me more.
This book is told from Adam's POV. He was the sweet, dependable perfect boyfriend who loved Mia deeply. However in this books, the Adam from If I Stay has been replaced by a chain-smoking, paranoid, anxious, broken and lonely celebrity who lashes at others. Mia dumped Adam three years ago and Adam has no idea why. I really wanted to know what made Adam become the person he was. What happened to him?!
From the outside, it seems that Adam has the life that anyone would be jealous of. He is a successful member in the Shooting Stars band and is living the dream. His band has won Grammy's, toured worldwide and is top on the iTunes charts. He has an actress for a girlfriend and everything in the palm of his hand. His life is supposed to be easy, but it is far from that. In fact, it is his celebrity status that makes Adam's life worse. Gayle Forman clearly showed the difficulty and stress that living under the public eye involves. Adam's whole entire life, his past and future, is put under the public eye for every Tom, Dick and Harry to scrutinize and it makes his life miserable.
However, it was Adam's "voice" that put me on the fence. Gayle Forman wrote convincingly about 21 year old broken guy, but I found Adam to be too angsty, whiny and irrational sometimes. His "voice" was convincing, fascinating and painful, but it was also a little annoying at times.
"Whoever said the past isn't dead had it backward. It's the future that's already dead, already played out. This whole night has been a mistake. It's not going to let me rewind. Or unmake the mistakes I made. Or the promises I've made. Or have her back. Or have me back." (Adam Wilde)
While the romance between Mia and Adam did play a central role in Where She Went, it never overshadowed the message of this book. I was never invested in Mia and Adam's relationship. Their relationship was too perfect and I was always unable to believe it, because I never "saw" it (the better word is read about it). Where She Went didn't even make Adam and Mia a shippable couple that I believed in. They were never shippable or believable as a romantic couple.
Where She Went is about heartbreak, pain, loss, grief, moving on, making mistakes, growing up and living life. It's about seizing the moment and finding yourself. If I Stay was about loss and sacrifice, but Where She Went was about life and living it.
Si decido quedarme#2 es una novela que nos lleva por un viaje emocional, donde la música es el hilo conductor de una historia de amor y separación. Sin embargo, debo admitir que me pareció un poco pesado en algunos momentos. Aunque aprecié el hecho de que en cada capítulo se incluyera una canción, y que esto añadiera un toque especial a la trama, no pude evitar sentir que algo faltaba en el reencuentro de los personajes principales. Esperaba que fuera un momento más emocionante y conmovedor, pero tal vez mis expectativas eran demasiado altas.
A pesar de esto, me gustó que la autora haya incluido temas importantes en la trama, como la amistad, la familia y la importancia de perseguir nuestros sueños. También me encantó el final feliz, que dejó un sabor dulce en mi boca y una sensación reconfortante en mi corazón.
En resumen, es una novela que mezcla la música, la ciudad de Nueva York y el amor para crear una historia que, aunque no fue tan emocionante como esperaba, tiene su encanto y su mensaje. Si eres fanático de la música y las historias de amor, esta novela es para ti. Pero si buscas una trama más movida, tal vez no sea tu mejor opción.
A pesar de esto, me gustó que la autora haya incluido temas importantes en la trama, como la amistad, la familia y la importancia de perseguir nuestros sueños. También me encantó el final feliz, que dejó un sabor dulce en mi boca y una sensación reconfortante en mi corazón.
En resumen, es una novela que mezcla la música, la ciudad de Nueva York y el amor para crear una historia que, aunque no fue tan emocionante como esperaba, tiene su encanto y su mensaje. Si eres fanático de la música y las historias de amor, esta novela es para ti. Pero si buscas una trama más movida, tal vez no sea tu mejor opción.
I think many people preferred Where she went to If i stay. I loved both.
In where she went, Adam takes you on a journey that you can't really predict, or not be 100% sure of. His heartbreak makes you want to help him and the only way WE could do that is by turning the page.
Gayle Forman has a way of writing that makes the story more of a memory or biography which is so real that it could happen to any human being. Where she went broadened my mind to the possibilities of life where as if i stay you had a fence around the limits of where the story could go.
Sequels are usually not as successful as the first book but Gayle Forman never seems to dissapoint.
In where she went, Adam takes you on a journey that you can't really predict, or not be 100% sure of. His heartbreak makes you want to help him and the only way WE could do that is by turning the page.
Gayle Forman has a way of writing that makes the story more of a memory or biography which is so real that it could happen to any human being. Where she went broadened my mind to the possibilities of life where as if i stay you had a fence around the limits of where the story could go.
Sequels are usually not as successful as the first book but Gayle Forman never seems to dissapoint.
4.5 stars: really liked it
Full review can be found on my blog!
It doesn't happen very often, but I don't have a clue where to start. I read If I Stay over two years ago and like I said in my review: it touched my heart and left me wondering. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to Mia and Adam, to her dreams, to his. Yet I never picked up Where She Went, because I was afraid it would disappoint me. Um, about that... I could not have been more wrong.
