Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Martin and Petra meet for the first time at graduation, and though they’ve shared the halls of their high school for four years without crossing paths, there’s an instant connection the moment they’re seated next to each other at the commencement ceremony.
Then a car accident puts Martin into a coma, and Petra is somehow left picking up the pieces, using friends, family, and shared dreams to keep their surprise connection going.
Together they must unlock the truth of his situation, and with time running out, their bond becomes Martin’s best shot at waking back up to the life he's left behind.
Plot:
Graduation. The day where you sit next to the person you are alphabetically closest too by last name, sweating in a borrowed gown, so that you can walk across the stage, get your diploma, and be free from the public (or private) school system. This is where Martin meets Petra. Trying to make her laugh, while avoiding the watchful eye of their teachers, Martin was generally enjoying the graduation service. When a note flies into his lap from best friend Spence, aka Spitty, betting him that he could not get Petra to come to Martin’s party, why not? Asking Petra to come, in which she gave a witty reply that means a maybe, nothing could take Martin down. Except something did. Getting in a car crash with Spitty, Martin finds himself in an in-between zone. Only being able to access his friends through their dreams, Martin is a surprise to see Petra there so much. Using Petra to communicate his final wishes, their bond became stronger, as Martin’s hold on life becomes weaker: “She’s been my constant” (81).
This was not how her life was supposed to go. She was supposed to be the top of her class, giving the valedictorian speech, making her family proud. Instead she fell to the top eleventh person in the class. Where the top ten got to sit on stage, Petra, being number eleven, was in the masses, sitting next to Martin McGee. With 868 in her graduating class, Petra did not know them all. Focusing on her studies, she kept close to her friend group of Cameron, Aminah, and Daniel. Which is how she never knowing Martin McGee, even though they have both been going to this school sense freshmen year. When he started talking to her, why not have a conversation? Finding him funny, and nice, Petra agrees to go to his party. Showing up at his house was how she found out about the accident. Going to the hospital, Petra becomes swept up in the Believe Marty can Fly campaign, as with his friends Mike and Brook, Petra tries to bring Martin back to life.
Thoughts:
The story is divided between five parts, switching between the point of view of Martin and Petra throughout the chapters. First titled The Place Where We Exist, Bridget Morrissey renames it to be What You Left Me. The story revolved around the story of Martin and Petra, both whom only knew each other during the last few hours of their graduation ceremony. So it was in the right mind that Petra’s friends were confused why she wants to spend time in the hospital waiting for Martin to wake up, instead of feeling sad at the pool with them. After all, she only had one conversation with him, where there are people there who knew Martin his whole life. Still they went with her, which was good writing on Morrissey part, as it is nice to see an actual supportive friend group. Morrissey writing did get a bit confusing, as she switches by blocking off a paragraph, but never said who was starting the next line. Martin’s part was also confusing, as the in someone else dreams, or exist in an in-between place, was not clearly outline by Morrissey. With the added drama from Petra’s education, her friend group, to Martin’s group, made this story seem more realistic, as the world does not stop because Martin’s in the hospital. With Petra and Martin only meeting once, a lot of their relationship grew from her dreams of him. And maybe they were never meant to be, or were soul mates who met at the wrong time. Either way Martin meant something to Petra, that she has never experienced before, and there was no way she was going to let him go.