From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay comes "a heartbreaking novel about coping with loss" (People).
When her best friend, Meg, commits suicide by drinking a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how did she miss the signs of Meg's depression? 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, and some secrets of his own. 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 a pitch-perfect blend of mystery, tragedy, and romance. Gayle Forman has given us an unflinchingly honest portrait of the bravery that it takes to live after devastating loss."
—Stephen Chbosky, author of the #1New York Timesbestselling The Perks of Being a Wallflower
This book is dark. This book starts after Cody finds out her best friend has committed suicide. Cody goes on a journey to find out why Meg took her own life, when she appeared to have it all. As she is searching for answers about Meg, Cody actually re-discovers herself. She has ups and downs and goes to some really dark places, but she grew. In fact, many of the characters in the book experienced a lot of growth: Cody, the Gracias, Ben, even Tricia (which I was actually really happy about). I guess I was able to relate to Cody feeling stuck, and sometimes, we resent those in our lives that we think are not stuck. I also appreciated Forman's approach to the subject (and loved reading about the inspiration). Mental health issues are important to put out in the public forum.
