Where She Went (If I Stay, Book 2) Kindle Edition

Before I get to the point, I have to note that even though it's a sequel, it can be read as a stand alone too. The characters are reflecting back to past events, so you probably won't be all lost. But, obviously, to add emotional background it's better if you read If I Stay first.Years ago, when I still went to the library, I stumbled upon a book titled If I Stay (well, it had a Hungarian title of course). I think I was waiting for a book I had to request for my studies which wasn't on the public shelves, and at the time the YA books were right beside the waiting area. I was browsing the shelves and this book popped out to me. I took it home and I remember devouring it probably in a day. It was a tragic story about music, love, loss. When I started to read in English, I discovered it had a sequel. If I liked If I Stay, then I totally fell in love with Where She Went.We are three years after the events in If I Stay. Mia and Adam have their separate life, both having success in their musical careers. Adam had become a world-famous rock star with Shooting Star, selling thousands of albums, winning awards, touring and having a famous actress as her girlfriend. But under the shiny surface he is suffering. What once was a joy becomes a burden for him. He has to spend a night on his own in New York before the European leg of a giant tour becomes and the past he desperately tries to forget comes banging on his door. Giving him one last chance to right every wrong and get his own closure.Mia aced her classes at Julliard and about to go on a tour herself after her solo recital at Carnegie Hall. After the tragedies she had a hard time dealing with her grief and her teachers were soft on her, except one. An old Russian teacher of her pushed her harder than anyone else and under his and other mentors' hands she had become a cellist she was destined to be. On the dawn of her success the last person she expects to run into is Adam Wilde. The world-famous rock star who once meant the world to her.Mia and Adam go on a tour of New York and their past, tearing open old scars, bringing out feelings buried deep down for too long, looking for a closure. While If I Stay was written from the POV of Mia, in Where She Went we see the events with Adam's eyes. The carefree, happy, devoted guy we got to know is replaced by someone cynical, unhappy, haunted someone who completely lost himself and can't find the way out. This book is as much about the present  than the past, Mia and his journey together and his own self discovery. After a long time he can finally get the answers he equally needed and dreaded, face his problems and learn to let go. As they say goodbye to New York Adam does the same to himself."Standing here, in this quiet house where I can hear the birds chirping out back, I think I’m kind of getting the concept of closure. It’s no big dramatic before-after. It’s more like that melancholy feeling you get at the end of a really good vacation. Something special is ending, and you’re sad, but you can’t be that sad because, hey, it was good while it lasted, and there’ll be other vacations, other good times."Why I like this book so much is because a) I always liked Adam; b) I'm a sucker for musicians and books which feature music, especially if it shows the dark side of the music industry too; c) the raw feelings Adam has, his transformation through the book and they way Forman handles these matters. She can keep the balance between drama and lighter moments, and not turning her books into a long sappy romantic dramedy. And although her writing has a lighter tone, she addresses dead serious topics like grief, depression, loss, self discovery, dealing with problems long repressed.Even though I veered away from YA books in recent years, I don't mind picking up Gayle Forman's books every once in a while. Especially Where She Went, a heartwrenching, emotional read which will make you curse and smile and cry. A fast and sweet read for cold winter days.

I must say that i liked Where She Went much better than If I Stay. Am i allowed to say that? The second book usually isn't as good as the first book. If I Stay was all about death and Mia being in a Coma the whole time, and wondering if she should live or die. I couldn't handle that.It’s been three years since the accident that took away Mia’s family. Adam is a huge rock star now. His band Shooting Star is making albums, winning awards, and touring the world. Adam should be living it up, but he is no longer the same guy he was. His life is the shadow of what it should be and it all traces back to the accident that changed everything he believed in. He's a broken guy no longer in love with the music he used to eat, sleep and dream about. Instead he is a guy just floating by. A random chance encounter in NYC changes everything. The past that Adam thought was over and had left behind is suddenly right in his face leaving him no choice but to deal with his demons and decide if the past should be left in the past.Where She Went is told in Adam's POV which i absolutely loved. I felt so bad for Adam. He was so heartbroken after Mia left, and i could really feel his pain. I was really mad at Mia for leaving him like that, but after reading further into the book I understand why she did what she did. I also liked that in the beginning of the chapters were Adam's lyrics to the songs he written. This book was just so beautifully written and it's an absolute must read.

