Where She Went

“Letting go. Everyone talks about it like it's the easiest thing. Unfurl your fingers one by one until your hand is open.” 

― Gayle Forman, Where She Went

After reading If I Stay, I read the Sequel, Where She Went.  Continuing on Alex and Mia’s love story, but after waking up, Mia decides to go to Julliard and leave Adam. He didn't take that to well. But years later, he got famous with his band, Shooting Stars and got a celebrity girlfriend. Mia and Alex always dream about each other and hope to see each other again and make amends. This story was told in Adam’s perspective and the first book was told in Mia’s perspective. I really enjoyed this book because it taught me a lesson, forgiving is hard, but becoming friends again or getting back together is harder.

               I think Forman portrayed the lesson/theme very well with Adam and Mia’s forgiveness. Even though it took most of the book, it was well worth it. It was very dramatic and descriptive. The drama is what makes the book interesting and romantic.

               I would recommend this book to readers who like romance and are patient. The book goes slow. Also it’s a very “cheesy” romance, but it’s cute. The book is very realistic and gives you a good view of reality for relationships, and people after high school. Overall, a lesson I learned from the entire series is that life throws you challenges, and no matter what you got to stick through and not let it stop you from your goal.

Quotes on the book: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/10706553-where-she-went

If I Stay

“Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.” (Goodreads, If I stay)

Mia has so many choices. She has lots of things in her mind. She can’t have it all. Her choices are hard, but one day all those choices are gone. She (along with her family) was on their way to see her grandparents, and relatives. On the way there, there car swerves and crashes near a ditch. Now all her choices she thought of before were wiped away from this crash. She has one choice now, let go and lose everyone and leave everyone behind, or fight through and wake up from her coma and see her loved ones.

I love this book because the author gives a good message behind the book. She explains how life can change within matters of seconds. One day you might have all the luxuries you could possibly have in the world, seconds later you could be in a life or death situation with nothing like Mia in the story.

           I am only half way through the book and I can already predict that she will get 
better but leave her loved ones behind. She gets a wonderful opportunity to join Julliard, a gifted school for musicians (all-girls school) and she chooses her school over her boyfriend (Adam), and her best friend (Kim). I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Romance because this is a beautiful story of Romance.

Here is the movie trailer! I really loved it and can't wait to watch the movie! Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1L3-ovdBE4

The Watcher

I am currently reading the book The Watcher.  This is a genre I don't normally like to read but I tried to read this because the summary sounded interesting and different.

Every day, a girl sits in the corner and watches the people at the beach. She’s always watching, even when people notice her watching. It was a whole new level of “stalker”. She watches a boy take care of his 2 year old sister, playing at the beach, making sand mermaids. Also she sees a handsome lifeguard with a perfect tan and body. But no matter how closely she watches them, she can’t begin to notice there secrets and perfect facades of their lives aren’t actually true. She sees their outer personality but doesn’t understand their inner emotions. There backgrounds don’t seem as perfect as they do to her.

I really enjoyed what I have read so far in the book. It was intense and emotionally compelling. I have only read half of the book and already think it’s an amazing and suspenseful. This book is different, it gives the perspectives of the girl (the watcher), and the people she watches. They see her watching their every move and soon it begins to impact their lives.

The best thing I have read in this book so far is that the connection between the older brother and his baby sister. Their special relationship is so adorable. The older brother protects her, keeps her safe, and comforts her through their hard times. Like when their parents were going to get divorced, the brother comforted her because she never understood why. I've always wanted an older brother for that exact reason, so that’s how I connect with those characters.

I would suggest this book to people who like to read in different perspectives because it is like that. If you don’t understand it, then you can’t really read it. The book switches back and forth without letting you know. But a helpful way is to read the excerpts from other stories the author puts before a new chapter.

A fan made a book talk about the book: (she doesn't have the best spelling) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoXw1MYj7s8