Since You’ve Been Gone

Author: Morgan Matson

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary.

Editorial: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Year: 2014

Ranking: 4 / 5

Synopsis

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 will find?

Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?

The Author

Morgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway through a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.

Following college graduation, she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize. Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014. And in 2016, She published The Unexpected Everything. 

Personal Experience with this Book

Since long time ago, I wanted to read a Morgan Matson book. All her books have very good feedbacks and it gives everyone that feeling of spending a day relaxing while reading. This synopsis especially got my attention because it is a story that occurs following a very beautiful friendship between two girls and you do not get to see that so much on young adult.
 

I like the story very much. The idea of ​​this friendship is so beautiful. These girls complement each other, you get to see the interaction between them throughout the story as a very natural friendship that feels real. It reminded me of those friends with whom I was when I was in high school. Some friends of those who you never forget, where there is such a deep complicity and such a nice understanding that sometimes words are not necessary.

The way in which Sloanes communicates with Emily is with messages or letters. It is something she likes to do a lot because she feels it has a greater meaning. When Emily goes on a trip, Sloane makes her a list of what to do. When Sloane disappears, the list appears again. This list is full not only of things that Emily would never do, but also full of memories of things they did together and Sloane wants Emily to experience by herself.

Emily is a smart girl, who have very good feelings, she has ideas and attitudes that you’d find in a girl with a lot of friends at school, she has charisma. BUT SHE IS TOO SHY. I think that is the main reason why Emily not bother me at all. Despite being so insecure and even though that every decision she mades is only made when she feels her world is falling around her, Emily has a great personality, she a very cool girl. What happens is that she prefers to be stuck in her own world and Sloane seems to be the only one who has made her get out of that bubble in which she lives and has broken down all those walls that Emily built around her. That is why, when Sloane leaves, she feels lost. She feels she cannot express herself and feel like drowning every time something happens and she cannot call Sloane to tell her.

That is why when Frank, Dwan and Collins reach her summer, it is difficult at first for her to open her heart and let them in. However, these guys are getting into her life slowly and are approaching her so that it becomes impossible not to start sharing things that she had just said to Sloane. Each will play an important role in the store and they will help her to finish Sloane’s list.

The relationship between Emily and Frank is built so slowly they are too cute, but without being too much cute. This is something that I always find annoying in these books, when romance goes excessively romantic. Their friendship, above all things, is incredible. These guys from not talking to each other happen to have a giant confidence. You see how slowly the relationship develops and although we are in a "summer", it does not feel like something that happen quickly. When Emily least realizes, she is already in love.

The narrative of the author is something I have to highlight. This book is read very fast. The chapters are long but still you literally fly when reading it. Besides, it happens very cool while reading. I did not realized how much I have advance when I have already finished it.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a light reading and you do not want to go for the typical contemporary drama where there are many bad things happening to the protagonists. It is a cool story and worth of reading.

Has anyone read the book? What other book of this author can you recommend?