4.5 stars.
My Initial Reaction...
I enjoyed Where She Went even more than If I Stay! The change in POV worked really well - even though it surprised me - and I ended up thankful for it.
Note: This review could spoil If I Stay for you if you haven't read it.
The Narration...
With the change of POV they changed the narrator - which made sense since our voice is now Adam. Dan Bittner died a really good job and somehow it didn't bother me at all having new voices for the characters. The music integrated into Where She Went didn't work quite as well as If I Stay, but it still never felt awkward or dumb.
The Good...
Where If I Stay felt like a story about family and incredible loss, Where She Went was about picking up the pieces - and what I loved is that it focuses on Adam, rather than Mia.
There's a line in Where She Went that I can't quote verbatim, but it's about how loss is a competition in a way - and Mia won (in that she lost the most), because it was her family. But Adam felt the loss too and, as the loser, he had to pick up the pieces on his own. So I loved this angle and the decision to change perspectives.
I also liked the decision to move forward in time a few years. It made the emotion about Adam and Mia as a couple work better than if we were just after the accident, where the loss of her parents and little brother would have been the dominant emotions. Now, Mia's life has moved forward and while that loss still matters (always will), their relationship and emotions about that loss/potential is what's at the fore.
The Bad...
I was just a wee-bit frustrated with the beating around the bush. When there's an elephant in the room, just how long can you ignore it? Mia and Adam definitely pushed that time limit. Not enough to make me bored, but enough to make me yell at them a bit!
Concluding Sentiments...
I really recommended reading/listening to these two stories - If I Stay and Where She Went are very quick reads and yet both carry quite the emotional kick!