Review: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

November 14, 2011

Harcourt Children's Books

Synopsis:
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 Review:
WHEREVER YOU GO is a highly emotional, thought-provoking read that YA readers are sure to enjoy. Even though I had a hard time getting into the story in the beginning, it picks up towards the middle and made me an emotional wreck. WHEREVER YOU GO deals with some very heavy concepts, so be prepared for that going in.

Holly is a little hard to warm up to, but I eventually was able to connect with her. She has so much on her plate, and takes care of her little sister and grandfather with Alzheimers while her mother works long hours. To top it all off, her boyfriend of almost a year died in a terrible car accident. She miraculously survived, but she has to deal with the emotions that resulted from that accident. In WHEREVER YOU GO, Holly is able to heal with the help of Jason, her boyfriend Rob's friend, and find an unexpected love with him.

The scenes from Rob's voice were very sad and depressing. He doesn't understand why he hasn't moved on and must watch his family and Holly attempt to move on with their lives. I felt how much he truly loved Holly and understood his pain. There is also a bit of a mystery surrounding his accident. Neither he nor Holly are exactly sure what happened, and I tried to figure out what happened through the clues that were given.

Jason is a shy and quiet guy whom I instantly connected with. Like Holly, he is still hurting from Rob's death, but he starts to have more intense feelings for Holly. He has always felt something for her, but it isn't until now that he has been able to act upon it. The relationship between him and Holly is slow and sweet. He helps her with her grandfather, and through these interactions, Holly begins to return his feelings. But it is very complicated for Holly since she is still trying to recover from the death of her first boyfriend and love.

WHEREVER YOU GO starts out slow, but it eventually blossoms into an emotional and fascinating story. It ends on the perfect note and leaves you with the closure you have been hoping for since the beginning.

My Rating: