Spoiler Free Review/ Love Letter for Where She Went by Gayle Forman

"It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other. Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance." Ok first things first I feel like I should start this review by being completely honest, I don’t want to write this review. And if I didn’t receive this book for review from the publishers I’d probably put it off but I did and so now I have to try and write the hardest review that I’ve ever had to write because how do you put into words the effect a book like Where She Went had on you? It’s like trying to describe first love or that first mouthful of ice cold water after a run on a hot summer’s day. Words are not enough to describe those feelings the only way people know such a true moment is when they go through it themselves and that’s what Where She Went was for me, an indescribable experience. No amount of praise will do it true justice so please bear with me whilst I try and compose my thoughts, I’m still in awe, blinded by this books light. When I first heard that there was going to be a sequel to If I Stay I wasn’t sure. If I Stay set such high standards, but when I first read the synopsis for Where She Went I was immediately intrigued. Firstly as to why Mia and Adam had broken up when they’re so so perfect for each other, secondly what had happened to this couple since the three year period of If I Stay? and lastly does Mia remember anything about her coma? Does she remember getting to choose? Does she remember Adam’s plea for her to stay? As soon as these questions got going in my mind I was desperate to get some answers and so was completely over the moon when I got sent a copy of Where She Went early for review. I picked it up and devoured it immediately the whole book read in a bundle of fury, rage, utter devastation and loss. I closed this book literally breathless from hot angry tears and my first rational thought was “ This is why I read, this is what my blog, extensive book buying and reading is all about this feeling I’m feeling right now.” It’s a rare feeling that comes along only a few times in a lifetime with those magical, monumental books that stay with us forever. Where She Went was so much more than I expected it to be I thought I loved If I Stay but my feelings for Where She Went far surpassed that. This book is told from now 21 year old Adam’s point of view, Adam had changed so much since If I Stay he’s toxic and angry with the grief of losing Mia and that loss has shot him and his band to fame with their album Collateral Damage each song written by Adam to Mia about his utter devastation and heartbreak of losing her. Adam’s broken and the reader gets to see the extent of this through alternate chapters some being told in the present tense and others being told in the past tense catching us up with everything that took place after If I Stay. These chapters also have a lyric from one of Adam’s songs off the album headlining the chapter taking us into Adam’s mind and heart. It was so good to see where Mia went, what she done with her life and how far she’d come I felt so proud of her. The title has a real play on the book because not only do we get to find out where Mia went with her life we also get to find out why she went out of Adam’s. I want to keep this review spoiler free so I won’t say any more than that her reason brought me to my knees and broke my heart. Where She Went has a much more mature feel to it than If I Stay it’s regretful, painful and honest. It deals with Mia’s anger and grief at losing her family and Adam’s grief at losing Mia. The books turbulent and raw but like shattered glass Gayle Forman handles the matter gently and delicately holding up the broken fragments into the light for us to inspect showing us the quiet, fragile beauty to it. Gayle Forman is a poet at showing us the beauty in something so broken and ugly, and my words will never do justice to hers. I want to absorb every sentence, every word into my heart and lock it away forever so that I never forget Mia and Adam and all the lessons they have taught me. For those wondering Where She Went is by far my favourite book of 2011 so far, maybe even of the past 3 years, maybe even ever. Above any other review or recommendation that I’ve given I hope you read this book and I hope even more so that you find the same beauty in it that I did. My Rating 5/5 stars ***** Thanks go to Random House for sending me this book for review Synopsis taken from goodreads