Conceptually, it seems like a solid idea to write the book entirely from his perspective. I think what works well is the introduction to new chapters with lyrics of his songs that are based on his feelings about her/the relationship/etc. This book picks up where the first one left off. I didn't read the first book, I simply happened to catch the movie recently. I watched it using my Amazon Prime account so that's how the recommendation for this book popped up. (Hats off to Amazon for the savvy yet subtle marketing!). Anyway, the book isn't written as well as the movie is portrayed so it didn't reach out and capture you. It's been a chore to get through it and despite it being several weeks and the initial excitement upon reading it, I still haven't finished the book. It also goes back and forth from past to present and it draws the storyline out in a way that seems silly. I'm 65% through the book and it's still talking about one night. I can't imagine a book that takes 100+ pages and we're still talking about a 2 hour block of time.

The best thing about reading a series when all the books have been published is the fact that if you love the first book, you can immediately read the second one. In fact, as soon as I finished If I Stay, I immediately purchased Where She Went on Kindle because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.Where She Went is told from the POV of Adam, and to be honest I was a little wary going into it - I liked both Mia and Adam, but it felt like it should be more Mia's story. And at first, I didn't really like Adam anymore - after Mia left for New York his life went into overdrive - fame, money and the rock 'n' roll lifestyle had, to be honest, turned him into a bit of a [email protected] as the story progressed, I liked him more and more, and I understood why he was acting in a reckless, uncaring way. When he finally met up with Mia again by accident, suddenly he was the Adam that I loved from If I Stay.Where She Went is an emotional, moving book, just like the first in the series. It's impossible not to cheer on both Adam and Mia as they reminisce through their romance and dance around the elephant in the room.Gayle Forman has written a book that is just as outstanding as the first - there's love and sadness, fabulous characters that you just want to reach through the pages and hug, and flipping through the pages at a furious pace is not only possible, it's inevitable.

All of the bad feelings I felt from the abrupt ending of If I Stay were erased with Where She Went.I loved that this book was written from Adam's POV. It was nice to get his thoughts and feelings and understand where he was coming from. The book is set three years after If I Stay and it's amazing to catch up and learn what has happened. I fell in love with Adam (and Mia) all over again. It's one hell of a ride he takes you on and every minute is worth it. His journey is one that will stay with you long after the story has ended. The way him and Mia fall into each others lives again is beautiful and the journey they take together is mesmerizing and full of emotion, it will have you completely sucked in and feeling all of what's happening on the pages. I was actually really sad it ended but I am very glad I read these books.Gayle did an outstanding job writing these books. She captures the raw emotions the characters are feeling and dealing with. She writes an amazing story that captivates and holds your attention right through the book. I am very glad i picked up these books and after mixed emotions from the end of If I Stay I am well and truly in love.

Oh, dear Lord!Why do I always cry at books, at the most beautifully-sad endings ever?Wow. Gayle Foreman has done a fantastic job. She is immensely great at writing from a guy's POV. Really great.This book, the sequel to If I Stay, was a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I was in hysterics and then the next I was a blubbering mess.Adam and Mia's relationship is so delicate and fragile, and yet so impossibly strong and unmoving. Their story fascinates me beyond belief. I love how they found common ground over music. Relationships as such don't exist in reality, so it was really beautiful to witness Adam and Mia connect over music.There was one point nearing the end where I just started saying "No, no, no, no," over and over again. I genuinely thought that was it for the two of them and that it was the end of the road. I thought Gayle Foreman had surprised me by ruining everything I'd hoped for the reunioned couple.I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers, other than this is one of my favourite books of all time.

