This year, I have learned a lot about losing friendships and gaining a clear understanding of how the real world works. Having someone to tell your deepest secrets to, a shoulder to cry on or sharing a bond is hard to find and can break when something tragic happens that can never be fixed. 

Gayle Forman has once again filled my heart with a story about two best friends that are torn apart after one of them drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room and dies. 

In “I Was Here” Cody and Meg were inseparable as children, but grew apart after Meg kills herself with no explanation or reason for her actions. Cody was devastated and heartbroken and couldn’t understand how Meg could do such a thing. Was it suicide or murder? 

She is shocked to learn more secrets and information about Meg after cleaning her dorm room and finding Meg’s computer wiped clean. Who could have done this? Maybe it was Ben McAllister, the boy with the guitar and sneer who has some secrets of his own. Suddenly, everything crashes down on Cody and she realizes more things have been happening to Meg than she at first thought and she won’t stop until she finds some answers. 

“I Was Here” is a bold mix of mystery, romance and friendship that all boils down to who killed Meg or who knows the real reason Meg took her life. Suicide is brought up in Gayle Forman’s writing, but is handled with grace that makes readers understand on a personal level.

In this novel, I was shocked with the raw truth and meaning of what friends, family and love would make you do to find the answers. Meg’s past plays a huge role with her not going to college and supporting her family instead. This page-turner was hard to put down, but was worth it to find the missing pieces of the puzzle. 

I would rate the book 4.5 out of 5, because of the wonderful characters that were portrayed and the fighting to unveil the truth that will give Cody closure. Having more details of the girl’s past would have made me more satisfied and made the past and present displayed in the novel more transparent. I would encourage students on campus to read “I Was Here” and enjoy an easy read that will leave you refreshed and pleased.