I Was Here

i really loved this book, it had a great twist which i didn't expect but was really smart

I loved the book so much. It's about a girl called Meg who commits suicide and her best friend Cody finds answers to her death. As Cody explores, she wonders - did she really know Meg at all? My favourite character is Cody - she's so brave for venturing out into the open and doing what she did.

This book broke me, and put me back together piece by piece. I would say that, before reading, you really need to check trigger warnings as it talks a lot about mental health issues. This book follows the story of Cody who is grieving her best friend, Meg, who died in a very tragic and sad way. It deals with grief in a very heavy way, and captures the different emotions that occur when grieving very well. However, looking back upon this book now, I feel that the relationship between Body and Ben was possibly wrong. It was necessary for the plot line, but I am doubting if they should have ended up together. But, then again, I suppose everybody deserves love. A rather difficult one I guess.

Gayle Forman - I Was Here

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book, but let's not say it was relaxing - I'd be lying. I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of this book and I really enjoyed the smooth flowing ideas and the emotions that Cody went through. Even though we never met Meg we still got an awesome feel for her personality, being and likes. I also really liked the clever imagery used to describe the "rocket". I really enjoyed following Cody's story just as much as finding out about Meg. I'd say that this book is more pointed towards girls than boys, as it is a powerful love story as well as a mystery.

A great book revolving around loss and friendship, a friendship which remains strong even when the worst happens. Also, includes a love triangle which makes the plot much thicker then it was previously. 288 pages of awesome.

I thought that this was a really good book and found it interesting as if is a topical issue in modern teenagers lives. My favourite character was Ben as he tried so hard to help. I would recommend this book to a friend.

I read this book in just two sittings. As with 'If I Stay' I became very invested in the characters and was eager to find out how things would work out and if Cody would find the answers and peace she needed to move on. Whilst elements of the story some people may find to be predictable I don't find a problem with that - doesn't everyone ultimately want a happy ending?
I did find the ending poignant and as with If I Stay the fact that Gayle Foreman had got the idea from a real event made it even more meaningful.
I would recommend this book and now look forward to reading Gayle's other books - the Just one day series.

A very interesting story. I liked how well she handled the difficult theme of suicide. I loved all the characters, even the dead girl.

Review by Clapton Library’s reading group of “I Was Here” by Gayle Forman:

We enjoyed the book enormously, if enjoyment is the right term for all the grief the reader encounters! We really got into the characters and thought they were well drafted, vivid, entertaining, and believable; from Meg’s family hiding her depression to Tricia’s neglect of her daughter, to then come through for her when it counts. The grooming by All_BS is incredibly creepy, well worded, and the man that emerges at the end very suitable to his online persona; we loved the surprise of his son coming to visit and the discovery of this ordinary (but nonetheless scary) sad, drab, “fake” existence.

We mused on the reasons the author employed characters like Stoner Richard and especially cheery, chirpy Alice – some of us thought that she was a sort of device to move the plot along, as only somebody relentlessly cheerful would care to collect and pass on phone numbers and messages in a situation such as this.

The emotional reactions and the journey Cody goes on feel very real, though, and very well analysed and described. We all thought this would be an excellent book for teenagers, whether they’re dealing with this exact same situation or not.

One thing that almost all of us noticed was the – seemingly – excessive use of the F-word. We wondered if Ms Forman based this on actual observations of teen talk? If so, maybe some of us are just too old for this book then, because we felt slapped in the face by almost each occurrence! But still a very stimulating and well written book.

'If I Stay' was an amazing book but 'I Was Here' was just beyond. When I started reading it I just couldn't put the book down. I would definitely recommend it! - Parris aged 14.

This book definitely split our readers; some liked it and others hated it, although none of them loved it. The main concern was the subject matter with many feeling uncomfortable with the way it was handled in the book, as they couldn’t connect with Cody and her reasons behind her actions, they just didn’t like her and that made a difference to how they felt about the book as a whole.
Another point they raised in the group, was that they still couldn’t fully understand why Meg had ended her own life, what it was that made her so depressed, again this effected their overall feelings about the book.
On a positive note, they did like the fact that the book touched on the internet and how easy it is to get in with the ‘wrong people’ who then have an influence on you, like Meg did with the guy she met online. But on a whole the group did not like this book very much.

A quirky little booked well pitched at young adult readers and their concerns – death, suicide, depression, romance, sex and issues with parents. Secrets unfold as the deceased girl’s story unravels and this story’s focus shifts to Cody her ‘supposed’ best friend. Lots of teen angst nicely resolved and all the loose threads neatly tied up. I stayed up all night to finish it – the ultimate accolade!

1. I was prepared to dislike this book as the target readers were yound adults. However I thoroughly enjoyed the book even thought the content was disturbing, it reflected the current concerns in the media regarding encouraged suicide on web forums.
My overall view of the book was EXCELLENT
I would recommend this book to others, I am a grandmother and it does stress and underline the dangers of inappropriate websites. My grandaughter has read the novelists previous book 'If I Stay' and loved it, needless to say I have passed my copy of this book to her.

2. I don't think that I have read a book about teenage suicide before but I thought that it was well written and dealt sensitively with the subject. Written in the first person as though by the girls' best friend it covered her feelings very sympathetically and showed how easily a young person could be influenced.
My overall view of this book was GOOD
I would recommend the book to others but would point out the subject matter as I do not feel that everyone would want to read about a young girl killing herself.

