Wherever You Go

by Heather Davis

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 Go is 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.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Ghosts, Contemporary, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Heather Davis is the author of A Curse So Dark, the first book of the new Young Adult Paranormal Romance series Pioneer Falls.

Her previous books include Never Cry Werewolf and its two novella sequels, Sometimes by Moonlight and Always in Shadow. She is also the author of Wherever You Go, and the RITA Award finalist for Best Young Adult Romance, The Clearing.

Heather loves writing about strong, smart heroines and the dark heroes that challenge them. In every book you'll find suspense, a touch of humor, and tons of heartfelt romance.

She lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest, where she is obsessed with coffee, books, indie bands, and perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Reviews

[Zemira Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

[image error]

OMG! I am clapping my hands and crying at the same time.
This book...Oh,this book was so good! I think I will need to take some meds right now to calm down.
Thank you Heather Davis for providing me with this literal jewel through netgalley. Good luck with your future work and just so you know I will check your other books out.
I just can't believe it took me almost a whole month to read Wherever You Go.
Peeps please add this one to your 'must read' list because I promise,you will not regret reading it!

[Isamlq · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drama,
Drama,
Drama!

Maybe I read Wherever You Go at the wrong time because normally I do enjoy a mix of the sweet, sappy even emotional. But I think the drama here was just too much for me. Was it too much like a noon time drama? You decide:

- That her first ever boyfriend had died tragically only to come back as a ghost (who narrates in second person btw…gah!)
- That his friends kind of blame her for how he died.
- That said blame leads to a mutual distancing of them from her and of her from them.
- That said distancing makes her stand out in the eyes of the dead guy’s best friend.
- That he (the best friend) has sort of been carrying a torch for her.
- That said best friend, like the dead boyfriend also happens to come from a well-to-do family while said girl doesn’t.
- That said girl’s life is actually much more complicated: With not much of a social life, she has taken to mothering her little sister in their usually absent mom’s stead (again they aren’t from a well-to-do family.)
- That life gets even more complicated when Aldo, her grandfather -suffering from Alzheimer's!- comes to live them.
- And that dead ghost boyfriend has taken to hanging out with the only person who can see him: Aldo, making the latter seem a little more out of it!
- That given all those complications, the dead boyfriend’s best friend has taken it upon himself to fix things/ make things easier for her.
- That they fall in love… but with not without some other complications caused by the meddling of the one of the dead boyfriend’s friends.

So yeah, there's too much drama for one book, but I will admit to liking how loyal Holly was to her family. Since their circumstances did dictate that their mom be mostly absent, I could swallow said absence. My biggest problem was when the mother finally played a role, what does she do? She sort of pushes her daughter to talk to the guy causing her daughter’s hurt: whatever happened motherly protective tendencies or at least sympathy over not wanting to look like a slob in front of a guy? Actually, scratch that: I had a lot of problems with this one, foremost of which: drama.

[Jax O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly is a young girl that a very complicated life. As the main caregiver of her Alzheimer stricken Grandfather and her younger sister; shoe doesn t have much time for herself. Also grieving the loss of her first love in an accident that almost claimed her own life. She may be finding herself with more than she can bare. When she begins to receive unwanted attention for her late boyfriends best friend; she finds herself questioning his motives. With the remainder of her peers blaming her for the tragic car accident that took her boyfriend it is hard to see why Jason has all of a sudden taken interest in her. As she begins to develop feelings for this young man; she will be left to question what kind of a future she really has to offer. [return][return]After my past two experiences with Heather Davis works; I was curious what I would find in this novel. I was intrigued to find that Davis soared above in this novel grabbing me by the lapels to drag me through this intense story about learning to love again. The emotional level of writing was not what I had come to expect from this author, and just goes to show that author grow over time. Davis is ready to take readers by storm in this novel. [return][return]

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob had it all and Holly had next to nothing. Rob was wealthy, popular, handsome, athletic, funny, and adored by everyone. Holly was poor, shy, beautiful, sweet, and responsible. The saying goes: Opposites attract, and in this case? The was right on. Holly and Rob were the perfect couple. They were happy and in love, going against the rules of financial status and school popularity.

One fateful night changed everything. A car accident killed Rob and left Holly not only emotionally scarred but also a pariah at school. Being the survivor of the accident has unfairly cast Holly into a "guilty" judgement - making her the blame for Rob's untimely death.

Isolated, but never alone, Holly goes about her daily life with Rob in the unseen background. He's there with her, but cannot be there for her. To see but never be seen, how can Rob help Holly? And when Jason, Rob's best friend, reaches out to Holly, Rob learns just how powerless he is, and maybe always has been, to help her.

Holly's home situation changes, bringing her grandfather (who suffers from Alzheimer's) to live with them and making Holly his primary care giver. This sets in motion a chain of discoveries: Rob finds that Grandpa Aldo can see and hear him; Holly begins to realize that she has to reach out, enlist, and appreciate the help of others; and Jason finally has an opportunity to get closer to the girl he's had eyes for for years.

Wherever You Go is a story of love, loss, rediscovery, and healing. It was a beautifully woven tale told in three perspectives: Holly, Rob, and Jason. What makes the POV's unique, however, is that each is told from a different narrative - Holly's POV was written in the 1st-person, Rob (the ghost) was written in the 2nd-person, and Jason was written in 3rd-person. These different narratives made reading the book and following the changing of POV's compelling; I was always on the lookout and anticipating the transitions from one character to another.

