Since You’ve Been Gone, by Morgan Matson | Book Review #234

This is my review of Since You’ve Been Gone from back in 2015. I’ve simply copied and pasted said review into this post. Enjoy!

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.

On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Um…

Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane’s list. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go skinny-dipping? Wait…what?

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I really like this book to be honest. The setting, the characters, the story itself…all of it. Since You’ve Been Gone is truly a great book. And a great summer read also! Another great thing about this book, in my opinion, is that its fast paced. It never got too boring, and was thoroughly entertaining until the last page. I actually want more of these characters? Like, I’d LOVE a second book. Or a novella, haha. Anything I can get my hands on!!

I really like how this story panned out. We start out with a really insecure girl and by the end of the book, she’s changed into…well, herself. Emily is more…amplified.

The story is interesting in itself, too. Two girls who are best friends, and then one leaves, only leaving a list of things that Emily has to do. This leaves Emily doing things that only Sloane would do. Or they would do them together. And now Emily has to do them alone? Emily is scared out of her mind. Emily realizes though, that the only way to get her best friend back is to do those things on the list. So, Emily starts off with the small things. And as Emily crosses things off the list one by one, the story unravels.

This book is honestly the thing that gives me hope about long distant friendships. One quote I like from the book is: “I somehow knew that the particulars didn’t matter. She was my heart, she was half of me, and nothing, certainly not a few measly hundred miles, was ever going to change that.”and how could I not like that?

I dont know how Morgan does it, but she manages to show who every character is without getting into their story.

I gave Since You’ve Been Gone 5 stars because I love this book so much! This book sparks so much hope in me.

Happy Reading!
Adele