Where She Went

by Gayle Forman
published: Speak, 2012 (originally Dutton Juvenile, 2011)
pages: 264

Three years after the terrible accident that changed Mia and Adam's lives forever, they have drifted apart.  Adam has gained major success with his band and Mia is showing incredible promise as a cello prodigy.  One night in New York they meet again and finally hatch out what's been holding each other back for years.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the fact that it's told from Adam's perspective.  I love that we get Mia in the first book and now we get Adam.  It's powerful the way the narrators are used to convey their story.  I think that this story would have worked in Mia's point of view, but it's much more power in Adam's and likewise is true in If I Stay.  We get to know the characters so well.  I just love it.

The NYC setting is fantastic, partially because I've lived there and know details about the city that help me enhance the setting and the story.  NYC fits the story perfectly; it showcases the progression of their character, how they've grown and dealt with tragedy.  I think it's often hard for a setting to speak into the story, but Gayle Forman does that very well with her choices.

I'm one of those people that wants to know everything, so I was kind of disappointed that there was three years in between the books.  It just might be me being greedy but I wanted to know what happened in those three years.  We get glimpses of their past, and some of what happened to Adam in those years.  However, I still want to know everything, but I appreciate what was revealed and how it was revealed to the reader.

Gayle Forman scored huge on these books.  She wrote a very satisfying sequel and I enjoyed reading every minute of it.

Stars: 4/5 

Praise:

"Stunningly Memorable."
     --Romantic Times

"Achingly satisfying"
     --Family Circle

"A gorgeous portrayal of rejection and rekindled love.... A sensitive depiction of the kind of man we'd all love our daughters to meet."
     --USA Today

"Both characters spring to life, and their pain-filled backstory and current realities provide depth and will hold readers fast."
     --Kirkus Reviews

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman
Published: Speak, 2010 (first published 2009)
Pages: 262

Mia has a typical life, a loving family, great friends, a boyfriend that meant everything to her and a bright future.  She wasn't expecting the event that changed her life forever.  Now she's faced with the most important decision she will ever make, one that could, quite literally, mean life or death.

This story takes a look at life and death from a completely different take than the usual.  We are left to contemplate the idea that sometimes people do choose whether or not to live on, to continue fighting for life.

The poetic nature of the writing adds to the discussion.  There is a seamless flow to the letters, creating words, creating phrases, creating sentences, creating paragraphs, creating pages, creating this story.  The rhythm in all of this is very similar to the rhythm that Mia finds in her classical music, and any music really.  But there are also times when the story and her situation seem very edgy and sporadic, the way punk rock can sound sometimes.

I really enjoyed the music aspect of this story and how it brought people together, even if they were different styles of music.  It also threatened to tear people apart.  The ebb and flow of the music and it's connection to people played well with this story and the other themes present.  Gayle Forman masterfully weaves a compelling tragic story.  I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"This book is a do-not-miss story of love, friendship, family, loss, control, and coping."
     --Justine magazine

"A poignant novel... reminiscent of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones.  Forman is a master at creating memorable characters and at tugging the heartstrings enough to keep us turning the page as we sob our eyes out."
     --Buffalo News

"If I Stay throbs with Love and tragedy .  And the dilemma of choice.  Long after its last moment, readers may find themselves dwelling on how the story resonates in their own lives."
     --Sacramento Bee

Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Published:  SPEAK, 2004

Pages: 250

When Caitlin's sister runs away, her entire life begins to change.  She takes up cheerleading and starts seeing a mysterious boy by the name of Rogerson.  Caitlin quickly falls into a new routine, spending more and more time with her new boyfriend.  What happens when being with Rogerson becomes a bigger problem than being without him?

As someone that doesn't read the backs of books, the topic covered in this story surprised me.  When a book covers a topic like abuse, rape or eating disorders, to name a few, I feel like there should be a trigger warning attached to it.  I'm not saying that people should never write about these topics, because they should! I just didn't expect this story to be so heavy.  (It's kind of my own fault for not reading the summary.)

Aside from the startling topic, Sarah Dessen works wonders with her characters, developing a situation that feels so real, and in many lives is real. Though, some of the characters were frustrating.  I just wanted to yell at them to pay attention to Caitlin, to read the signs.  In this way these characters feel real.  People are often too caught up in their own lives to see what's going on around them.  I think Dessen captured this exceptionally well in her characters.

This book not only provides a story worth reading, but also gives the reader an opportunity to think.  I thought a lot about this story and abuse.  After discussing it with a friend, I realize that this books paints a great (for the lack of a better word) picture of how hidden a bad relationship can be.  If you don't already know the signs, it's hard to register them as unusual.  There's a partial eye-opening experience and the reader becomes privy to thoughts that might occur during this kind of relationship.  Sarah Dessen gives everyone an opportunity to talk about real dangerous situations.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Deamland is the secret story of many contemporary teen relationships. Compelling reading."

     --SLJ, starred review

"An affecting and believable portrait of a teenage girl drifting into a kind of dreamland.  You can't help being pulled in by Caitlin's story."

     --The Horn Book

"It's not only the plot that's vivid; the characters are also intensely real. Another pitch-perfect offering from Dessen." 

     --Booklist, starred review

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green and David Levithan
Published: Speak, 2011 (first published Dutton, 2010)
Pages: 310

When Will Grayson meets Will Grayson, they aren't expecting each other.  In fact, the first is buying a souvenir for his best and gay friend, Tiny Cooper and the other is meeting an internet friend.  Little did they know that their meeting is the catalyst for events that lead to the most entertaining musical to ever hit the high school stage.

Tiny Cooper is one of the funniest characters I have ever had the pleasure to read.  In addition to being completely gay, I mean that in the very best way, he is charming and so outgoing it hurts.  I laughed so much while reading about Tiny's musical, who would have thought to write a musical about themselves? Tiny Cooper.  That's who.

I was very excited to actually see the musical in the book.  I am a self professed lover of musicals so this just made my day.  The lyrics to the songs are priceless and entertaining and the scenes are wonderfully obnoxious.  I can't help agreeing with Will Grayson, the best friend, that Tiny is altogether too much to handle.  That, however, doesn't stop me from enjoying him and the rest of the characters.

The Wills are not quite opposites, just different guys with the same name and a shared Tiny.  They both, however, are having problems of their own.  To a certain extent Tiny, whether intentionally or unintentionally, helps them realize how to go about dealing with their problems.  They are, eventually, brutally honest with themselves and with those they love.  As characters, they are incredibly dynamic.

I give mad props to John Green and David Levithan for coming up with this idea and for writing it.  I am so glad because the world needed this book.  If these authors ever get the itch to write together again, I hope they don't hesitate.

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a complete romp.  [It is] so funny, rude and original that by the time flowers hit the stage, even the musical-averse will cheer."
     -- The New York Times Book Review

"Will have readers simultaneously laughing, crying and singing at the top of their lungs."
     --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"It is such a good book. [Green and Levithan] are two of the best writers writing today."
     --NPR's The Roundtable

It's An Eclectic Reader 2013 Challenge book!