REVIEW: I Was Here

What a weekend!  It started with the MOST BEAUTIFUL wedding of some friends of ours.  Beautiful because of the decorations, sure, but mostly because of the bride and groom.  We love these two and consider them such close friends.  Can't wait to hang out now as married friends!  (I cried through their ceremony's procession. I didn't even cry at my own wedding!

And then the weekend took a crazy dramatic turn...I think I got some poison ivy on my chin that spread over my entire face Sunday morning.  We're talking one eye practically puffed up so much that it wanted to close, major itching...bleh.  Thank goodness for MedChecks open on weekends!

Today I'm reviewing I Was Here by Gayle Forman.  I LOVE Gayle Forman--her books If I Stay and Just One Day are some of my favorite romance/realistic books.  I become so drawn into her characters and story lines.  So let's jump into this one!

• Standalone novel
• Realistic fiction

The Gist:

Cody and Meg were best friends; in fact, Meg's family practically helped raise Cody.  So when Meg commits suicide during her freshman year of college, Cody is shocked and devastated.  When Cody goes to Meg's college house to collect her things, she learns that Meg was hiding a lot...and that someone may have helped her with her death.

What I Loved:

• The characters.  Like I said, I love Gayle Forman's characters, and these characters are so real.  I can picture them all--relationships aren't perfect and people often show their true colors.  And those features are definitely a part of this book.
• Bradford especially was SO real.  His scene may not have had a climactic ending, but I can totally see him as a real person.
• This book is a true look at grief, especially an unexpected death.  Well-done in portraying the characters' various reactions.
• Cody's eventual revelation of her mother, Tricia, was nicely done.

What I Didn't Love:

• In one scene, Cody fearfully asks permission from a homeowner to use their WiFi while cleaning their home, and the homeowner seems a little disturbed by it.  I don't find this too realistic--no one really cares if you use their WiFi, even if you're "at work."

My favorite quote:

"Alice..returns with a cup of coffee for me, which she announces is free-range and fair-trade and shade-farmed in Malawi, and I nod along as if my coffee needs to go beyond hot and caffeinated."

I just loved this book--yes, it's about suicide and grief but it was so well-written that I found myself reading it so quickly.  An easy five stars for me!

An outfit based on Cody coming up!