REVIEW: Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

 Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books; None edition (November 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 054750151X
• ISBN-13: 978-0547501512

SOURCE:  AMAZON VINE / PUBLISHER


MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT


Holiday Mullen is struggling with life after a devastating car accident in which her boyfriend, Rob, dies.  Her mother is working two jobs, her ailing grandfather has moved in with them, she has to babysit her little sister Lena and now Holly must do everything all while trying to be a high school senior.  Her grandfather, Aldo,  is suffering from Alzheimer’s and begins to hear and see a young man named Roberto.  Roberto turns out to be Rob, Holly’s boyfriend in ghost form with whom he can communicate easily with even though he has problems getting his point across with everyone else.  To complicate matters even more,  Holly and Rob’s best friend, Jason, are now finding themselves falling in love. 


The story is told by each character, Rob, Holly and Jason in alternating chapters.  As Holly and Jason start to have feelings for each other, Rob confides to Aldo everything he thinks he did wrong in his relationship with Holly and confesses that he believes he caused the accident.  Rob seems to wander the earth in an endless progression from place to place trying to help where he can.  Jason steals my heart when he tries to lighten Holly’s load while Holly tries really hard to do it all herself. 


This book brought tears to my eyes several times since there are parts so sad you wonder if Holly will ever make it out of her sad existence and find some happiness.  You wonder if Rob will ever find peace and if Aldo will find some way to communicate.  Davis does a wonderful job of bringing together a struggling family and shows that a teen can be responsible while still being true to herself.  I really wonder how many teens there are like Holly in this world, struggling to help keep their family just exisiting and getting by.