The best selling novel If I Stay by Gayle Forman has gotten multiple positive reviews, and it has even been made into a movie. But is the second book in the series a disappointment? Where She Went is the sequel to Gayle Forman’s first novel, and it is told in the perspective of Mia’s past boyfriend, Adam. We first saw Adam as a rocker with big dreams, but in the sequel he is an alcoholic with absolutely no ambition. I realize that he is distraught after Mia leaves him to go to Julliard, but the Adam in the first book seems like a completely different person in the second novel.

Adam’s attitude makes him off-putting to readers, which does not allow them to have a direct connection with the character. It also makes him seem like an antagonist against Mia. This seems unfair because it is meant to be his own story, and he was the one who got left behind. Although the sequel is meant to be Adam’s story, Mia is still the center of attention. Forman made Adam a dull character who doesn’t have much of a development until he sees Mia again. The way Adam’s character becomes solely based off of Mia makes it seem as if all anyone should care about is finding a relationship. “If you’re not in one, you should be like Adam and sulk in your own disappointment” is the message being gained from the novel. Adam should still be able to live out his life as a singer without Mia, especially if Mia can live without him. I would rather see Adam gain new experiences on his journey to stardom rather than see a drunk who shuts the world out because he’s heartbroken. Mia should be a minor character in the sequel, and Forman should have put more focus on Adam’s development because we only got to see him through MIa’s memory in the first novel. 

The novel with a 5.1 ZPD level is worth a measly 8.0 points in an AR quiz, which is not worth the time if you’re going to be reading a simple romance story with little development and shallow perceptions. The story also has a basic structure that most teen books seem to follow these days.