REVIEW: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

I Was Here by Gayle Forman
GENRE: YA Contemporary
RATING: 3 Stars

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MY THOUGHTS:
I Was Here is a member of the ever growing group of YA fiction novels that tackle with mental illness. However, I Was Here is different to many I have read in the way that it tackles depression and suicide from a friend/loved one of the person who is ill as apposed to being the point of view of the mentally ill person themself. This added an extra dimension to the suicide and depression issue - one which I felt much more connected to as someone who is fortunate enough to have never experienced mental illness myself. It also surfaced some realistic points about how depression isn't always 'visible' to others, even those closest to us, and highlights how everyone has their own struggles - even if you don't know about them

It's been a few years since I've read Gayle Forman's most popular book If I stay and yet I find myself having very similar feelings about this book than I did with If I stay. Gayle Forman's writing style for me is very distinct for a reason I can't quite put my finger on. In a way this is advantageous - there's nothing bad about her writing style and therefore I know I can pick up one of her books with a realistic expectation to enjoy it. However, there were so many parallels and similarities between her books that I found it hard to separate I Was Here as a book on its own rather than another 'Gayle Forman book'. For example, in both novels, there is a potential love interest whom is a musician - well loved by fans but choses the girl who likes him the least. This isn't a trope I hate necessarily but it definitely made it hard to separate out the two plotlines.

I believe that the characters in this book weren't particularly likeable, but they were well built up. The back stories, even for some of the more minor characters were well built which meant that they were more realistic rather than cardboard cut outs. It also made the plot more interesting.

Overall, a very good acccount of suicide and depression from a different view with well developed characters. However, I had issues with separating it out with other Gayle Forman books and felt that there was little substance in terms of plot and action meaning I wasn't hooked or felt at a particular loss when finished with it. I would recommend to readers who enjoy contemporary novels that tackle with mental illness.