I Was Here

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman

First Published: January 27th, 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 270

My Copy: Physical, paperback

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod. 
Until . . . they weren’t anymore. 

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

Like all of Gayle Forman's books, this one definitely brings tears to my eyes as I read it. Cody's best friend Meg has chosen to end her life and Cody is left with all the pieces, trying to figure out why. From speaking to all her friends to combing through her emails, Cody figures out bit by bit what brought Meg onto this path.

This was a strong book dealing with depression and suicide. There was also the mystery behind Meg's correspondence, All_BS, and how he played a role in her death. I really liked reading about their conversations, and how Cody slipped into Meg's shoes to fish out All_BS. It was really sad to find out how much he had an effect on Meg, especially in her vulnerable state.

I felt really bad for Cody. She thought she was best friends with Meg, but it turns out that she didn't know anything about her at all. Her guilt fuels her need to figure out what happened.

There was something I didn't really understand nor particularly liked. Firstly, Cody started off hating Ben for what happened to Meg and how she thought he caused her to commit suicide. Then, they slowly became friends. How did that even happen? In the end, they were in a romantic relationship. Woah! Slow down! There was no chemistry, no nothing between the two. This book wasn't even meant to be about romance. Sometimes, I think that if it isn't necessary for a romantic relationship to appear, then it shouldn't.

But ignoring that fact, this was a good book that makes you think if you really know a person. Because even if you think you know them, they'll surprise you one day.

My Chosen Quote:

“Sometimes we meet people and are so symbiotic with them, it’s as if we are one person, with one mind, one destiny”