Gayle Forman didn't set out to write a follow-up to her 2009 New York Times bestselling YA novel "If I Stay"—a heartbreaking tale of a teen wrestling with life and death following the tragic car accident that claimed her entire family. But like so many seemingly living and breathing (albeit fictional) stories, Gayle just couldn't shake Mia and boyfriend Adam's destiny from her imagination. Hence, the sequel, "Where She Went," out today.
The novel picks up three years after Mia—prompted by Adam's pleadings—decided to stay. Except, she didn't stay in Oregon. Mia packed her cello and headed for New York City's famed Juilliard School, leaving Adam behind. But Adam's own career certainly isn't hurting. In fact, fueled and inspired by their break-up, Adam penned Shooting Star's hit album Collateral Damage, catapulting the band to meteoric levels of fame and adoration. Yet, despite all outward signs of success, Adam still feels empty and unsettled—nagging emotions that one day prompt him to take a solitary walk through NYC during a short stay. And as you can probably guess, Adam runs into the one person he thought he'd never see again: Mia.
It's an awkward encounter to say the least, but the two ultimately decide to spend the night visiting Mia's favorite New York haunts, seeing as she's not long for the city either—she's headed out on her own tour to Asia.
Told from Adam's perspective, the narrative switches between the pair's present day meanderings and Adam's recollection of the preceding three years—Mia's painful yet surprisingly swift recovery, their unofficial break-up and Adam's introduction to new love, movie star Bryn.
I'll admit I scratched my head over the prospect of a sequel to such an exquisitely fulfilling book as "If I Stay." And as I began paging through "Where She Went," my uncertainty didn't abate. Because instead of loving, long-suffering Adam, we meet every possible cliche of rock and roll excess—a pill-popping, sunglasses-wearing, hotel-room-trashing artiste who can't hack the rigors of fame. And where Mia was once a warm and accessible heroine, she's now a closed-off heart-breaker, having seemingly dumped Adam for no good reason. How could one relate to such unsympathetic characters?
But I kept reading. And I'm glad I did. Because "Where She Went" hits the right note when Mia and Adam finally begin being honest with each other—and themselves. True emotion is a beautiful thing—no matter how raw and uncomfortable—and this sequel has plenty of it in its closing pages. Though a follow-up may not have been necessary, in the end, Gayle did right by Mia and Adam—and by any reader who wondered where she went.
Will you be picking up a copy of "Where She Went"? Have any of you had a chance to read it yet? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
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