Ms. Davis did a stunning job setting and keeping the tone of the book. I felt the sorrow, the yearning, the struggle, and the hope of each character throughout the book. Holly, Rob, Jason, and even Grandpa Aldo's (who really is a main player in the story vs. a minor or secondary character) thoughts, feelings, words, and actions were consistent and wonderfully conveyed.

[Bailey (IB Book Blogging) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Stacey | prettybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly is still grieving after her boyfriend, Rob, died in a car crash six months ago. Unaware that Rob’s come back as ghost and is watching over her, she’s struggling to move on with her life, even though Jason is making it clear that he wants to get to know her. Holly is burdened by the amount of support she has to provide her family – her mother is working several jobs just to keep the family afloat so she’s never around. And to make things worse, her grandfather Aldo, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, moves in. When Rob realises that he can communicate with Aldo, it’s an opportunity for both men to express their sorrow, and simultaneously help Holly.

Wherever You Go is interesting because it has a very contemporary feel to it. It’s about a young girl coming to terms with her boyfriend’s death and learning to love again, but it has the additional paranormal element. I cannot say I was particularly excited about reading it; I was apprehensive about how the ghost would fit into the story and whether it would come across as contrived. However, I had absolutely nothing to be concerned about because Heather Davis manages to make it seem effortless. Rob’s atypical presence serves a purpose and I also loved reading about his story.

The story is also told in a way I’ve never come across before: the alternating viewpoints consist of Holly in first person, Rob in second, and Jason in third. It sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it gave each character a stand-out voice. I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating narratives and empathised with the four main characters, engrossed with each course of events.

Wherever You Go is a beautiful story about moving on without having to forget the past. It surpassed my expectations.

This book was obtained as an eGalley from Harcourt Children’s Books.

I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story about two people coming together due to someone they loved passing away and finding a new found love in one another. Holly has been grieving the death of her boyfriend Rob quietly. While in the midst of this she is expected to care for her younger sister Lena and grandfather Aldo while her mother works two jobs. But her boyfriend's best friend Jason steps up and wants to be there for Holly in her life. Some people blame Holly for the night that Rob died in a car crash. Rob's ghost haunts Aldo because he is not at peace with his death. He needs to tell Holly the truth about that tragic night before he can go into the light and needs Aldo's help to get through to Holly. It's paining him to see his best friend and girlfriend bonding and falling for each other. But in order to move on, Rob needs to learn to let go.

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly Mullen isn't your average teenager. Her mom works two jobs to support Holly and her sister, which means she is never around. It's up to Holly to take care of her sister and cook many of the meals for the family. She has a lot of responsibility for a seventeen year old. To make matters worse, Holly's grandfather comes to live with them in their small apartment; an extra adult around would normally be a good thing, but that is not the case since he suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. Not too long ago, Holly was dating Rob who died tragically in a car accident and Holly was also in the car, but survived. She is trying to deal with this huge absence in her life, but she is finding it to be a challenge when her grandfather starts communicating with who he claims is Rob. Holly is trying to move on, take care of everyone and even start socializing again. Jason, Rob's best friend, is starting to show an interest in her, but she isn't sure what to do or if she has the courage to move on. Wherever You Go by Heather Davis is an emotional read that deals with serious topics, like death, Alzheimer's, love, family, depression, and moving on after life altering events.

I felt for Holly right off the bat in Wherever You Go. She has so much responsibility and she seems to do it all, including doing well in school without complaining. Her mom pushes the bulk of the responsibilities on Holly including taking care of her grandfather who can be a handful. On top of that, she is still getting over the fact that her boyfriend tragically died and some of his friends even blame her for it, which makes things challenging. Rob's friend, Jason, is acting differently towards her, but she isn't sure why. Even if he does like her, she feels weird about it, because he was Rob's good friend. Plus, where was he after the accident? The love connection between Holly and Jason slowly blossoms. At first I wasn't sure if I could trust him, but he proves himself. He really wants to help Holly and her grandfather in Wherever You Go.

One of the most interesting characters is Rob. He's a ghost and is able to communicate with Holly's grandfather. He seeks out her grandfather for advice, friendship, and simply to talk, because he walks around watching his family and friends go about their daily lives and isn't able to communicate with anyone other than him. He witnesses Jason trying to get close with his girlfriend and his family mourning his death; it's all very hard to watch day in and day out. He spends a lot of time trying to figure out how to move on.

One aspect of Wherever You Go that I felt was a bit rusty was the various points of view. There's Holly, Jason, and Rob, but Rob's section is read in second person, which was a bit jarring. I liked to read all three points of view, especially Rob's, but the way it was written was a bit strange.

I think Wherever You Go deals with important issues that young adult literature doesn't often touch upon, one being Alzheimer's as well as struggling families. I'm sure there are many teenagers out there that have as much responsibility as adults and this novel really explores that concept. I wish more young adult novels dealt with real-life situations for poor families and not just upper middle class/upper class teenagers. The way Alzheimer's was portrayed felt so real and Davis does a fantastic job illustrating how tough it is for a family to deal with such a sad disease. I applaud Davis for writing a book dealing with such important topics.

