lazygal's review
4.0
So very close to perfect for me! First, the great. Cody's voice, Scottie (all of him, what little we see), and the question of the culpability of All_BS in Meg's death. I've even mentioned that aspect to the ethics teacher at school. The idea that Cody cannot understand, or accept, Meg's suicide is powerful and completely reasonable for someone of her age and experience, as is the guilt she feels about not having been as close with Meg as she used to be when they were in school together. The problem for me was twofold: Cody's seeming passive acceptance of her life was a problem, and the way in which she went about her investigation just felt slightly contrived. Still, I know that this will be a Great Next Read for Forman's many fans.
justineduhart's review
4.0
I enjoyed the story but there's something that I seem to find missing in Gayle Forman's more recent books: it's genuine emotion. I still think she writes beautifully but something feels a bit off. It's the author's note & the acknowledgments that actually made me tear up a bit. The characters have also lost something along the way, even though I did connect with them. Anyway, I was a lot more engrossed into I was here than I was into Just One Year and I'm glad about that.
meganmaurice's review
1.0
I’m not really sure why I made it to the end of this book, I think I was hoping the end would redeem it. Overall it was just maudlin and the author showed a wild misunderstanding of depression and suicidal ideation.
baearthur's review
3.0
Teen mush, but decently written. May contain triggers for those with a history of self-harm.
suzannedix's review
3.0
Nineteen year old Cody is floundering. Spinning her wheels in a small town, cleaning houses and going to community college was the exact opposite of the dream she had for herself. She and best friend Meg were going to graduate high school, move to Seattle, go to college and live together. That was the dream until Meg committed suicide and Cody is left questioning everything she thought she knew about Meg and their friendship. Meg’s last few months were mysteriously silent and Cody can’t help but dig around for clues as to where it all went so tragically wrong. While looking through Meg’s laptop, Cody uncovers some encrypted files that reference The Final Solution, an online “support” group for those considering suicide. Cody embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse, trying to flesh out just who gave Meg the proverbial push to end her life. Cody is so single minded about casting blame to someone other than Meg that she can’t see other more significant signs like the fact that Meg was suffering from severe depression or that Cody is putting herself in danger when she confronts in person one of the Final Solution’s members. The first third of the novel is gripping and emotional but then the threads all come apart. Cody at times is so reckless that the reader will struggle to find the story realistic. Add in a new romance and the sudden bonding of Cody and her standoffish mother and you just don’t know where this story was meant to end up. Narrator Jorjeana Marie uses a monotone voice for Cody which demonstrates the depths of Cody’s sorrow and inertia. While the technique is important to setting the tone of Cody’s outlook, it grows wearisome to listen to for seven discs. The author’s note at the end of the book shares that the inspiration for the novel is based on a true event and offers many websites and phone numbers for those suffering from depression or considering suicide. Even fans of Gayle Forman will find this gritty story a hard sell.
gothiccauntie's review
2.0
I am so conflicted about how I feel about this book.
On one hand, suicide is a very difficult topic to cover, especially through teen lit, because of the urge to shelter while still making it informative and relate-able. You don't want to be accused of "giving kids ideas," after all, but they're 15-18 years old and they're going to call you on your bullshit. In that regard, Gayle Forman as always did not disappoint. She is straightforward and as honest as a fiction writer can be. Her characters are young and impressionable and stubborn and sometimes a little selfish as not only teens are, but as humans are. They make mistakes. They trust the wrong people. They get angry and jealous and take it out on those who love them most, never thinking they'd live to regret it. This is Cody.
