From the Bookshelf of The Wide Web of Friends in YA Books…

Since You've Been Gone

Morgan Matson

Start date: August 1, 2014

Finish date: August 31, 2014

Why we're reading this: Won the August Stand Alone Poll!!
[close] Won the August Stand Alone Poll!!

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Aug 06, 2014 Chelsea B rated it it was amazing

Morgan Matson deserves a huge round of applause. I loved this book, because it was unique. I loved how she incorporated the list and the playlists. They really brought the story to life. Morgan Matson created some amazing characters that I loved. I felt like I got to know them, and I wanted Emily to succeed. I normally don't like self-discovery novels, but I honestly loved this one! I think all YA contemporary lovers should read this! ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2021 Teenage Reads rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, 2021

Plot:
Emily and Sloane were the best of friends. They went everywhere together, and spent so much time together that Emily was happy to be called “Sloane’s friend” by people who did not know her name. Emily still remembers how they met, two years ago she was out for one of the longer runs when she came across Sloane standing outside of her locked house and asked Emily to give her a boost through the window. Since that moment the two of them have been inseparable - until they weren’t. Emily went t Plot:
Emily and Sloane were the best of friends. They went everywhere together, and spent so much time together that Emily was happy to be called “Sloane’s friend” by people who did not know her name. Emily still remembers how they met, two years ago she was out for one of the longer runs when she came across Sloane standing outside of her locked house and asked Emily to give her a boost through the window. Since that moment the two of them have been inseparable - until they weren’t. Emily went to Sloane’s house one day to find her and her parents gone, the house missing their personal nicknacks, their car gone, and no signs for when they would return. With Sloane not answering her texts, and calls going straight to voicemail, her other half for the last two years simply vanished. Until the letter came. Every time Emily was going on a trip with her parents, Sloane would give her a letter with a list of tasks Emily was supposed to do. Where Emily attempted some of them, she never got the entire list done, leaving Sloane to question why she did not finish the list. With Sloane missing for two weeks, Emily received a letter with 13 items Sloane asked Emily to do this summer without her. This list contained some straightforward quests, like apple picking at night, sleeping under the stars, to 55 S. Ave. Ask for Mona. Some were a bit on the wilder side like steal something, break something and go skinny-dipping. And some did not make any sense like hugging Jamie, Penelope, and sharing some secrets in the dark. Failing at the first talk of apple picking at night, Emily was rescued by school all-star Frank Porter, who was also experiencing a different summer than normal. Forming a friendship with him, Frank agreed to help Emily finish Sloane’s list if Emily will teach Frank how to run long-distance. With Sloane’s list leading Emily to places she’s never been before, friends that Emily could not have made on her own, and a romance that could lead to the demise of everything. It is Emily’s first summer in two years without Sloane, and where Sloane might not be there, she is always with Emily in her thoughts.

Thoughts:
Morgan Matson crafted the perfect summer read, and maybe all readers will give Sloane’s list a try. Sloane’s list of thirteen items was given pretty early on within the story, leaving the rest of the book time for Emily to complete each task without rushing them, or putting two of the tasks together. With each chapter dedicated to a task, this leads to some long chapters, and surprises as Emily might set off to complete one task, but then do another that the chapter is titled after. Sometimes Emily also completes items twice on the list, as her “break something” turns into something bigger near the end of the book than when it first comes up within the story. Matson does not leave anything out, as where the book has Emily focus on Sloane’s list, there are other elements to the story like Sloane’s relationship with her parents, their hectic plot of trying to write an entire Broadway play during the summer, her new friends and their plot points, and solving the mystery of what happened to Sloane. The romance element is what is lacking for me in this cute summer story, as where I could see the friendship grow between Frank and Emily, I really could not see them as a relationship more than their other romantic leads in the story. Music was also a huge part of the story, which is very typical for a 2014 teen summer novel, so do hate for that but it is something that I do not find interesting as Matson dedicates several pages in the story just listing out Emily and Frank’s running playlist. Overall, this is a nice, cute, rom-com of a summer story that is overall a good story if you are in the mood for some teenage adventure. ...more

Like · see review