I Was Here

By: Gayle Forman

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

Cody and Meg were inseparable. Two peas in a pod. Until... they weren't anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything - so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg's college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there's a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, and some secrets of his own. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can't open - until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend's death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

©2014 Gayle Forman (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator Jorjeana Marie's wide range of shifting reactions gives a convincing picture of 18-year-old Cody, who learns that her best friend, Meg, has committed suicide.... Marie provides subtle shadings throughout." (AudioFile)

"I Was Here is a pitch-perfect blend of mystery, tragedy, and romance. Gayle Forman has given us an unflinchingly honest portrait of the bravery it takes to live after devastating loss." (Stephen Chbosky, author of the number-one New York Times best-selling The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Part tautly paced mystery, part psychological study of suicide and its aftereffects.... An engrossing and provocative look at the devastating finality of suicide, survivor's guilt, the complicated nature of responsibility and even the role of the Internet in life-and-death decisions." (Kirkus Reviews)

“Forman sifts through Cody’s shifting psychological landscape with a sure and delicate hand, developing a character that readers will recognize themselves in...a relevant book as well as an absorbing one.” (BCCB, starred review)

Great story

This book really hit me hard, but in a good way. I'd recommend to anyone of the ages 15+ this book.

Good story- interesting and witty.

The narrator was great- very good at voices and helping you understand the characters. the story was interesting and an easy listen. I didn't have it all figured out until the end- so it was fun to hear the story unfold. .

Interesting story!

Really like the narrator on this audiobook. The voice she used for different characters were dead on. She made the story that much more enjoyable

Wow what a great book!

Some unexpected and some expected turns in this one but a beautiful story about coming to terms with a loved ones unexpected death. Very well written and narrated.

One of her best books yet

I couldn't stop listening to the book. I loved it. Never knew what was coming.

You should have known

An excellent book. So well written and the plot was carried through the entire read at a good pace. Characters well developed and it was so hard to stop listening to when I got to my destination. Will get more books from this author.

Melancholy

I didn’t dislike the book but I also wouldn’t rave about it. It makes you look into death and suicide in a different light and how it acts as a wave affecting everyone. It was a bit gloomy and a sense of melancholy bled throughout the entire book but it was eye opening. I think on my next read I’ll read something a bit more upbeat though...

Huh

The ending was honestly horrible, I expected way more than what I got but maybe my hopes were too high.

Impact full

A story about true friendship that transcends the boundaries of death.
Leaves you with a sense of peace and acceptance.

Not great but good

There weren't enough twists and turns in this story for me, kind of predictable. But it has potential :-)