Where She Went

In If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Mia was involved in a tragic car accident that killed both her parents and only brother and left her in a coma that she barely survived. It was a book that really stuck with me, which is unusual because I don't usually remember many details of what I've read for more than a month. When I saw that the author was coming out with a sequel, I quickly added my name to the waiting list.

Where She Went picks up three years later. Living separate lives on different coasts Mia and Adam, her high school boyfriend, have not seen each other since Mia left Oregon just months after the accident. Mia is a successful up-and-coming cellist and Adam is a rock star (the story is told from his point of view). Despite his current success, Adam is not happy and still struggles with the promise he made to Mia while she was in a coma: he would do anything if she stayed, even if it meant letting her go.  Adam is in New York for one night before he heads out on a lengthy European tour and it just happens to be the night that Mia is performing at Carnegie Hall. Adam attends, planning to sneak out, but Mia spots him. They spend the night visiting Mia's favorite parts of the city, and coming to terms with their past.

Sequels can frequently be disappointing for me, but not this one. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. Just like If I Stay, Where She Went is heartbreaking but the ending is satisfying and makes me smile thinking about it.