Where She Went by Gayle Forman

          Recently I have finished reading the book Where She Went. It is the sequel to If I Stay. The first book is about a cellist named Mia Hall whose family is in a serious car accident. After Mia and her parents and brother are rushed to the hospital, Mia has an out-of-body experience. During this time she learns that the rest of her family had died, and now it's up to her whether she lives or dies. At the urging of her boyfriend, Adam, she ultimately chooses to live, and now the sequel is about "where she went".

          Where She Went mainly centers around Adam. His band is extremely popular, and it is revealed that Mia went to Julliard to study music. I think that this change in perspective is a nice addition to keep the story interesting. Book one let us see Mia's point of view, while book two lets us see Adam's.

          It is revealed early on, that Mia and Adam had broken up. This was a huge shock to me since it definitely wasn't what I predicted. Adam is still devastated, and doesn't find happiness in music anymore. Similar to If I Stay, the story is told through present times, as well as important flashbacks. In fact, most of the plot occurs in the past. This help the story flow better, since with each flashback the reader gets closer and closer to understanding why the characters are in their current situation.

          I won't spoil anything else in this post, so I might as well finish up with my thoughts on the book.

          Overall, Where She Went was fun to read. It was a little too predictable, and parts of it dragged on, but it ends in a way that gives the reader closure (even though it was realllyyy predictable). Forman's writing style is very unique, since there are two different plot lines, one in the past and one in the present. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants something light to read (given that they've read If I Stay).

          Here's the trailer for If I Stay:

Paper Towns by John Green #2

          I have recently finished Paper Towns by John Green. After where I left off, the story had an unexpected surprise: Margo went missing. Quentin explains how it wasn't unusual for Margo to disappear for a few days at a time, but this time it seemed to be different. Her parents had enough. In fact, the Spiegelmans went as far as to change the locks at their house. They've effectively disowned their daughter. The detective even explained how since Margo was now over 18, it was her choice whether she wanted to return.

          Quentin believes that Margo wanted him to find her. He thinks that she left behind clues for him. So, with the help of his friends Ben and Radar (and Ben's new girlfriend Lacey, who happens to be one of Margo's best friends), Q sets off to find Margo.

          The story takes a turn for the worse when Q begins to recall some of the last things Margo told him. He remembers one specific line:

“I can hear Margo that night as we drove around Orlando. I can hear her saying to me, 'I don’t want some kids to find me swarmed with flies on a Saturday morning in Jefferson Park.' Not wanting to be found by some kids in Jefferson Park isn’t the same thing as not wanting to die.”

- John Green (Paper Towns, 121)

          This is the point where Quentin begins to truly wonder whether he really knew Margo. He idolized her and saw her as something almost unattainable, but as all he ever wanted. Q came to the conclusion that Margo may very well be dead, and all of her clues were simply a twisted suicide note.

  

          The crew's detective work leads them to a car ride from Florida to New York. They expect Margo to be there living in Agloe, which was quite literally a paper town. Not a real town; It was only created by the map making company to prevent copyright violations. 

          Sure enough, Margo was in New York. Her friends had ditched their own graduation in order to bring her back, and yet she refuses them. She explains how this is what she wanted for herself, and how her mysterious disappearance was her only chance at leaving without being dragged back. After they all calm down, Margo and Quentin admit their feelings for each other, and then the gang returns to Orlando—without Margo, that is. 

          There was quite a lot of character development within Quentin, but not so much in Margo. Quentin is a dynamic character, while Margo is rather static. Quentin is also round, while Margo is essentially flat. She starts off mysterious, and ends up as even more of a mystery. In more than one way, Margo is a foil to Quentin. She's outgoing and mysterious, while Quentin is more reclusive and straightforward. But while Margo is still never explained, we have access to Q's thoughts, since he's narrating. 

          Quentin starts off having his own perception about everyone. He expects everyone to stay in character. He expects this out of Margo, as well as his best friends Radar and Ben. The problem with that is that his expectations are never who the person really is. As Quentin realizes this, he learns to accept different personalities. Ben will always be out of control, but Q can't change him. Margo will also remain lost and free, yet troubled by herself, and there's nothing Q can do about it. He used to expect people to not be themselves, but by the end of the book he sees people for who they truly are. 

          Overall, I really enjoyed Paper Towns. It was a quick read that had some very interesting characters. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to seeing the movie.