The book is told from Adam's point of view, as opposed to Mia's in If I Stay, and right from the start we see how miserable he is. Even though this was the perfect choice, I also couldn't help feeling a little miserable myself. As much as I felt sad for Adam, I had a bit of a difficult time sticking with him while he was feeling so depressed and lonely.
I liked the characters in If I Stay, but this book connected me to them in an entirely different way. I felt more strongly about them than I ever did in If I Stay (I couldn't stand the both of them for a little while, and then I ended up loving them even more). Also Gayle Forman's writing is just as phenomenal and the shift in current day experiences and flashbacks is just as wonderful.
It wasn't until the very end that I realized how perfect it was. How every aspect of grief in both Mia and Adam's life is described, how the anticipation was building up, how the intense emotions and unanswered questions seemed unstoppable and unsolvable... until they weren't anymore, until the walls came crumbling down and I finally saw how strong it was.
Seriously, when I closed my book last night (which may or may not have been around 3 in the morning) it was with a huge grin on my face and a satisfied feeling. Closure. And even if If I Stay isn't your thing or you didn't enjoy it all that much, I strongly encourage you to read it. If only so you can read Where She Went after.
Full review can be found on my blog!
It doesn't happen very often, but I don't have a clue where to start. I read If I Stay over two years ago and like I said in my review: it touched my heart and left me wondering. I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to Mia and Adam, to her dreams, to his. Yet I never picked up Where She Went, because I was afraid it would disappoint me. Um, about that... I could not have been more wrong.
The book is told from Adam's point of view, as opposed to Mia's in If I Stay, and right from the start we see how miserable he is. Even though this was the perfect choice, I also couldn't help feeling a little miserable myself. As much as I felt sad for Adam, I had a bit of a difficult time sticking with him while he was feeling so depressed and lonely.
I liked the characters in If I Stay, but this book connected me to them in an entirely different way. I felt more strongly about them than I ever did in If I Stay (I couldn't stand the both of them for a little while, and then I ended up loving them even more). Also Gayle Forman's writing is just as phenomenal and the shift in current day experiences and flashbacks is just as wonderful.
It wasn't until the very end that I realized how perfect it was. How every aspect of grief in both Mia and Adam's life is described, how the anticipation was building up, how the intense emotions and unanswered questions seemed unstoppable and unsolvable... until they weren't anymore, until the walls came crumbling down and I finally saw how strong it was.
Seriously, when I closed my book last night (which may or may not have been around 3 in the morning) it was with a huge grin on my face and a satisfied feeling. Closure. And even if If I Stay isn't your thing or you didn't enjoy it all that much, I strongly encourage you to read it. If only so you can read Where She Went after.
Im in dillema between 4 and 5 stars so i'll give it 4.5
Written from Adam's view, it was more grieving, sad, annoying, and well, devastating. I didnt like how he escaped his feeling, i'd rather like him to be a loner but again, he's a guy.
Quitting is not hard. Decided to quit is harder. Same goes with letting someone go i guess. And rather than loosening my grip and open up my fist, i'd still like to clench my hand so tight it hurts.
Written from Adam's view, it was more grieving, sad, annoying, and well, devastating. I didnt like how he escaped his feeling, i'd rather like him to be a loner but again, he's a guy.
Quitting is not hard. Decided to quit is harder. Same goes with letting someone go i guess. And rather than loosening my grip and open up my fist, i'd still like to clench my hand so tight it hurts.
i'm completely in love with chapter twenty. if i ever find the words, i will come back and write a full review, right now i can't.
if i stay was tragic but beautiful - where she went is moving, comforting, encouraging... knowing that everything goes (kind of) back on track is such a good feeling, i feel relieved.
if i stay was tragic but beautiful - where she went is moving, comforting, encouraging... knowing that everything goes (kind of) back on track is such a good feeling, i feel relieved.
*sigh*
this book doesn't cease to amaze me...
if i stay broke my heart and where she went rebuilt it
this book doesn't cease to amaze me...
if i stay broke my heart and where she went rebuilt it
I was reluctant to read this one, not sure I really wanted closure from the first novel. Nevertheless, read it I did (once more devouring it in less than a day after having put it aside for a while) and I am oh so glad I did!
This is not a cutsy sequel, far from it. It's rough, hard-hitting, gritty and full blown angst.
This is not a cutsy sequel, far from it. It's rough, hard-hitting, gritty and full blown angst.
I'm not a huge sequel/series person (besides HP!!) but after finishing "If I Stay," I knew I had to read the sequel. I would say the only disappointment I had was the point of view. I loved how the author incorporated certain characters but I really would have loved to hear from one very important person (I do not want to give anything away!). Since, I am a sucker for endings, I would have liked to see an epilogue but sometimes you just have to use your imagination!
I really enjoyed this, even though it wasn't what I expected. I expected a continuation of the previous book 'If I Stay', but I was surprised to find while this story continues on with the plot it's written from Adam's perspective. Of course I was still treated to the excellent and amusing writing style of Gayle Forman, who has become one of my favorite authors. I eagerly await her next book.