Book Review – I Was Here
Reviewer – Rebecca Clarke (Youth4U Editorial Team)
Pages: 270*
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: 29/01/2015
Recommended for: Ages 15+
*Please note that this review is based on an uncorrected book proof, so all details may not be correct at the time of publishing.
Overview:
Cody was just a regular girl living her life in a town that no one ever really leaves; that is until her best friend Meg commits suicide and her world starts to unravel. Cody and Meg have been known as the "pod" for most of their lives and were inseparable until Meg moved to Seattle to start college, so why did Cody have no idea what was going on? Why didn't Meg confide in her? However as Cody visits Meg's new home, she discovers that there may have been quite a few things that she didn't know about Meg... But she's determined to find out.
Review:
Well, this year has been a big one for best-selling Young Adult author Gayle Forman, with the cinematic release of her popular novel "If I Stay" hitting cinemas worldwide, and if "I Was Here" is anything to go by, 2015 might well be just as successful.
"I Was Here" has a storyline that has so much going for it. The topic of teenage suicide and those left behind is one that is not dealt with very often in literature, so it brings a refreshing change to the Young Adult market. It is a very import topic which I feel is dealt with very well here, as the book doesn't patronise readers by skirting around the honest truth of the matter. I've always thought that the best way to get important information across is through storytelling, and this book just proves it. But yet it isn't all somber: yes, loss, death and guilt are emotions central to the plot, though they are well balanced with love, friendship and rediscovery.
The chapters are pretty short and the story moves at breakneck speed (or maybe that was just because I was enjoying it so much!), so this is a super quick read, but very impacting nonetheless.
The writing style is fairly simplistic, which is not a bad thing at all: it compliments the tone of the book really well and definitely helps with the superb pacing. It has a first person narrative from Cody's point of view. Another thing to note is the author's sense of awareness of how young people actually speak. Some authors do tend to make us sound very eloquent and sophisticated, but Gayle Forman seems to understand that sometimes that is just not possible in reality.
The characters are very well thought out and portrayed, especially Cody, our main protagonist and narrator. Her struggle to cope with the loss of her best friend and attempts to solve the mysteries of the months surrounding her death are all at once heartbreaking and inspirational. That girl is made of strong stuff, even if she doesn't always see it. I would've liked to have got to know the character Ben McCallister a little more, but generally he is fleshed out very well for a secondary character. Even Meg, who we never actually meet in person, is painted pretty well through Cody's thoughts and memories. Minor characters are also cleverly conceived and given stories of their own.
Finally, the visual aspect of this book. I cannot comment on the copy that I have read as it is a proof copy, but I have since looked it up online and think that the final cover is generally very aesthetically pleasing. It was a clever idea to make the style similar to that of the new "If I Stay" and "Where She Went" covers, though I think it would've been interesting to see something fresh.
Overall, "I Was Here" is a deeply thought-provoking, beautiful read that is guaranteed to take you on a roller coaster of emotions from start to end and conveys the most important message of all: there is always hope.
Plot: 9/10
Pace: 5/5
Writing Style: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Aesthetic Appeal: 3.5/5
My Overall Rating: 26/30 (4.5*)

I Was Here Gayle Forman
Review by Rachel Johnson
This was the first novel by Gayle Forman that I have read and I would recommend it as worth reading. It tells the story of Cody whose best friend commits suicide and her struggle to come to terms with her loss and feelings of guilt of not even realising her friend felt that way. The story has several different elements that are explored through Cody’s relationships with other characters, there’s a romantic element and also an action element as Cody turns detective when she realises there was lots her friend hadn’t been telling her. The story also explores and examines the topic of teen suicide, following Cody dealing with her grief and all the emotions it brings.

The romance between Cody and Ben I found clichéd and a bit obvious to be honest, however I did enjoy the emotional depth of the story around Cody’s grief and different relationships, and how I was drawn in to the relationship between Cody and her mother, and how this develops and changes over the course of the story.

I found the way that teen suicide was examined very sensitive and moving, I liked the way the author acknowledged that at some point almost everyone considers “if I did, how would I do it?” I also liked the way the author highlighted the reality faced by young people in today’s society which is dominated by social media, and shows how easy the gradual progression from a casual thought to a realistic possibility suicide can be for young people. I also felt the author went a ways to highlight the stigma around mental health, as Cody finds out her friend suffered from depression and didn’t tell her. Overall a good read that was thought provoking, moving and emotional at times.

There were some interesting relationships in this book, particularly that between Cody and her mum which really developed. I was fascinated how Cody's feelings about Meg changed as she found out more about her too. The character I liked best though was Scottie, who was so often overlooked. It's the kind of book I loved when I was a teenager - very emotional and moving in parts. - Lucy

There were things I liked and things I didn't like about this book. The story was quite interesting but some of the characters were a bit stereotypical and the theme of two people who initially dislike each other but then fall in love has been done to death - Amanda

Not a book for me I'm afraid, but I don't think it's meant for middle-aged men! The road trip element might have been interesting but it seemed a bit unrealistic in the context of the story and the geography of the USA - George

Too American for my taste - I didn't relate to the story at all - but then I'm not the target audience. Teenagers will probably love it. - Barbara

I thought this was an interesting story that was a cut above the usual teen romance - Pat

So many teen novels today are issue-led, and almost obligated to include a romance, and this one is no different. However, in the right hands it can still be done well. Although the romance in this book is rather run-of-the-mill, the relationship between Cody and her Mother is a delight, and the emotional turmoil of Cody after the death of her best friend well written and quite original. The story can be quite slow at times, and description always takes preference over dialogue and ‘showing’ what happens, but on the whole a decent story from a genuinely good writer – shame the subject is so timeworn.