Have you ever read a book that ended up wrecking you as much as it did the main character? I just read I Was Here by Gayle Forman. Teenagers have so many issues to deal with these days. Sure, every generation of teens has “issues” but now, it just seems that there are more unhealthy and even deadly matters weighing upon such young shoulders.

Meg and Cody, Cody and Meg. It’s been that way since they were little. You never saw one without the other. Meg’s parents practically raised Cody since her mom was a bit of a flake. Then, one day, Meg went somewhere Cody could’t follow, didn’t even know Meg was thinking about. That place leads Cody on a downward spiral trying to figure out what went wrong. How could it have happened? How did she fail her best friend?

The road trip to find answers leads Code to people who knew parts of Meg but no one had all of the pieces. Some Cody picks up on Meg’s computer. Other pieces come from people living on the outskirts of Meg’s life, particularly Ben, a one-night-stand for Meg. Cody makes some dangerous choices as she collects Meg’s pieces but will she ever be able to understand and forgive?

Holy Smokes! This was an intense story from the beginning. The range of emotions Forman takes the reader through in rapid succession leave you feeling like you just rode a roller coaster 3 times in a row, after lunch! If you’re a fan of teen drama akin to John Green’s or Sarah Dessen’s work, this should be your next book.