Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Since You've Been Gone
   by: Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Received physical copy from BEA.
Page Count: 449 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

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...

 

 

Being 3rd in line to snag this book and the snazzy heart-shaped sunglasses Morgan Matson only had 20 of? SO worth the wait! I really enjoyed Morgan's Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, so naturally I was excited to get my hands on this one! I love the idea of the whole 'Summer To-Do List' and it really helped shape Emily into her own person, and I loved seeing that development from her.

 

Pacing: Overall, I thought the pacing went well. There were a few points in the beginning where my ADD kicked in and I felt myself eager to push forward so I could get to what was next.... ok, fine. I just wanted to see more of Frank and Emily together. They are too adorable and I loved how awkward Emily is in the beginning. Seeing her come out of her shell and begin to create a new identity separate from her best friend Sloane is one of my favorite parts in this book.

 

Storyline: Starting off the summer without Sloane is NOT part of Emily's plan. I felt really bad for Emily because it's clear that her and Sloane do everything together. I can't imagine how I'd feel if all of a sudden my best friend just disappeared without any notice. Emily's parents are about to begin a new play and her and her brother will be left to their own devices this summer. Emily's only contact with Sloane comes in the form of a summer to-do list of all things that will bring Emily out of her comfort zone, which she really needs. The list has some pretty challenging things for Emily, but she is determined to get through them and hopefully when she's done will be able to get in touch with her best friend.

 

Characters: I liked Emily a lot. She has always been associated as Sloane's best friend and never just Emily. However, this all begins to change this summer. By doing Sloane's tasks on the list, Emily finds herself pushing her own limits as to what she's comfortable with and I have to give the girl props for sticking out some of the situations she finds herself in because I would have chickened out. Losing her best friend, Emily really has no other friends to spend time with, until she unexpectedly runs into Frank Porter, who certainly knows who she is. It's really endearing that he knows who SHE is and constantly corrects his best friend when he slips up on her name. At first, Emily thinks it's weird that Frank would want to hang out with her, considering he's the school's golden boy who has a serious girlfriend. Their unlikely friendship is one that drew me in and I was happy that Emily didn't have to spend all of her time alone. She ends up telling Frank about the list and he wants to help her complete it.

 

Frank is a good guy through and through. His and Emily's relationship progressed naturally and I like that they became friends first because that's what Emily really needed in the beginning. They just seem to click once they get past their initial awkwardness. The fact that he had a girlfriend was definitely frustrating because I wanted them to see what was right in front of them!

 

Even though Sloane has disappeared, we do get to see her character in the flashbacks Matson provides for us throughout the novel. Here, we get a better understanding of the girls' friendship- how it began, how they handled boys and relationships, etc. I liked Sloane's outgoing personality and how quickly she accepted and befriended Emily. However, Sloane is a teenager and let's be real: teens are very egocentric. I don't think Sloane intentionally tried to make Emily feel like a third wheel once she got a boyfriend, but Emily couldn't help but feel that way. While I don't agree with Sloane leaving the way she did, I do feel it really helped Emily in the long run.

 

Final Thoughts: I really did enjoy this one. It was the perfect summer read and I like Matson's writing style a lot. I feel she does a great job writing realistic contemporary fiction and her playlists that she sprinkles throughout her books are incredible. These ones especially are worth checking out! She has included so many bands that aren't really well known and I was squealing over my love of them while reading. For a cute summer read- this is definitely one to pick up.