One aspect of Wherever You Go that I felt was a bit rusty was the various points of view. There's Holly, Jason, and Rob, but Rob's section is read in second person, which was a bit jarring. I liked to read all three points of view, especially Rob's, but the way it was written was a bit strange.

I think Wherever You Go deals with important issues that young adult literature doesn't often touch upon, one being Alzheimer's as well as struggling families. I'm sure there are many teenagers out there that have as much responsibility as adults and this novel really explores that concept. I wish more young adult novels dealt with real-life situations for poor families and not just upper middle class/upper class teenagers. The way Alzheimer's was portrayed felt so real and Davis does a fantastic job illustrating how tough it is for a family to deal with such a sad disease. I applaud Davis for writing a book dealing with such important topics.

[Kennie is dah Name (: Batista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as an ARC egalley copy from Netgalley.com
(Might contain spoilers.)

Amazing. Stupendous. Marvelous. Heart Touching.

Summary: 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 Go is 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.

Thoughts: I truly enjoyed this book. I'm not a person who would usually read books like these, I'm more of a vampire/werewolf kind of guy. But seriously this book was just WOW ! I loved the whole concept of this story. WHEREVER YOU GO isn't all about romance it was mostly on moving on and letting go. If you have ever lost anyone you would definitely relate to this book.

What really caught my attention the most, was that it was written in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd POV. That was just magnificant writing. Goodies to you Heather Davis for having the skill to do that. My favorite point of view was Rob's which was in 2nd -I have never read a story in 2nd POV- when i read his part it felt like the story was actually talking to me on what to do and how i felt. Stupendous. Holly's was in 1st person and Jason's in 3rd person.

I really felt for all the characters. For Holly I felt sympathy for her because she had to take care of her little sister Lena and then when her grandfather Aldo who has Alzeheimers comes to live with the family. I liked the way she cared and loved both of them and when she helped her sister make cupcakes on her birthday and helped with the list so Grandpa Aldo wouldn't forget the things he wanted to remember. At first I disliked Julia(Holly's Mom) because she acted like such a bitch with but then throughout the story I realized she just needed help but didn't know how to ask for it because she was scared on what others thought. When Holly disobeyed her mother I was like Yes! You Go Girl! No One Is Going To Stop You From Your Love! :)

Jason was a nice gentleman. I liked how he helped Holly with her Grandfather's list. It was very cool of him. The way he fell in love with her and really did care about her. He did have his tough times, with his parents divorce and a dumbass of a friend-Mark- thank goodness he got rid of him.

Rob. Whenever his part came in the story it was just marvelous. As I said before it felt like they were mentioning me. It made wonder in the beginning why are you still there and not gone into the light? How he just drifted by and was so sad. The only person who could actually see him was Aldo and they even had their tough times. I was shocked when I found out the crash was on purpose as in suicide. It made me mad because why couldn't he just talk to someone and instead of endagering his and Holly's life? Even though Rob was a ghost and saw almost everything the way his family reacted with the loss of him and his friends. He knew that Holly and Jason were meant to be. He spoke to Holly through Aldo and ask for forgiveness.

The story ended with Rob going into the light and Holly and Jason being happily together. This brought a smile and a almost tear across my face. I truly enjoyed this book so much. Its funny how the book doesn't come into stores until November 14 the day of my birthday. Can't wait to buy it :D

Also those who want to read this heart touching novel (which you must!) be aware of the following. Be ready for those tears to come. It wasn't very sorrowful, it had sad moments, then to sweet moments, and even it had its funny moments too.

I rate this book 5/5 stars!

[Say · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! and again WOW!!! i totally love this book, i would say that it is among the top ten best books I have read for all time. i love that the book is told by three POV's: rob, jayson and holly. at first i didnt want to write a comprehensive review of this book since it hasnt come out yet and i dont want to spoil it for those who wants to read it. but i really really have to write it anyway, since i want all of you to know how much i love this book! here is what i love in this book:

1. holly, and how much she sacrificed so she could stand as the mother when her mom was all busy with work to notice how much help they needed especially now that her grandfather, aldo came to live with them. i love her compassion for her sister, lena and her grandfather, aldo. she takes care of them even before taking care of herself. although in truth she needs it more than them. how much she is willing to sacrifice for her family is beyond anything i've seen before or rather read before. she is one strong girl having to deal with issues of lost, responsibilities and how to continue on with life.
2. jayson, a cute guy with a big heart. how he helped holly with aldo's list? that is most sweetest and thoughtful thing a guy could do for a girl he loves. he didnt give up eventhough his friend mark was a total asshole about it and in the end he chose holly over him (well, serves him right), staying with holly till the end. clearly holly is way out of his league. he is rich, she is poor. he is popular, she's a loner. and his friend blames holly for rob's death, he knew that's not the whole truth about it. and though holly's life is a mess and with a lot of issues, he stood by her. never giving up on her and helping her in any way he can.
3. rob, i felt sorry for him. i know the pain he has to go through seeing the girl he loves fall for his best friend. but in the end he did the right thing, he let her go and accepted that he is gone and he cant have her anymore and knowing jayson would do good by her and will take care of her the way he hadnt done before when he was still alive.

scenes i love in this book:

