Book Musings: Where She Went

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

I reviewed If I Stay back in December. I liked it. 

I read Where She Went last week. I LOVED it. It's much more character-driven than If I Stay, and I think this is where Gayle Forman shines. Adam's voice is spot-on and the way she builds tension in the scenes with Mia--by showing us his thoughts as opposed to his words-- makes the reader as desperate as he is to know what happened, to know where she went.

The flashbacks she used in If I Stay are back, and this time they fit much better into the narrative for me, possibly because they're filling in the book-to-book blanks, but also because they contrasts to the one-night structure of the book.

To me, this book was Catcher in the Rye if Holden had managed to find someone to listen to him. And, you know, with more music.  

The details of Adam's super stardom, Mia's recovery and stint at Julliard are all told very realistically. Their dialogue is great, but what truly sizzles is Adam's narration. The lyrics at the beginning and end of each chapter also give us insights into his character and their break-up, and I thought this was great. 

I listened to the audiobook as Gayle Forman recommended on her website, and I highly recommend it. The narrator's voice is great, and he really gets her words. 

A fabulous read.