REVIEW : Where She Went by Gayle Forman

REVIEW : Where She Went by Gayle Forman

   11:25 PM       Elisa

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Where She Went

Author      : Gayle Forman
Publisher   : Gramedia Pustaka Utama (Indonesia)
Source      : Bought
Pages        : 200

Summary from Goodreads :

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 Juilliard'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.

“But I'd do it again. I know that now. I'd make that promise a thousand times over and lose her a thousand times over to have heard her play last night or to see her in the morning sunlight. Or even without that. Just to know that she's somewhere out there. Alive.”
- Adam Wilde "Where She Went"

As the sequel of If I Stay, Where She Went is also one powerful and emotional contemporary reading I've ever read. And for some reasons I really loved this book more than If I Stay. Beside this is told from Adam's side (male's voice is mostly always touching deeper, I completely biased), I really awed how Forman can make such an intense, heartbreaking story about separation yet you can also feel a hope in it. I barely knew Adam at If I Stay but I already liked him a lot for what he did for Mia. And because of this book, I love him more and more. The writing just really emotional and raw I literally felt Adam's pain, made my heart aching and shed tears for him ;~;

“Who says I breathe music? Who says I even breathe?”
- Adam Wilde "Where She Went"

Where She Went is told from Adam's side who is now holding his celebrity status as a rock superstar with his bandmate, Shooting Star, and has a celebrity girlfriend too. But inside, he's a total mess, has been hurting and broken since Mia left him and disappeared for 3 years after Mia survived from the death. He's still love Mia so bad yet he can do nothing.

At this part, Adam's voice is very bitter and hopeless. It was really sad, saw him struggling to keep his sanity with consuming lots of sedatives but so amazing that he still manages to continue his life and eventually gained his dream. This is one thing I loved the most about Adam's character. Forman makes him so flawed and believable as a person who has to face his hurtful moment, and also somehow has a big and tough heart to allow Mia out from his life if it has to. I was too absorbed into Adam's voice and blamed Mia a lot, how dare she left someone so precious like him. But soon I changed my view of her after finally at one moment they meet each other because Mia is different and maturer here. I was glad to see that she becomes the first one who approaches Adam and the way Forman fix their relationship through only one night with pack of memories and presents is beautifully and heart-warmingly done. I literally shed tears (inside the office bus on my way to the office, cool huh? xD) at some moments and in the end I shed happy and relieved tears for Adam. I still could turn melancholy if I remember it.

I know my review is lacked here and there and not enough to describe how amazing this series is but it DOES. Where She Went, along with If I Stay are must-reads. I always appreciate a fiction that also can teach us about life values from its characters and how the story goes. I learnt an epitome of love and understanding, hope and fortitude, lost and found, grief and forgiveness through this series and it gives an amazing feeling to me. You should experience it too.
Happy reading! =)

“You know, I thought about that a lot these last couple of years," She says in a choked voice. "About who was there for you. Who held your hand while you grieved for all that you'd lost?”
Mia "Where She Went"

PS : talking about cover, I love the Indonesia version more than US. I love soft colors, the simple wooden wall and a guitar leaning back against it. Somehow it's like representing Adam =)