1. when jayson bought holly, aldo and lena to the garden. that's the first time that holly finally notices jaysons intentions and when she started to have feelings for him.
2. the hawaiian party jayson prepared for aldo....WOW!!! he is just one amazing guy and holly is one lucky girl.
3. the talk between aldo, holly and rob. when rob admitted to holly that he intentionally crashed the car. that scene was intense.
4. the scene between julia (holly's mom) and aldo. honestly, i cried reading that part. it made me think of my dad who is not with me anymore and how much i miss him.
5. the last part of the story wherein rob finally went into the light after putting things into order =)
6. and of course, jaysons letter to holly or should i say his lists.....awwwww love it!!!

a lot of things were discussed in this book. issues on family, relationships, friendships, death and how to truly live. i love how the book made me laugh, cry, sad, happy, in love, hurt and a whole bunch of emotions to mention. there are no particular readers whom i would recommend this book, but to ALL of you people who loves to read, you have got to check this one out. =)

[A Canadian Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of three teenagers, Heather Davis’ Wherever You Go is a novel about love, loss, hope, family and friendship. Although there is a paranormal element in that one of the leads is a ghost, the spotlight isn’t on him and so the book feels like a contemporary for the most part.

Holly Mullen, the first person narrator, is a very mature and likeable character. Faced with the task of managing the household and taking care of her little sister and grandfather because her single mom has two jobs and is rarely home, Holly accepts her responsibilities and handles them with grace rather than whining and complaining about the unfairness of life.

I actually felt like the Mullen family was real based on the way that Davis portrayed them. Too often, YA novels feature dysfunctional families; but in Wherever You Go, I sensed genuine love and a strong sense of loyalty to each other. Like any family though, the Mullens aren’t perfect. Holly, for example, gets annoyed at her mother for questioning her decisions about the way she’s running things since she’s been the one doing it all along.

Rob’s point-of-view felt a little strange because it was narrated from the second person, but this didn’t stop me from being able to relate to him. It’s easy to understand his avoidance of the memories surrounding his accident and confusion at wondering why he’s still stuck on earth. By making Rob a ghost, Davis enables him to see how his death affected those close to him and yet realize that life continues to go on. This is probably best exemplified in the romance that develops between Jason and Holly based on attempt at friendship.

Told from a third person narration, Jason’s perspective allows the reader to not only be aware of how Holly feels about him (from her narration) but also know how he feels about her. Despite the fact that both Holly and Jason are still trying to get over Rob’s death and that Holly has doubts about him (since Rob’s friends weren’t very nice to her while he was alive), Jason isn’t afraid to fight for their relationship. I thought it was really sweet that unlike a lot of guys in high school, Jason was willing to spend time with Grandpa Aldo and Lena because he understood that they were important to Holly and that she was in charge of taking care of them.

Aside from the great cast of characters and the emphasis on family, I liked that Davis chose to deal honestly with the subject of mental and neurological disorders. I cried when Grandpa Aldo showed Holly the list of things he never wants to forget because I can’t even imagine what it’s like to slowly be robbed of your most meaningful memories. Watching his condition worsen later was pretty tough too. Davis successfully demonstrates that having something like depression or Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) isn’t just hard on the person suffering from it but also on those close to them, and not seeking help can be disastrous.

[Chanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those stories where it resonated with me but I wasn't fully in love with it.

What makes this book are the characters. There are often scenes where it's just two characters sitting and having a conversation. And you think: is this really a necessity to the book? Sometimes, and I'll admit it, I got slightly bored and my attention drifted. However, these times were few and far between. With three people's POVs to choose from, it's hard to be bored. There's always change.

Onto the plot. Holly loves Rob. Rob loves Holly. Jason likes Holly from afar. Jason and Rob are friends. Rob dies in car crash. Holly and Jason grow close. Jason loves Holly. Holly loves Jason. I mean, there's slightly more to it than that. But that's the general gist. You have a lot of background stuff to deal with. For example, Holly's family situation which is FAR from ideal. And actually, this is the first YA book I've read that deals with her family life so honestly and realistically. Because some families have no choice but to become the way Holly's is. And every time we had a scene where Holly had to take care of things, had to be the adult, my heart broke a little inside for her. She's only seventeen and tied down already through no fault of her own.

Holly herself is a realistic character. She attends a school where there are quite a few rich kids, so obvioulsy she feels self conscious of the fact she has no money. The way this is portrayed is excellent. She isn't comfortable with Jason coming to her house to visit. I'm betting there are a lot of people who can relate. However, she is quick to jump to conclusions, and she stands up for herself when it's too late - coming across as selfish. And though we're told to believe she is quite selfless and doesn't ask for anything, actually, that's not quite true. Everything that happens between her and Jason is under HER terms. She runs the show.

Which leads to the boys. Very different. One dead one alive. I liked Jason but wished he would man up a bit. He was quite romantic, and actually, their intimate scenes were full of chemistry and spark. Both he and Rob were realistic boys and were interesting to read about. I liked them both for different reasons.

The scenes with the grandad were all very sweet. However, Rob's big reveal at the end and his final chance to explain just seemed way too easy. You spend a whole novel building towards this point and it happens without hiccups? It just seemed very convenient for me, especially when Holly seems to be quite pig headed about certain situations.

Despite this story being told from 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person, I enjoy the narrative throughout. Though this wasn't the most exciting book, the characters came alive and for that, it made for an interesting read. I give this a 3.5 out of 5. Closer to a 4 though.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems they were the perfect couple: Rob and Holly. Despite their different backgrounds and interests, they clicked and they were happy. At least until the car accident happened, and Rob is dead while Holly survives.

