I Was Here by Gayle Forman

I Was Here is a new YA book that will be published Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

 I enjoyed this book, much more than Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went books. The book brings a serious and often overlooked issue on the subject of suicide to light. I can't spell it out because of spoiler alerts. Cody's best friend Meg has committed suicide and planned everything out, right down to the last detail of sending emails in advance to Cody and Meg's parents. Cody saw no warning signs and the suicide came as a complete shock. As she tries to come to grip with extreme grief and guilt for the situation, she also starts to dig and find out what really happened. In the process, she meets Meg's housemates, who are complete strangers to her, but so much more at the end of the book. Cody's no-nonsense, harsh perspective as a narrator is a breath of fresh air to the reader. Forman based this story on a true life story of a girl named Suzy, which she describes in more detail in the end notes. This book is really moving, and although extremely sad, it does bring out some ray of hope at the end. I would highly suggest it for adults and teens. Well done, Gayle.