I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Audiobook, 7 hours and 42 minutes
Published January 27th, 2015 by Listening Library
Narrated by Jorjeana Marie
Cody goes on a journey to find out what really happened to Meg, and more about who Meg really was. With the help of Ben McAllister, a guitar playing womanizer from Meg’s life, Cody searches for the truth.
This is a story of friendship, loss, forgiveness, and acceptance. Forman takes a difficult topic and tackles it head on. For a while I thought she might take the easy way out, but she doesn’t. This loss hit really hard for Cody, and she doesn’t know how to handle it. First she lashes out, then she looks for someone to blame—and sometimes she blames herself. Forman spins a compelling narrative as Cody comes to terms with Meg’s death.
I loved this book. Jorjeana Marie does a superb job narrating and really adds to the story. And, as always, Gayle Forman’s writing is absolutely beautiful. I loved all the characters, even when they were doing silly things. Forman did a really good and realistic job portraying the progression of grief and the effect suicide has on loved ones.
I loved Cody. She takes everything in stride, searching for answers. She comes from a shaky background, and is insecure about her place in the world—especially apart from Meg. Now, unsure of who Meg really was, she is unsure of who she is. On her journey, she doesn’t shy away from any truth, even when it hurts. There is such a great character arc for Cody in this story. I wanted to both hug her, and high-five her at the end.