Everyone is tormented after his death; Holly thinks it has something to do with her; Rob’s friends blame Holly. But none of them can understand what really happened that night.

Now Rob’s ghost haunts his loved ones after his death and Holly’s grandpa, Aldo, is the only one who can see him.
Yikes.

It might look like the back cover blurb of a really dramatic and overly sappy book, but it’s not. This is not a paranormal story; this is not about Rob. It’s about coping with a loved person’s death, wondering if you really knew that person as well as you did.

I keep thinking, “If it was me in Holly’s shoes, what would I be doing?” but I can’t imagine myself handling all of the things Holly manages to do. She’s taking care of her grandpa and her sister, and she’s the one to cook and clean and be the adult. I’m not the one with the dead boyfriend and the mother who is never there because she’s working two shifts. We have it so easy we forget people like Holly exist.

But Jason, Rob’s best friend, is there to help Holly with everything she’s going through after Rob, as he tries to move on himself. Jason came across as a real sweet guy who has it bad for Holly. I did find it strange though that he only got interested in Holly after Rob’s death when he barely talked to her before. Rob was the common link between the two at first, but eventually, their relationship became more than a support thing.

Jason and Holly didn’t realize how dependent they were on Rob until they lost him, and it was like they were replacing his memory with this newly found love.

Maybe the greatest message of this book is love is the best healer. It won’t make you forget, but it will help a little to fill the void in your heart.

I liked the use of all three narratives and Davis’s writing style; it was simple but nevertheless, emotionally profound.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Summary: Holly's life is not what you'd call ideal - her mother works two jobs, and Holly is forced to pick up the slack at home by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of her little sister. Add to that the fact that her boyfriend Rob just died, and it's easy to see why Holly isn't very happy when her mother decides that Holly's grandfather - who suffers from Alzheimer's - is coming to live with them in their cramped apartment.

Soon Holly begins to feel overwhelmed by all her responsibilities at home. Things only get worse when her grandfather claims to be communicating with the Rob, and when Rob's friend Jason begins spending more time with Holly. When Jason reveals that he wants to get to know her better, Holly is torn between this chance to move on and her resonating feelings for Rob.

My Thoughts: This novel was both touching and heartbreaking. I immediately related to Holly, and I felt like she didn't deserve all the heartache in her life even though she was strong and able to push through all the tragedies and be happy. This novel begs the question: how long does it take to move on after the death of someone we loved? Can we ever truly love someone the same way that we loved them?

This book was an emotional roller-coaster ride. It made me cry like a baby at points and smile in others. I loved the character of Jason, and that he was always there for Holly - even when she didn't know it. I also really liked the character of Aldo (Holly's grandfather). He added that little bit of humour (not in a bad way) that was needed in the story.

The writing was well done, although the point-of-view changes confused me a little in the beginning. Other than there was nothing I disliked about the book!

Final Thoughts: I recommend this to anyone who enjoys more thoughtful YA - contemporary literature especially. I think you'll definitely enjoy this novel if you liked If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Check it out if you're in the mood for a good cry!

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wherever You Go was not at all what I expected. It was part ghost story, part contemporary romance, and 100% amazing. Heather Davis is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Holly still loves Rob but he is gone. She knows she needs to move on but she can't. Then Jason gets involved and things start to look up. He's willing to help her with her grandfather Aldo who has Alzheimer's and he even puts up with her little sister. Too bad Rob's ghost isn't so happy about Holly moving on.

Holly was a strong main character who had very bad luck. Her boyfriend died, her mom was always working, her little sister had to be taken care of, and so did her grandpa Aldo. Holly was the one taking care of the whole family but she never whined and she just did what she had to do. She was a very grown up teenager. Her mother, on the other hand, was pretty much worthless. Holly took care of her grandpa Aldo and it wasn't easy but she loved him. Aldo was actually a very complex character and I loved him for so many reasons. Jason was also great. He truly liked Holly and was willing to help her with her crazy situation. I really did like Rob too. He was very hard to understand but he loved Holly.

The plot was a bit slow at first. I didn't get how everything was going to tie together. Rob's ghost was the most confusing thing for me at first but it actually worked out really well. There were some very funny moments throughout the book and some tearjerker moments as well. In the end, everything tied together perfectly and the story really picked up.

Overall, Wherever You Go is a heartbreaking story but one that has a hopeful ending. It is a story of love, loss, and finding the strength to move on. Heather Davis tackled multiple tough subjects but she did it with tact and it ended up being a wonderful story. This one has earned my recommendation.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help it: when I see a book with a main character named Holly, I have to at least look at it more than other books. (Can you figure out why? If not...I'm not sure whether or not I should help you figure it out.) And since this had heavy ghost themes, I was kind of hooked.

However, it took me a while to really get into it. It's broken into 3 perspectives: Holly, Rob, and Jason. The very first one of the book is Rob's which is written in second person (You go to the store, you pick out peas). I was a little freaked out that all of the book was going to be written in second person, which is just truly bizarre to read. Luckily, it was only for Rob's part and I eventually got used to it.

