Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Published: April 5, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile
Received: gifted by Jacinda from The Reading Housewives of Indiana

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. {taken from goodreads.com}

Holy Effing Crap.

Sorry, I know that's not the most professional way to start off a review.  But then again - who says I read & write reviews for a profession?  I do it for THIS.  And by this, I mean my copy of Where She Went that I am pointing at right now, but you can't see it.  This freaking amazing book is the reason why I have this blog.  It's so I can gush over my thoughts & opinions with you all about books that go way beyond just words.. it takes on a life of it's own inside my head, with a pulse & every thing.  This book is the epitome of why I love to read so, so much.  When the clock ticks 4pm on a Thursday afternoon & usually I am racing out the office door to freedom; it was THIS book that I actually contemplated staying just so I could finish & not have to waste precious moments in traffic getting home, just to re-open the book & lose myself all over again.  Seriously people.  Prepare yourself for greatness when you sit down to read this book.

Gayle Forman takes us 3 years ahead to New York City.  But this time we are witnessing it all from Adam's point of view & what an amazing point of view it is.  I felt myself really connecting with the story being told through his eyes.  I really loved Adam's character in If I Stay, the prequel to Where She Went, so knowing that the second book would be his narrative this pleased me so much.  Adam's career as a musician has really taken off.  He is now at rock star level.  He happens to be in New York City, in between tour stops with his band.  On this one fateful night, he finds himself sitting inside Carnegie Hall listening to the sweet sounds of a once familiar cello.  A cello being played by Mia, the same girl he once shared a whirlwind romance with & a devastating blow with when she lost her family in a fatal car accident.  The two have been living their own separate lives for the past 3 years with lots of uncertainty still hanging between them.  So when Adam & Mia are reunited on this hot summer night, sparks ignite & more questions come to mind, than answers are given.

Adam has lost his touch with music & feels completely alone in this glamorous life that he now portrays.  He questions his future & whether or not the band, the music, any of it makes sense any more.  His heart still aches for how things were left between him & Mia just 3 years ago.  It's in these moments that I really fell for Adam.  You get the sense that he is trying to push through his mundane life, feeling empty & hopeless.  Yet you still see that beautiful boy, full of so much talent & love for the girl who never left his heart - not for one second.  The two of them have one night to share together in New York City.  Mia is forced to confront her demons & speak the truth about why she chose the path she did, with out Adam.  While Adam is forced to listen & try to understand.

The writing in this novel goes beyond most YA contemps.  As I said before, it takes on a life of it's own.  Gayle Forman is poetically beautiful in her ability to grab the reader & never let go.  If I've ever had a hard time putting down a book, it is definitely this one!  There are not enough words & blog space to extend the amount of gushing I feel is appropriate for this book.  I have never read a second book & been this taken back with it.  Do I dare say I believe it to be better than the first?  I have fallen in love with this story, these characters, this world!  I never wanted it to end.  I seriously could have kept reading on & on & on. 

P.S. Can I just say how much I wish there really was a band called Shooting Star because I really, really want to hear them play!!!  The lyrics that are mentioned at the beginning of each chapter definitely grabbed my attention. I must know the sound that goes with them!