Wherever You Go
Author: Heather Davis
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
Publication Date: Nov. 14, 2011
Pages: 320
Source: E-galley requested from netgalley
About the Book: Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?
As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?
Told from the perspectives of Holly, Jason, and Rob,Wherever You Gois is a poignant story about making peace with the past, opening your heart to love, and finding the courage to move forward into the light.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this one. It has multiple narrators which is something I love! But more than that, it’s a beautiful story. The author did a wonderful job of capturing the longing and confusion of growing up. I didn’t go through even a fraction of what Holly has to deal with but I could still relate.
Holly has so much on her plate. Due to her mom’s work schedule Holly spends much of her time taking care of her sister. When her grandfather who has Alzheimer’s moves in Holly’s life gets even more stressful. Add to that the regular high school woes and the fact that she is still dealing with the death of her first love and I’m amazed that she can even get out of bed in the morning. She is very courageous character. I spent most of the book mentally encouraging her to hold on.
Another part of the story that I really loved was the families. There was a variety of different families shown. Some were coming together. Some were falling apart. Some were struggling to make ends meet and some were wealthy. None of them were perfect. I appreciated this. It was very authentic and added so much depth to the characters and their story. Rob’s ghost accomplished this as well. His struggles in life and coming to terms with his death brought another layaer to the story.
This book broke my heart in so many little ways but in the end I was left with hope.
Sidenote: Is it just me or does the girl on the cover look a bit like Kristen Stewart from Twilight?
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