if i stay. where she went.

I am hesitant to say that I liked these two books. Let me explain.

If I Stay:
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Remember my review of The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud? This book left me feeling about the same. I liked the story. Despite my personal beliefs, I understood the idea that some have about what happens when we die and whether or not we have a choice to leave this earthly life or not. Mia's entire family is killed in a car accident, leaving only her in a state of "in-between" to decide whether there is any life left to go back to. What I loved about the book was all the flashbacks Mia had while she was unconscious. Insight into her childhood, the relationships she had with her family, boyfriend, and best friend as they formed, and the lessons she learned throughout her life that made her who she was and helped her to make the ultimate choice.
I dont know. It was gripping and at times, beautiful. But it lacked a certain something. And I can't put my finger on it. Also, a word of caution: the characters use the F-word casually in this book.

Don't continue reading if you don't want the ending of book one spoiled :)

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Where She Went:
It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future–and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

I knew what was going to happen in this book from the very beginning. Told from Adam (Mia's boyfriend)'s point of view, this is the story of what has happened since the accident and how their lives have changed. Very typical and very predictable in my opinion. Adam is a rock and roll star, so his language is colorful and he is an angry, unhappy young man. Kind of depressing. The ending is good, of course, but like I said, predictable.

Not a series I think I will ever revisit, but they were good.