WHEREVER YOU GO by Heather Davis

I was just recently discussing with a friend that there are very few age appropriate YA novels out there.  Then I was able to read a galley of Wherever You Go.  This YA novel discusses some very serious issues that youth face on a daily basis; teen depression, how rumors affect relationships, dating, divorce, varying family dynamics and dealing with a grandparent that has Alzheimer's.  This book has depth that many YA novels lack.  This book lacks the standard graphic sex and foul language, which is such a nice change.  Wherever You Go was engaging and the story line was so interesting.  Some of you may not enjoy books involving ghosts, but this one has such a neat and heartwarming twist. Wherever You Go brings together 3 generations of one family and allows them to really "see" each other for the first time.  I have to say I loved Wherever You Go!  It is a great read for young adults and one that adults will also enjoy.  As a mother,  it forces me to think and mentally address the stressful situations that my children will face as they grow and mature. Resulting in the reality that constant communication and a genuine interest in their lives and to provide them the reassurance of my love despite the situation is essential. I highly recommend Wherever you Go.

Here are some quotes that I really loved in Wherever You Go-

p. 301-302:  "And then I started to cry, because that's what I felt like doing just then.  And sometimes you have to let yourself do those things.  To feel what you feel, because it's the only true thing you can do."

-I liked this so much because at times it feels as if we teach our kids to buck up and not cry about things, when crying may be the coping mechanism needed at the time.

p.310:  "The simplest things should make a person happy.  Happy should be simpler than it never was."

-I was struck by this quote from the book because I was a bit alarmed that a young kid would have this perception of the world.  It forces one to acknowledge the pressures that our teens are under. 

p. 210:  "Sometimes all you wanted to do was to leave it all behind.  But now it seems like something you want to do.  Grow up, have adventures, travel, see things like elephants in the wild, do something important to help people, all that world-peace stuff."

-This affected me because I lost a friend when I was in high school to suicide and it brought back many feelings about all the great things he could have done.  That in the moment situations appear awful but when the moment passes and perspective is regained the moment was really not that bad.  How do we get the kids through the bad moments and safely to the other side?   It made me worry about my children's future struggles and to just be mindful to what is going on in their lives.  To always "see" them.

Description of the book...

A poignant story about making peace with the past and opening your heart to love.

Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. But she 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, trying to get close to Holly—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. As their uncertain new relationship progresses, the past comes back to haunt Holly and Jason. Her Alzheimer’s-stricken 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?

This book is not relesed yet, but you can preorder it at amazon.com