I waited and I waited and I waited some more and finally this book was released and to my delight arrived the daybefore I went on holiday so I got to read this lay by a pool in peace and quiet after I had re-read If I Stay.It really is a must for you to read that book first if you haven't already, you could still appreciate this book,but not nearly as much as you would if you know the back story.This book is set 3 years after If I Stay, Adma is now a famous rock star but can't enjoy the fame he once cravedbecause Mia left him, walked out of his life with no explanation, never getting intouch again. Out feeling sorry forhimself wandering around New York he stumbles across a Cello Recital at the famous Carnegie Hall by Mia. And thatswhere it all starts. After their meeting starts off tense and ends abruptly they end up wandering the city togetherfor the night going over the past but at first Adam is still too scared to ask the quastion he so desperately wantsthe answer to. "Why?"I found this very enjoyable. Did it hit me the way If I Stay did, no if I'm honest it didn't, but then I wasn'texpecting it to. I knew this wouldn't have the gut wrenching drama as the first book. But what it did have washeart. And a maturity, Adam has changed so much, its not surprising, he's had to deal with the grief at the lossof Mia's family too, but felt unable to express it, like he didn't deserve to, along with coping with losing Mia and his guilt about that, dealing with his fame and all the things that go with that and finding life in general a huge struggle, feeling completely out of control. Mia, is not the same timid girl with a silent fierceness we knew before.She has grown up so much. Mainly because of dealing with such a huge loss at a young age but also because of her experiences at Juliard.I was fascinated reading about Adams past, getting to know him better than we did in If I Stay showed us the other side to the story. Witnessing the events of the first book through Adams eyes was great too. We can fully understand what happened. I thought I would want the 2nd book to be from Mia's POV aswell but it really worked well with Adam as the narator, and it also helped me see a new side to Mia. I have to admit the book was a tiny bit slow to get goingbut once it did I could not put it down. I desperately wanted to find out what was going to happen, but at the same timeI wanted to savour it for as long as possible. I didn't want it to be over.The only downside to If I Stay was that I desperately wanted to know what happened to Adam and Mia, and Where She Wentdid that for me. Did it all go the way I thought it would, No. But I felt things worked out the way they were supposed toand I was stunned at the ending. I'd sort of worked it out, but it still blew me away and now I am no longer leftwondering what happens to them both. I just wish them well and hope that perhaps one day the amazing author GayleForman may like to enlighten us as to how the'r lives turn out....... but its not necessary, it can happily end where ithas. A brilliant sequel to a truly exceptional novel.

After watching the film If I Stay, I read the book and I was intrigued to hear there was a sequel to it, in the form of Where she Went. I was not disappointed at all by this book.Once started, I could not stop! I read this book literally in one afternoon, I could not put it down. Completely immersing myself into the world of Mia and Adam.Being written from the perspective of Adam, creates a different viewpoint to the prequel that took place in Mia's. A difference I very much enjoyed. You are clearly able to picture Adams inner turmoil and grief. How despite having the life many would crave, he finds no joy at all. Written fantastically, able to fully understand his hurt, confusion and his struggles he is daily having with everyday life.The way the two came together for their one night, was brilliantly done. And the two engaged in a way that was just like them before, but with added maturity and wiseness from their experiences.I would read this again and again, I enjoyed it that much. The ending was done beautifully and handled really well and done in a way that was very believable to the reader.Long live Adam and Mia and may they be happy forever!

Caroline for [...]Having devoured If I Stay in one sitting I waited expectantly for the Continuation of Mia and Adam's story. Where She Went is set three years after the events of If I Stay.The subject of miles of gossip column print, a superstar girlfriend on his arm and a bathroom cabinet full of prescription medications, Adam is a 21 year old rock god.A chance encounter enables the couple to reunite for one night. Through a series of flashbacks and moving song lyrics we explore the lead up to, and the aftermath of, their break up from Adams' first person perspective. The camping flashback is probably one of the sweetest romantic scene I've read this year. Adams voice is honest with a maturity that reflects his experiences of grief, loss and unfulfilled expectations.The major supporting character in the book is New York City. The descriptive narrative completely immersed me in the sights, sounds and smell of the city. If I ever have the opportunity to visit NYC I will be adding Mia's places to my itinerary. Never mind breakfast at Tiffany's, I want black coffee and vanilla scented croissants in the historic district.Although the premise of this book is not as harrowing as the preceding novel, suffering from less tear-stained pages, Where She Went contains it's fair share of 'bash their heads together', will they won't they, heart in the mouth moments.Verdict: Another Gayle Forman triumph consumed in one sitting. Definitely one for the re-read pile.[...]