Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 270
Year Published: 2015
Publisher: Speak
First Line: "The day after Meg died, I received this letter:"
"It's like she was my sun, and then my sun went out...
When her charismatic best friend, Meg, drinks a bottle of industrial strength cleaner alone in a motel room, a piece of Cody dies, too. Meg was everything to her. How could Cody not know? Determined to find out what really happened. Cody begins a dangerous search to the shadowy fringes of Meg's life where she discovers some unsettling truths about friendship, secrets, forgiveness and love."
My Rating: 4/5
I'm having trouble deciding what to rate this book as I felt so many things throughout reading it. During the first half of the book I found it full of mystery and wondering. I felt along with Cody as she sifted through a life she really didn't know anything about. I was curious about how it happened and more so the why. I have a family history of mental illness and until I was an adult I didn't realise that that's what mental illness looks like. This story is more than sad, it's more than heartbreaking. It's a realisation that sometimes we just get blindsided. We don't know what's going on with everyone around us. It's so easy to get caught up in ourselves and what we need. It's interesting to see it through someone else's eyes and discovers as they discover.
I would warn anyone looking into this book it has a suicidal triggers and I would suggest it for 16 plus.
Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny
So this book was something that I had trouble rating as it was so filled with emotions and wasn't sure about how I felt with it. I was unsure about my feeling toward the theme of depression, as well as how the characters affected me throughout the story. For anyone who hasn't read this book this book has suicidal triggers.
It follow the story of Cody, who in a way feels left behind by her best friend Meg who commits suicide. Cody has no idea how Meg could do this, because they haven't spoken for a few months. As Cody is at home cleaning house and feeling like she's stuck in a rut, Meg was in college meeting new people and having a completely different experience.
The setting was interesting to me because I also live in a small town and I understand small town stigma. If you see the same people everywhere you want to keep your secrets to yourself. It's useful but also horrible and I think that Gayle Forman really captures this.
I also would like to note that not everyone's suicide is evident and if you need someone to talk to there is no shame in going to a doctor. Mental illness is an illness no different than heart disease or diabetes.
Characters:
Meg: So Meg is a character we only get to interact with after she's parted. We learn about her life through investigation and by what people around the main character are saying. I was interested in how she chose to end her life and was hoping that someone else was involved so I wouldn't have to ask the hard questions such as Why? What happened?
Cody: I feel how she might feel about getting left behind. It must have been hard not to be angry with Meg and with herself for not realising. And then to finally let Ben in that must have been difficult. I also think that it was interesting to see her trying not to fall for Ben and then moving into him as they connect over Meg. I won't lie that I was angry with her for going after Ben, but I also understood it. I hope that with time she learns to live her best life.
Alice: She's so chipper and I do think that her and Meg and Cody would have made better friends over time. I was interested in how much she knew about Meg, but sadly she hardly knew her at all.
Ben: I think that he has a bad track record. I don't think that he'll change his spots, but one can dream. I don't know maybe I'm just too old for this girl falling for the bad boy shit. It just made me angry. But learning about his dad and watching him support Cody was heartwarming. I am intrigued about how that turns out though.
The Garcias: Tell your kids friends about their mental illness. They need to know. They shared so much with Cody that I was surprised that they didn't share this important part of life.
Trisha: She kinda comes full circle in the end which makes me happy. But it's sad that it took so long.
Final Line: "Megan Luise Garcias: I WAS HERE"
Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny
