Forman, Gayle. I Was Here. New York: Viking, 2015.

I am so on the fence with this one. As a reader, I really appreciated this book. Cody's story is an important one. My heart hurts for a young girl for whom the whole world should just be beginning loses her best friend to suicide. That most of her childhood and her memories of family are inextricably linked with Meg's family, further compounds the tragedy. Cody's quest to get to the bottom of Meg's suicide becomes a beautiful and haunting journey. Ultimately, as Cody gets to the bottom of Meg's depression and the source of a suicide support group online, she also confronts her own guilt and loss. I surely appreciated the message about the power and powerlessness of the Internet. Beautiful scenes abound. Cody considers forgiveness through an unconventional church service officiated by one of Meg's former room mates affectionately known as Stoner Richard. She learns to trust through a new romance one that Cody neither expects nor wants. She finds a new footing with her mother Tricia - a relationship that has never been easy.

As a 7 - 12 librarian this new adult genre continues to challenge me. I understand the argument that literature needs to be real to appeal and impact the readers. I respect the choices that authors make to present the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sadly, it is the raw honesty that makes it tough for me to shelve the titles in my library. And that is tough for me because the lessons in here are so important. Tthe characters are so precious. So...I remind myself that I wouldn't put John Green books in a primary library, and I don't have to necessarily put new adult books in my high school library. I have to find creative ways to get it into the hands of the older kids who will appreciate and learn important lessons from it. Thank goodness the public library is just down the street!