Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.
When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question. I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.
Hardcover, 270 pages
Published January 27th 2015 by Viking Juvenile
Source: Publisher
Three stars: A compelling story, but it suffers from and uninspiring romance, troubling subject matter and unlikable characters.
Cody is flailing. How could Meg, her lifelong best friend, kill herself and leave her alone? Even more troubling was that Cody had no idea that she was struggling and even considering suicide. When Meg’s parents ask Cody to go to Tacoma, Washington and pack up her things, she agrees. Then Cody begins to dig into Meg’s life and the more she learns, the more troubling things become. What drove a girl who seemed to have it all to death?
What I Liked:
- Gayle Forman is one of those authors who always manages to write compelling, emotional and unforgettable stories with realistic and flawed characters. Though this one was a bit of a miss for the uber talented Forman, it still featured outstanding writing and an interesting story.
- This book takes on some dark and disturbing material. It explores suicide and the aftermath for those left behind, but then it steers into the darker area when it steps into the scary and disturbing internet arena. Cody stumbles across Meg’s interactions in a group where users encourage and help each other commit suicide. It was scary to read this, and something I hadn’t even thought of. Even though it wasn’t easy to read, I am glad that I was exposed to this.
- I liked that this book deals with the terrible aftermath of suicide and it chronicles the struggles of every one left behind. Not only is it devastating for close friends and family, it also affects those who barely knew the person. Suicide is such a tough issue and, I thought Ms. Forman handled the subject matter in an informative way.
- Cody’s home life has always been a train wreck. Her mother has never been a mother she could count on, but then something unexpected happens, and Tricia steps up in a big way. I was thrilled and surprised, and I loved the change in the mother daughter relationship. A big bonus!
- As always, the writing is amazing. Ms. Forman has mad writing skills and I love the way she captures emotions. Her writing is superb.
- The book ends on a high note, and I liked that it concluded in a positive way after all the sadness. I truly appreciated the author’s note at the end which is a must read. In the final section, Ms. Forman talks about the real life inspiration for the story, and she also shared vital suicide information such as internet sites for those needing assistance.
And The Not So Much:
- I think the biggest falter with this book for me was that I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I didn’t like Cody, Ben or even Meg. It is hard to feel the whole gamut of emotions when you find yourself not caring about the characters. I wished that Cody was more likable. I get that she was angry over her friend’s death, but she was so negative and nasty all the time.
- I hated the romance, and in fact, I think the book would have been better without it. I didn’t feel like it was realistic the way it suddenly jumped into professions of love after all the bickering and nastiness. It wasn’t your typical Gayle Forman romance, I thought it was a hot mess.
- I was bothered by the the fact there there seemed to be some kind of rift between Cody and Meg, and I got the feeling that Cody was angry at Meg, but I never felt like this was explained. Why were Cody and Meg on the outs? Was it because Cody felt left behind or something more?
I Was Here was a bit of a miss for Ms. Forman. Usually her books are known for emotion and romance and all the feels. This one feel flat for me. It has an unnecessary and unbelievable romance, and characters that are hard to connect with. I was expecting so much more. Still this one has compelling story telling and it explores a troubling topic. I would recommend this as a library check out if you are determined to read it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
