Review: Where She Went by Gayle Foreman (If I Stay #2)

Where She Went resumes the story of Adam and Mia that began in If I Stay. The story is set three years from the ending of the first book, this time told from Adam's perspective. From the looks of things, both he and Mia have turned out to be quite successful musicians, although both have received that recognition quite differently.

Mia has developed into a renowned cellist, setting off an international tour with a concert in Carnegie Hall. Adam has risen to the level of ridiculously famous rock star and is dating a well-known actress/producer that makes regular appearances in the tabloids. Unlike Mia, he has grown weary of the music he is making, the people in his band, and his complete lack of privacy. The recognition and fame both Adam and Mia have received is slightly fantastical for the short amount of time that has passed, but it could happen. It just goes to show that a lot can change in three years.

Like If I Stay, there is a dual time perspective. Though the storyline follows Adam's current life, much of his time is spent reminiscing over the past three years or even from the time before the accident. At times, it feels like attention is retracted from important things, such as Mia's time at Juilliard. Perhaps this is because I am a mediocre musician, but this school and the students that come out of it have always fascinated me. Not only does the story gloss over the three years following Mia's accident, it skips over what I imagine to be a course of very intense and rigorous study. However, it is interesting that both stories follow this format, this division between the present and the past. It strikes me that both books take place after their main event has already occurred. In If I Stay, the accident has already happened. In Where She Went, the revolving factor is Adam and Mia's breakup.

This book is incredibly well written. In fact, I think it is much more fluid than the first one. There are many similarities between the two, but there is a very clear distinction between Mia's voice and Adam's. Adam is quite eloquent about his feelings, both in his narrative and the lyrics he writes for the album Collateral Damage.

I did say in my review of the first book that I do not care for Adam very much. Honestly, despite the enjoyment of reading this, that opinion did not change. Rather than being sympathetic for him, as I know I should have been, I really just wanted to tell him to get over himself and to move on with his life. Really, he spends so much of his time pining over Mia that there is room for little else other than a rapid spiral of self-destruction.

I also dislike the notion of the "one and only.” It just contributes to the idea that it is impossible to get past breakups. The fact that fate brings Mia and Adam back together justifies the three years he has spend holding onto her, justifies his waiting as a rational thing to do. Splitting up with someone you love is always hard, but it is not undoable. Mia and Adam's breakup lacks closure, but sometimes you don't get closure. Sometimes things simply end and you have to move on with your life.

To be fair, Adam tells us that he and Mia never have an official breakup. One day she just stops talking to him. I was a little disappointed in Mia when I read this, as it makes her a much less sympathetic character. Sure, it explains why he is so hung up on it and why he is so desperate to know the “why” of things, but it does not rationalize the aching that goes on for years and years.

Enough of that. The "one and only" spiel is probably just a personal issue I have with this book, one that I need to work past.

 Once again, music plays a very crucial part in this story. Although Adam has come to resent the music along with the other aspects of his life, it is exciting to read about the rekindling of his passion. It is good to see the blame shift from music in general to the music he is currently making. There is a sort of hope unveiled as, towards the end, he realizes that his musical journey is not over; only this chapter is.

It's also great to see a different form of music in this book. It's no longer just Mia's cello playing and Adam's guitar. At the beginning of every chapter, there is an excerpt of one of Adam's songs from his album Collateral Damage. Perhaps even more so than the rest of the story, these lyrics convey the depths of his despair, longing, and betrayal.

To be honest, my first notion about this book was that it is unnecessary. I liked the ending of If I Stay and would have been just fine with things being left that way. However, as the pages progressed, I actually began to enjoy this book. Its resolution wraps up just a little too tidily for my taste, but, despite my earlier complaints, this book is a quick and enjoyable read.