Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Title: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Canada
Publication date: May 6, 2014

Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 449

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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...

Right now, Morgan Matson is probably one of my favorite contemporary authors out there. I absolutely loved Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, and it was one of my all time favorite road trip books. When I heard about Since You've Been Gone, the synopsis immediately sold me, and I just couldn't wait to pick it up. This is a book about two best friends (yay), but here, one of them has left a note and suddenly disappeared. Emily, a quiet and shy girl, gets a letter from Sloane, her best friend, before Sloane suddenly disappears into nowhere. Emily is confused and upset at Sloane's sudden disappearance, especially since it's just the beginning of the summer holiday. Emily and Sloane had amazing plans for the summer, but Sloane's disappearance was not one of them. Sloane leaves Emily a TO-DO list, with some crazy things for her to complete. It's not the first time Emily received one of those from Sloane, and when she did, she never ever completed a list. This time though, Emily thinks that completing the list will lead her to finding Sloane. 

I'm a BIG list person. I love making lists, and I love seeing lists. Lists are just so exciting and fun for me, and when there's a book with a list in it, I will definitely end up enjoying it. The list Sloane made for Emily is pretty fun. Some of the stuff on the list, like "Penelope", are things that only Emily would understand.  Others, like "Go Skinny Dipping", are just random crazy things that Sloane knows Emily would never do. I just love how this list was able to change Emily in so many ways she wouldn't have without it. Despite Sloane's disappearance, there are flashbacks in the book that introduce Sloane to us, and let us understand her and know her more. Emily's character develops drastically throughout the book, and we meet so many other amazing characters that she becomes friends with. The romance in the book was also very interesting. Even though the book wasn't REALLY about the romance, I still enjoyed it a lot. 

I just really loved the adventures that were accompanied with every "number" on the list. It was exciting and funny and just a great adventure. I really enjoyed this book, and just like Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, it was a perfect contemporary. I also really loved the ending. I definitely did not expect the book to end that way, but again, it stayed true to how realistic the book is. Fans of Morgan Matson and contemporary in general, you will definitely enjoy this book to the max! It is a book full of friendship, heartbreak, love, and fun. I'm really excited to see what Morgan has for us in the future!