This book deals with some really heavy themes and situations. Holly's boyfriend Rob crashed the car they were both in and he died. Holly is the one who has to hold down the fort back home, watching over her much younger sister and her grandfather suffering from Alzheimer's. The world seems to be crashing in around her...and Jason's the only one who starts to bring a spark back to it.

It was sort of predictable, but at the same time, it was still really sweet. We got to see Rob's thoughts as he travels around watching those he loves go on without him and his struggle to understand why he's still lingering. Holly struggles with her family dynamics and why she has to be the unofficial head of the house. Jason struggles with the loss of his best friend (Rob) and his crumbling family life. Everyone has their problems. Oddly enough, this was not a depressing book. I finished it quite happy.

[Tanja (Tanychy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

Thanks to this 2013-TBR-pile-challenge I started reading the books that have been on my shelf forever. Of course I should have read this one a while ago but that's me after all.

Wherever You Go took me by surprise mostly because I haven't read the blurb (surprise, surprise) and it took me some time to catch everything, but once I did everything started flowing easily. Here we have a story about Holly, the girl who by the all circumstances grew up too early. Being only 17 she must take care about a lot of things - her sister, education and recently her grandpa. With all that she has recently lost her boyfriend, Rob. Her now dead boyfriend is still around, he is watching her. There is also Jason, Rob's best friend, who tries to help her as much as he can, cause he feels that she is special. He is the boy with different type of life and now he must pass all the challenges that are coming in order to help Holly. This is story about girl who has almost lost her life as a teenager, she has too much responsibilities on her mind. This is a story about letting go cause Rob must continue his way into unknown. And this is story about Jason, who is now starting to understand some things and has to sort his life out in order to be satisfied.

I really enjoyed reading about all of them. At moments this book was fanny but it also brought tears to my eyes. In my opinion beautifully written story about growing up and dealing with all sorts of troubles in life.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly's boyfriend Rob haunts her and their town after a car accident a la Patrick Swayze in GHOST, but instead of Whoopi Goldberg acting as his medium, the only person who can see and hear him is Holly's recently arrived Alzheimer's-addled Grandfather. Maybe Rob has more in common with Susie in THE LOVELY BONES because she is less sure of what she should do or why she is still hanging around. Rob is all for going into the light, but no one is waving an enormous Mag-Lite.

In addition to Rob's unsatisfying rambles into therapy with his folks or hanging with his guy friends, readers get Holly herself, who really is the central character. A solid blast of reality in her overwhelming responsibilities in taking care of a little sister and her grandfather Aldo while her mother works two jobs to try to keep the bills piad is counterbalanced with a nice romance between her and Rob's best friend Jason. Neither teen is sure whether it's disloyal to Rob for them to start sparking, but eventually Jason wins Holly over to the idea through endearing concern about her grandfather and a complete disregard for what his other rich friends think about pretty poor Holly.

Not too light, nor too dark: here's a nice blend of problem novel, romance, and death story. Nothing earth shattering but satisfying nonetheless.

[Metaspinster · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is very earnest, and pretty badly written, though perhaps not in the most glaring typos and bad grammar kind of way. One thing that is glaring is the unconventional narrative choice to tell this story using three different narrators, using three different corresponding grammatical "people," i.e. the Holly (?) sections are in first person singular, her dead boyfriend Rob's are in the particularly unusual second person singular, and Rob's best friend Jason's sections are in third person. Now, I'm actually all for stylistic innovation, but it seems to me that if you're going to make this blatant of a deviation from standard novel format, there should be some sort of thematic reasoning behind it. Form equals content and all that. Or else some of your readers (i.e. me) will (hopefully) figuratively tear their hair out trying to figure out what/where your deep meaning is.

But maybe it was there and I'm obtuse. Or maybe it made itself clear in the second half of the book, but by then I'd thoroughly lost interest in these fairly flat characters and immature prose.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book from the publisher and I am extremely happy I got a chance to review it! There have been few books that I have read that have absolutely moved me so much that I question my life and the decisions I have made in it. This is one of those books. It touches on several major issues which include suicide as well as disease. It also takes us on a journey of what happens when you lose someone and how to cope with your feelings. I was literally brought to tears reading this book. A definite must read!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book because I liked the cover. I didn't even look at the summary, which was probably a mistake. So when I started reading, I was not expecting a ghost story. I probably wouldn't have checked it out if I knew because ghost stories scare me. But this was a good ghost story. Instead of being focused on fear and anger and revenge, it was about love, and hope, and healing. Although some of it was cliché(that's why it's 4 stars rather than 5), overall, I really liked it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. There were a lot of difficult issues it talked about including depression, teen suicide, caring for the elderly and siblings, and others. I think this is a great YA book. Good story with great characters. I felt so sorry for Holly. She had a lot on her plate and did it all without complaining (much).

[Zahra · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a quick read, kind of good and boring at the same time

[Syazwina Johari · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT
Because I'm not a fan of romance so it's required more than just typical and anticipated romance plot to entertain me haha plus if I were that particular girl in the book, I wouldn't even fall in love to some other guy especially when my bf just died let alone executing romance behavior with them and the fact that she fell in love with her boyfriend's bestfriend exasperated me even more.

I'm genuinely a loyal kind of person inside out so it probably take me approximately a 10 year minimum to get over someone I truly in love with especially when we lose them through sudden death. and for me like among other guys existed why would you have to fall in love for you dead boyfriend's bestfriend?

