Wherever You Go [Hardcover]

It's hard to describe how much I loved this book. It's a little fantastical, a little paranormal, a lot emotional, and ridiculously wonderful.

This is the story of a girl whose head is just barely above water. Holly's boyfriend died last fall in a horrific car crash. Her mother is always working. Her sister is in need of constant supervision. Her grandfather joins their family when his Alzheimer's gets so bad that he can't be left alone. She has one friend at school and it seems like everyone else hates her. She has feelings for her dead boyfriend's best friend. It just can't get worse.

Her family is charming and wonderful, even when you want to scream at them in frustration. Her mother is just trying to keep her family afloat, even if it means working several jobs and spending little to no time at home. Her little sister has a good heart and is very lucky to have Holly there for a great role model. Her grandfather sinks farther and farther into the disease, descending where no one - except the ghost of Holly's boyfriend, Rob - can communicate with him. They're well-written and very realistic.

The teenagers in this book are also well done. You hate some of them, you can't help but love some of them, especially Jason, who can only be described as head-over-heels in love with Holly. He's so sweet, and despite the huge difference in their lifestyles, you definitely have to root for Holly and Jason to get together.

The ghost element was interesting. I admit that I was a little worried about this part, but Heather definitely pulled it off. It was subtle enough that you didn't feel like it was an overwhelmingly paranormal novel. In fact, Rob's parts were some of the most emotional in the book. To be a ghost, looking from the outside into the life that you used to live - it would be a truly terrible, painful thing.

And speaking of emotions: do not read this book unless you intend on being put through the emotional ringer. I cried buckets at several different times - and I am definitely not usually a crier. It takes a lot for me to tear up, but this book definitely got to me. Maybe it was the Holly's feeling of despair and utter hopelessness, Jason's sheer frustration that things couldn't go the way they should, Aldo's descent into a place where communication was no longer an option, or Rob's anger at being stuck in a place where no one but Aldo can see him - but he can see everything, including the things he doesn't want to see. It was very reminiscent of Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti.

I was very impressed with the writing style. When I realized that three characters narrated - in three different types of speech - I worried. Holly's passages are written in first person past, Jason's in third person past, and Rob's in second person present. This is truly unique, but adds a unique and wonderful element to the story. Surprisingly enough, they flow from one to the next without disturbing the story whatsoever.

This was my first novel by Heather Davis and I'm thrilled. It was wonderful and I look forward to many more. I was definitely encouraged to seek out her previous novels.

I found "Wherever You Go" a tough read. Holly is seventeen, her boyfriend has died in a car accident, and her world is coming apart at the seams. She's supposed to be in therapy, to deal with Rob's death, but her mother still relies on her to watch her younger sister, cook dinner and keep the household running smoothly. Holly's grandfather is suffering from dementia, and as he can no longer take care of himself, her mother decides that Grandpa will move in with them, and that adds yet another responsibility to Holly's daily workload.

Holly is being watched over by her dead boyfriend, who is jealous of his best friend Jason's burgeoning interest in 'his' girl. As Jason and Holly grow closer, Rob has to rethink his life and his actions, and wonders if things would be different if he could talk to those he left behind. This is not your standard 'ghost boyfriend' type book, since Rob cannot communicate with the living, at least not initially (and to say more would probably be considered a spoiler).

What made the book so difficult for me to read was Holly's situation. She acts as a parent to her sister, she is the 'wife' to her mother (cooking, cleaning, shopping), she is the caretaker for her grandfather, and she is overwhelmed. The sad part is that this is not an unusual situation in today's society. "Wherever You Go" works on many levels-it's a comment on teens having to grow up too fast, taking responsibility for one's actions, the problems caretakers face, and the necessity of asking for help when you are overwhelmed.

Wherever You Go was supposed to be a heartfelt and sweet book about love lost, love gained, and emotional turmoil. It indeed had all of that, but at times it was drawn out and dull.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The first half of it is so slowly paced that I could have read an entire other book while waiting for something interesting to happen. Once I was about halfway through the story though, it did start to pick up and start to capture my interest. Another thing that I didn't like about the book was the swapped point of views from three different people involved with no heading to the switch. Most books that are told from different points of view have a chapter header at least telling which characters head we are in. This one just used little symbols and I had to keep back tracking in the story to figure out whose head I was in.

The saving grace of this book is definitely Holly's Grandfather. He added the soft and caring touch that this book needed. He is also the only one who can see Holly's dead boyfriends ghost, Rob. He made the story heartbreaking and touching at the same time.

Would I read this story again? Probably not. Would other readers enjoy the book? Probably. This is one of those books that you just have to read for yourself to know if it was a great read or just a mediocre read.