Book Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

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Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 6th 2014
Review Source: Simon & Schuster

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

Alright alright alright, it’s time to sit back and yell at myself for not having picked up anything by Morgan Matson earlier, Since You’ve Been Gone is a book I just hugged after I finished it. It had everything you would want in a YA book, adventure, growth, love, fights, everything.

Since You’ve Been Gone follows Emily a teenager whose best friend, Sloane, kinda of falls off the face of the Earth, and only leaves this to do list for Emily. Emily was the shy girl, who stood in the shadows of her best friend, but she was okay with it (let Sloane take the wheel), Emily and Sloane had that epic best friend friendship. So when Sloane disappeared she had to come out of her shell and accomplish a to do list that would do just that, help her spread her wings, do daring things she would never do before. While she sets out to do Sloane’s list she finds herself getting help from some unlikely people.

This story made me all sorts of happy and sad and love and everything and anything. I turned the page with anticipation and admiration and such joy. I could honestly sit here and gush over this book for this entire review, but that wouldn’t be fun. So…Emily gets this list mailed to her from Sloane with things as easy as “sleep under the stars,” or “break something,” but then there’s stuff on the list that really freaks Emily out like, “kiss a stranger,” and “go skinny dipping.” We get to go through Emily checking things off her list in hopes that it will bring her back to Sloane or at least help her find out where Sloane is now. The list is so fun and I loved checking the things off with Emily. With Sloane giving this list to Emily it makes her do things she would never do; give her encouragement to get over her fears. While she’s checking things off the list she befriends Frank, the class president, Collins, the goofy guy (Franks BFF), and Dawn the girl that works at the pizza joint. The more Emily gets checked off the list you see her start shinning and becoming herself and not the girl that is best friends with Sloane. I loved the friendship in this book too, you really only get one side of the best friendship with Sloane and Emily but with the flashbacks and hearing Emily think about her you get to see the intensity of this real and raw friendship that’s so undeniable. Along with that you also get the new friendship with Frank, Dawn and Collins.

This was a great contemporary story and a perfect summer read. I highly recommend this book to be added to your summer reads. I cried at the end because I was so happy and then sad because it was over. My butt is ordering more books from Morgan; I can’t imagine how amazing the rest of them will be.