I am, however, a bit disappointed in terms of the writing. I think my primary problem comes from all the OTHER characters. Meg appears, for most of the book, as a bit of a "Mary-Sue" due to the lens we see her through. As Cody comes to understand that her best friend and her heroine were riddled with flaws, as all humans are, we begin to see those flaws too. We see Meg's recklessness, her determination to be "different" even if it means destroying herself, alongside with her meticulous planning and oozing charisma. But Ben? I didn't see Ben's charisma. I'm not sure when a snarl or a growl is charming. I don't understand why his past and the "It's not like that" and "It never got to that point" drops were ever actually explained so that, hi Cody, you're a judgmental little jerk acting on stereotypes and your desire to be angry. I don't understand when she went from thinking Richard wanted her super gone to being friends. I don't understand what's going on with Ben and Richard, or why Tree was a character at all, or why Harry could never be in the same room for long. It would have been nice to see him maybe showing her the tricks, or maybe seeing what she was getting into and portraying more of a reaction than our "Don't do this at home, kids" warning for the audience. I wish that Cody and Tricia weren't the only dynamic characters.
I feel that I must admit my contempt for the road trip trope. Road trip stories are generally only interesting to those who were on them. Ultimately, this road trip accomplished little besides pushing the door open for an honest conversation (finally) that would allow Cody & co. to grieve in a proper, healthy manner (also, finally). I think that my redeeming point from this book was that the road trip, with all its mostly-good intentions, was ultimately a failure that led to greater insight. Because too often lately in this genre, kids (and young adults) are the only ones who Know What's Up. And for once, the parents were in. The parents weren't totally oblivious, but they were overlooked because "How could you know if I, the best friend, didn't know?" Everyone was hiding from everyone else, partly to protect each other and partly to protect their own egos, and ultimately led to a lot of crossed wires and situations that shouldn't have happened but did. And isn't that how life is? How often do we act, thinking we know all the information, just to find out later... there's more?
I also greatly appreciated the author's note at the end. Responsible, informative "tough stuff" lit at it's finest. I want to copy it and stick it into every book that so much as alludes to suicide so that young teens and adults know where to turn when they have a question or a problem.
On one hand, suicide is a very difficult topic to cover, especially through teen lit, because of the urge to shelter while still making it informative and relate-able. You don't want to be accused of "giving kids ideas," after all, but they're 15-18 years old and they're going to call you on your bullshit. In that regard, Gayle Forman as always did not disappoint. She is straightforward and as honest as a fiction writer can be. Her characters are young and impressionable and stubborn and sometimes a little selfish as not only teens are, but as humans are. They make mistakes. They trust the wrong people. They get angry and jealous and take it out on those who love them most, never thinking they'd live to regret it. This is Cody.
I am, however, a bit disappointed in terms of the writing. I think my primary problem comes from all the OTHER characters. Meg appears, for most of the book, as a bit of a "Mary-Sue" due to the lens we see her through. As Cody comes to understand that her best friend and her heroine were riddled with flaws, as all humans are, we begin to see those flaws too. We see Meg's recklessness, her determination to be "different" even if it means destroying herself, alongside with her meticulous planning and oozing charisma. But Ben? I didn't see Ben's charisma. I'm not sure when a snarl or a growl is charming. I don't understand why his past and the "It's not like that" and "It never got to that point" drops were ever actually explained so that, hi Cody, you're a judgmental little jerk acting on stereotypes and your desire to be angry. I don't understand when she went from thinking Richard wanted her super gone to being friends. I don't understand what's going on with Ben and Richard, or why Tree was a character at all, or why Harry could never be in the same room for long. It would have been nice to see him maybe showing her the tricks, or maybe seeing what she was getting into and portraying more of a reaction than our "Don't do this at home, kids" warning for the audience. I wish that Cody and Tricia weren't the only dynamic characters.
I feel that I must admit my contempt for the road trip trope. Road trip stories are generally only interesting to those who were on them. Ultimately, this road trip accomplished little besides pushing the door open for an honest conversation (finally) that would allow Cody & co. to grieve in a proper, healthy manner (also, finally). I think that my redeeming point from this book was that the road trip, with all its mostly-good intentions, was ultimately a failure that led to greater insight. Because too often lately in this genre, kids (and young adults) are the only ones who Know What's Up. And for once, the parents were in. The parents weren't totally oblivious, but they were overlooked because "How could you know if I, the best friend, didn't know?" Everyone was hiding from everyone else, partly to protect each other and partly to protect their own egos, and ultimately led to a lot of crossed wires and situations that shouldn't have happened but did. And isn't that how life is? How often do we act, thinking we know all the information, just to find out later... there's more?
