I Was Here

by Gayle Forman

[Kelly]

4.5 Stars.
http://www.divabooknerd.com/2014/12/i-was-here-by-gayle-forman.html
Once again, Gayle Forman has created yet another heartfelt and emotional contemporary that readers can immerse themselves in. Cody is a small town girl who has just lost her one and only friend. Since Meg moved away to collage, the distance between the two friends has becoming increasingly obvious, until Meg takes her own life and in her grief stricken guilt, Cody needs to know why. Her grief is palpable, her guilt heartbreaking and with the discovery of an encrypted file on Meg's computer, Cody is about to discover why Meg ended it all.

Her search leads to the charismatic Ben, a one night stand that may have ended Meg's life. But it seems Ben is just as touched by grief as Cody, and together they form a tentative partnership to uncover Meg's last steps and finding solace in the process. Although I couldn't personally connect to either Cody or Ben, their romance seemed genuine despite the circumstances in which they've united. Meg's computer is the center of the storyline, holding her secrets and thoughts. The storyline also touches on not only suicide, the grief of those left behind but also the moral dilemma between shared grief and what may be the beginning of a romantic relationship. Personally, after losing someone that is seemingly the center of your world and that person also shared an intimate connection with your prospective love interest? No. Just no. But in the interest of a fictional storyline, it wavered between fascinating and touching.

I adore the dramatics of Gayle Forman's simplistic, yet beautiful style of writing that draws you into the pages. Her heartbreaking storylines always offer hope, and she never fails to mend your heart with her bittersweet conclusions. She's one of my favourite young adult contemporary authors, and I Was Here has only cemented my love for her written words.