Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)

Not as good as book one, but I liked it.
Not as many tears.

This is the follow-up to If I Stay, where Mia Hall, a high school cellist, had been in a horrible accident and was hovering between life and death.
This is narrated by Mia's boyfriend, rocker Adam Wilde, who has gone on to fame and fortune but has not been happy living without Mia.
Not quite as good as the first book, but still riveting.

I am a grown woman (who happens to enjoy reading YA books). I have a mortgage and a job in insurance.

I am not into emo boys.

I did not like this book as much as [b:If I Stay|4374400|If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)|Gayle Forman|https:d.gr-assets.com/books/1347462970s/4374400.jpg|4422413].

Hey. Hey!



I haven't finished what I was going to say yet!

A pessimist may try to peg this as a book about a mopey emo boy shuffling around the city bemoaning about his old high school girlfriend.

BUT...
(Yes there is a but)
it isn't.

Gayle Forman does a wonderful job making us root for Mr. Emo Pants Adam instead of telling him to get the heck over Mia. And when Mia enters the scene, we truly love her just as much as we did the first time because she is sweet yet independent. Not that this isn't a book about a boy wandering around the city being mopey, but it's just done so well that it isn't completely pathetic. I liked the male POV that didn't read like dude-lit (although I would wager that dude-lit is a bit more accurate in portraying the "typical" male mind). I loved the idea of this kind of love. I really did wonder what the conclusion would be. Would they stay apart? Would they get back together? I DIDN'T KNOW!!!!

Then you're probably wondering (or most likely probably not):



Here is the thing - it didn't get me quite the way "If I Stay" got me. Maybe a small tear or two but no ugly sobbing. Maybe a "that sucks, dude" feeling but no "I don't know if I can go on with my life" feeling. Maybe a sniffle but no snot cascading down to my upper lip. You get the picture.

Still a great book. Still very well written.
4 Outta 5