Did I really give a Gayle Forman book 3 stars? I'm still shocked myself.

I Was Here was heavy. Cody's best friend, Meg, dies by suicide, which sends Cody deeply into the stages of grief. On a quest to put the pieces together, we watch Cody go through each of the stages, from denial to acceptance, sometimes moving fluidly between them.

It gets really heavy when Cody discovers that Meg had visited a suicide support forum and there's one specific person who encouraged her. On the flip side, Cody meets a boy who Meg was close to end they (of course) develop a relationship. There is a strong message of hope wrapped into the fairly realistic story.

Three stars because while the book is heavy, it didn't leave me sobbing or really grasp me. I wouldn't recommend this for teens unless there's an adult ready to talk with them while they're reading.