I also greatly appreciated the author's note at the end. Responsible, informative "tough stuff" lit at it's finest. I want to copy it and stick it into every book that so much as alludes to suicide so that young teens and adults know where to turn when they have a question or a problem.
vanessa_issa's review
3.0
I liked the story, but I didn't love it. It's very sweet and interesting, but for some reason I couldn't feel Cody's pain. I didn't share her feelings. It's not as emotional as I thought it would be.
I really like Gayle Forman's writing style and I hope these characters can bring some kind of hope and comfort to those who went through something similar with their loved ones, or even considered putting an end to their lives. Luckly, that's not my case, so maybe that's why it didn't speak to me.
I really like Gayle Forman's writing style and I hope these characters can bring some kind of hope and comfort to those who went through something similar with their loved ones, or even considered putting an end to their lives. Luckly, that's not my case, so maybe that's why it didn't speak to me.
liralen's review
3.0
Liked it well enough—Forman's certainly capable of pulling it off—but it also felt a little...done? Not really up to par with [b:If I Stay|4374400|If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)|Gayle Forman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347462970s/4374400.jpg|4422413] or [b:Just One Day|12842115|Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)|Gayle Forman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348674290s/12842115.jpg|17992862] or even [b:Sisters in Sanity|534258|Sisters in Sanity|Gayle Forman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421028339s/534258.jpg|521766]. It's a good book, but it also reads a lot more typical YA than it could. Impractical love story, plot that mostly boils down to one thing, Big Reveal at the end. Not that I think this is the track Forman's going down, but I Was Here reminds me a little of the way Sarah Dessen's books have evolved—the earlier books were much more individual, but over time they've settled into a (kind of repetitive) one-big-issue-per-book, boy-meets-girl kind of formula.
Deffo some excellent things about the book (e.g., Cody's self-questioning, her trying to understand what Meg felt without the book taking it too far; the complicated relationship between Cody and her mother), but didn't really stand out to me in the sea of YA.
Deffo some excellent things about the book (e.g., Cody's self-questioning, her trying to understand what Meg felt without the book taking it too far; the complicated relationship between Cody and her mother), but didn't really stand out to me in the sea of YA.
analovesboo's review
5.0
I'd feel bad if I didn't give this book 5 stars. Read it in under 24 hours as every book I've read by the amazing Gayle Forman. Fell in love with Cody (and with Stoner Richard, to be honest). Really easy read and light-hearted book.
BUT
this was not a 5 star book. Personally, I think it's a 4.5 but, unfortunately, I can't give it that score and 4 stars was way too little for this book... So 5 stars it is!
Loved most of the story but the ending with Ben... It just didn't feel right.
BUT
this was not a 5 star book. Personally, I think it's a 4.5 but, unfortunately, I can't give it that score and 4 stars was way too little for this book... So 5 stars it is!
Loved most of the story but the ending with Ben... It just didn't feel right.
Spoiler
(Only talking about the very ending, when he goes to her house. The sex scene was breathtaking though.)clarynathanwill's review
5.0
Oh gosh. Gayle Forman why do you make me cry all the time?
This is her best work so far. She just keeps getting better and better.
This book is heavy so don't go into it looks for some lighthearted contemporary.
Aspects I loved: I loved all the characters, and the purpose for each one of them. I loved the way the romance was incorporated and just all the relationships in general. I even liked the slight mystery aspect I Was Here has to it.
Definitely recommend if you want a dark deep meaningful contemporary.
This is her best work so far. She just keeps getting better and better.
This book is heavy so don't go into it looks for some lighthearted contemporary.
Aspects I loved: I loved all the characters, and the purpose for each one of them. I loved the way the romance was incorporated and just all the relationships in general. I even liked the slight mystery aspect I Was Here has to it.
Definitely recommend if you want a dark deep meaningful contemporary.