But I do love her grandpa, Aldo. He's very loyal to his wife even after her death and even suffering with Alzheimer doesn't make him forget the love he had for her.

Last but not least, read the book if you're intrigued to know the ending and indulge in the journey of the whole story yourself, you might will have a better perspective of the book. P.s I'm still a beginner in reviewing books that I've read so do excuse my grammatical errors and lack in explaining my feelings and thoughts about it. Will definitely improve afterwards.

[Merve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Değişik bir kitapla geldim bu sefer! Böyşe başlarsınız ama bitsin istemezsiniz hep sürsün hep okuyayım dersiniz o tarzda bir kitaptı. Fazla adını duyuramamış ama oldukça iyiydi. 


Konusu, sevgilisini 6 ay önce kaybetmiş bir kızımız var Holly. Dünyanın bütün yükü omuzlarında. Annesi geçimlerini sağlayabilmek için 2 işte çalışıyor ve 10 yaşındaki kardeşine bakmak ve ev işlerini yönetmek Holly'ye kalıyor, bir dr Aizemmer hastası büyükbabası da onların yanına gelince Holly tamamen dünyadan soyutlanıyor. Kaybını bile atlatamamış ama bunlarla iyi başa çıkıyor. Bir de Rob var ölen sevgili o da hayalet ve dünyadan göçememiş. Jason da Rob'un en iyi arkadaşı ve Holly'e aşık. Ve hikaye bu. 


Okurken hiç sıkmayan aksine hikayeye dalmak istediğiniz tarzda bir kitap. Holly'i çok sevdim güçlü ve sorumluluk sahibi. Büyükbaba Aldo ve Rob'un arkadaşlığını sevdim. Kitap güzeldi yaa. Tamam muhteşem kurgu, olay örgüsü, şaşırtıcı birşey yoktu ama içimizden bir hikaye gibiydi sanki. Tavsiye ederim 🙏 Hayalet filmini izlediyseniz o tarzda güzel bir hikayeydi 💙


Puanım 

🎵🎵🎵🎵


Okumak isteyenler için içinde +18 birşey yoktu. Gönül rahatlığı ile okuyabilirsiniz 😌

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wherever You Go is a brilliantly crafted novel that seamlessly blends contemporary fiction with a dash of the supernatural. This quiet book pulled on my heart strings right away and didn't let go. I became so invested in Holly's, Rob's, and Jason's lives that I couldn't stop reading. The character were honest and their problems were authentic.
I instantly connected to Holly. She is a mature teen who is struggling and desperately trying to hold her family together. Holly comes from a single family home where her mother works two jobs just trying to make ends meet. Unlike many teen protagonists in YA, Holly's world doesn't just revolve around her. She has to take care of her little sister and grandfather with Alzheimers. She puts their needs ahead of hers. She has to stay strong for family and for herself because if she doesn't everything will fall apart just like her relationship with her now dead boyfriend Rob. The only way Holly seems to cope with her grief is to keep moving until she meets Jason who puts her needs above all others.
Jason is a shy and quiet guy whom I loved right away. Like Holly, he is still hurting from Rob's death. Jason has been Rob's best friend since elementary school and Rob's death has definitely caught him off guard. Jason has always felt something for Holly. He has noticed her before she started dating Rob, but he never acted upon it. His guilt in ignoring Holly after Rob's death and his new intense feelings for her propels him to establish a connection with her. Jason's intentions are genuine and considerate. He is able to see through Holly's "I'm fine" facade:

"Holly, I see you working so hard to be strong. So hard to keep everything together. To not fall apart. But that's not your job." My throat tightened. "I have to keep things together," I said, my voice barely a whisper. If I didn't keep things together, nobody would. That was the truth I didn't want to tell him. "I have to."

"Not around me," Jason said. "You don't have to be strong around me." I closed my eyes, not wanting to hear what he was saying. But then I felt his hand on my cheek, holding the side of my face. I opened my eyes to find him gazing at me, his eyes so sincere. ~pgs. 105-106 from the ARC

