By Mariah Boisvert | Observer Contributor
I Was Here by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman and published by Penguin Random House LLC is a coming of age novel dealing with the loss of someone who is important to you. I loved this book from beginning to end. It deals with love, loss, friendship, secrets, mystery and forgiveness.
Open chapter one, “I regret to inform you that I have taken my own life. The decision has been a long time coming, and was mine alone to make.” – Megan Luisa Garcia
This book follows 18-year-old Cody Reynolds following her best friend, Meg Garcia’s shocking suicide. As Cody goes out of her way to help the Garcia family, she takes it upon herself to search for answers for why Meg took her own life. While doing this she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying path, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but how she looked at herself.
Forman based this book on an article she wrote about suicide, in which she interviewed friends and family members of young about young women who had taken their lives. The one story about “Suzy Gonzalez” stood out to her the most and gave her the inspiration for this novel.
The audience for this book is geared more towards teenagers and young adults, but anyone who likes a heart touching realistic fiction book should get their hands on this one. It really hits the heart hard.
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