The following is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.
Gayle Forman’s novel WhereShe Went, {which is a sequel to If I Stay} focuses on a mostly 24 hour period of time, in New York City, when past lovers Mia and Adam’s paths unexpectedly cross. Both broken hearted and feeling like fragments of who they once were, they spend the remainder of their time left in the city (before each embarking on international music tours of their own) dancing around confronting their past together and the lack of closure they have from their relationship’s demise.
Personally I found that I didn’t connect with Adam or Mia at all. Perhaps this is because I never read the book this novel sequels. I found that Forman wrote emotion beautifully well, even if I didn’t identify with, or connect to it. I like the way she wrapped up the broken story of these two characters and I appreciated the way she told the story from Adam’s perspective, with only minimal (and necessary) flashbacks.
The absolute best part of the book is, hands down, how Forman writes music. She composed words on a page, music centric and wrote characters so musical that it carries the book so well and i did love reading that.
My biggest concern was honestly that this is a YA novel. I am finding more and more, when I read YA novels that I wouldn’t recommend them for the average teen girl. This book is no exception. Not only are there references to situations like hooking up with random groupies because of needs, or how it was normal for Adam to see Mia’s face in every girl he climbed on top of. Maybe this will come across as over protective but these aren’t topics that I feel appropriate for any teen girl. Coupling that with the strong emotional content and misery of the characters (one who is very addicted to prescription meds), just strikes me as inappropriate for teenagers. College aged kids, maybe. I can see that. I don’t know. This really just kept striking me, as I read… One thing I did appreciate was how unglamorous the life of a rockstar seemed. This is a good time for young adults to see that message put out there…
Are you musical? Does it make you happy?
Rainy Day in May... 
I haven't read this book, but I agree with your thoughts on some of the YA literature out there. I've also been noticing a trend where teens treat sex very nonchalantly and the imagery (ie: your example of the boy referring to every girl he climbed on top of)to be very offensive. I'm not OK with my own teens thinking that the book teens are normal or healthy or that it's OK to be so promiscuous.