I loved the relationship between Jason and Holly. It was slow and sweet. Jason is very considerate and keeps his distance, offering his willingness to help Holly while yearning for the moment she will accept. For once we meet the non-stalkery love interest, even when things get bumpy for these two. Jason loves Holly for who she is and he helps her with her grandfather's bad moments. His gestures aren't overt, but attentive. If Adam Wilde from If Stay and Where She Went had a brother it would definitely be Jason. Seriously, this guy is one step from raising a boombox outside of Holly's window when their relationship is in trouble. It is through these interactions, Holly not only begins to return his feelings, but they both try to come to terms with and understand Rob's death. Davis could have easily created a love triangle, however, she thankfully avoids this overused plot device as she explores the voice of Rob and the mystery surrounding his death.
Rob's voice was very sad and heart breaking to read. The second person narrative writing style in his point of view allows the reader to immediately feel his detachment and isolation. He seems perfect on the exterior, but we slowly learn that he was internally falling apart. Trapped as a ghost, he doesn't understand why he hasn't moved on and must watch his family and others attempt to move on with their lives. As we learn more clues about what happened on the day of the accident, we can't help but get frustrated with Rob as he does with himself, wishing he had made different choices. Rob's current situation is very closely mirrored to Holly's loveable Grandpa Aldo, which is why I found their relationship so strong and powerful even though they never really met in person. Though living, Grandpa Aldo also feels distant from his family, feels responsible for his family's burden, and feels frustrated to being unable to express himself. The ability to speak to Rob during his lucid moments makes the supernatural aspect of the novel plausible and not just another ghost story.
While the book is told through Holly, Jason, and Rob's point of views, I didn't have any trouble in distinguishing their voices. The transition between their voices flowed very well. Some reviews have noted that the pacing of the book was slow, but I didn't feel like that at all. In fact, I zipped through the pages which for me is very hard to do when I read a digital advanced readers copy (I read on the computer and yet have to purchase on an e-reader. Hope to change that with this holiday season). Wherever You Go is a character driven novel that explores a variety of serious issues such as death, grief, forgiveness, of love lost, and of love found. Without ever being heavy handed, Davis allows her characters to breathe, grow naturally and come to their own realizations of their flaws and resolutions on their own. It ends on the perfect note and leaves you with the closure you have been hoping for since the beginning. I would highly recommend reading this emotionally poignant book. This is the first book I've read by Davis and now I have to look up and read her other ones.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly is a likeable character with a lot on her plate, but she has a good attitude and is resourceful and kind. Not a drama Queen, but a life is hard and deal with it, person.
This book is about love and loss, forgiveness, duty, respect, depression and suicide, popularity, rich and poor, future goals, Alzheimer’s, asking for help, good friends and awful people.
Not my usual genre- but a decent and captivating read.

[Amy Warning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars.

This book was recommended to me by one of my 7th grade students. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

It was filled with different types of grief - loss of a loved one, and loss of one’s mind. I thought at first it was all about coping with loss, but it ended up being more uplifting than that. It was about the power of love and family and happiness.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book buried in my closet and turned out it was one of those library books that I forget to return. Whoops, anyway this book is pleasant to read. Mentioned about depression, suicide, teen caregiver support, and Alzheimer awareness. Short and sweet.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars

3.5 of 5 stars
From reading the blurb of this I pegged this as a story where the ghost of a dead boyfriend is forced to watch his girlfriend mourn for him, and the pain of seeing her grow closer to his best friend. I absolutely loved the sound of this book and had very high expectations of it. I have read other contemporary YA novels dealing with the aftermath of the death of a loved one such as The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson or If I Stay by Gayle Forman (both absolutely fantastic books, if you haven't read them yet, read them) or books where the dead character gets to watch their loved ones from beyond the grave like Kissed By An Angel by Elizabeth Chandler. But in comparison to those books Wherever You Go feels a little bit cold and detached. The first quarter of the book mostly deals with Holly's hard life stuggling to cope with school, and taking care of her little sister while her mother is working, and then the responsibility and burden of also having to care for her elderly grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Holly and Rob's past relationship is barely even touched upon at first.
Normally I cry at everything! Any time someone dies in a book out come the tissues and the red-rimmed eyes. When I picked up Wherever you go I expected a tear- fest, and wanted a novel that would play upon my emotions, and rip my heart out, but this book let me down a little. The advice that Holly seems to be getting from her friends is mainly along the lines of "He's dead, just get over it already". And even Rob's parents are told something similar by their therapist- "move on- you have another child to parent". I think another thing that made it feel a little empty, was that there were very few flashbacks into the past, and few fond memories or little anecdotes about Holly and Rob. In another novel I read- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, the main character gets to relive her last day over again to hopefully right some mistakes and re-evaluate her life, and this book really moved me- because there was so many little details, and little anecdotes and stories, that it made her life feel so real, and just highlighted everything that she was losing (this is another absolutely fantastic book- read it if you haven't already!). I think that this is what is missing from Wherever You Go. We see Holly and her current life, and we also see Rob wandering around as a bitter ghost, but we get very little impression of what they were like before, as a couple.
I don't want to put a downer on this review though, because despite all of this, I DID like the book. It grabbed my attention all the way through, throwing in some twists and turns, and clues about Rob's death that turned out to be red herrings. I liked the second half better than the first half. One of my favourite aspects of this novel was Holly's sweet relationship with her grandfather. She really looks after him, and not only cares for him but she still treats him like a person even when others just talk around him. She always tries to help him to remember, and when he comes up with a list of things he wants to remember she helps him by treating him to days out based on his list. Jason also seizes on the chance to help Holly with looking after her grandfather, and whilst Holly initially questions his motives, gradually the two of them form a bond that is not only connected to their shared memory of Rob, but also based on enjoying each other's company. Despite the fact that they are very different- Jason is wealthy and part of the popukar crowd, and Holly is very shy and lives in an apartment in a rough area of town- they do complement each other very well and make a sweet couple, but not without some complications and misunderstandings getting in the way first.
Wherever you go is not your typical ghost story. I liked the fact that Holly's grandfather was the only one who could see and comunicate with Rob, but being so far gone with Alzheimer's disease, he couldn't properly communicate messages from Rob. The budding relationship between Holly and Jason is very sweet, and their inner struggles to get over their guilt over moving on after Rob's death was moving and emotional. I also really sympathised for Holly, who has an incredible burden on her shoulders, as her mother puts more and more responsibilty onto her, with such high expectations of her, and then critisices the way that Holly deals with things. I liked the journey that this story takes us through, and would recommend this book to fans of a gritty romance.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers and Netgalley for the review copy of the book.