Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (4/5)

Your summer has started and you are excited to spend it with your best (and only) friend. You reach for your phone only to be sent to voicemail again, and again, and again. This is the reality for Emily Hughes in Morgan Matson’s book, Since You’ve Been Gone, when she realizes that her only friend Sloane has disappeared and blocked all contact with her. Emily is an introverted girl spending her summer in a small town with her theater-obsessed parents and her daredevil little brother. Once Sloan disappears Emily is desperate to find her and will do anything to get her back. Including crossing off every activity on a summer bucket list she finds in the mail from Sloan. This story follows Emily’s adventure as she completes the list and makes new friends and exciting memories along the way. These activities will push Emily out of her comfort zone making her do things like Skinny dipping, kissing a stranger, or even… hugging a Jamie? She’ll also experience a sweet Summer romance with an unexpected someone who will help her with her list.

I feel that this book was a fun slightly exciting read with just the right amount of drama to still be light-hearted. The relationships between the characters were fun to follow as they grew closer and discovered hidden feelings or negative aspects of one another. I also really liked the writing style of Matson and the character development throughout the book. For example, Emily, the main character, really comes out of her shell and learns how to be independent. She grows closer to her family and strengthens her bond with her brother as well which was very heartwarming. I also think that this is a pretty relatable book for a lot of people as the main character reflects a lot of my own personality traits and I felt like I could relate to how she felt a lot.

Overall, I would rate this book pretty high at least a 4. I think I enjoyed this book because it was sort of like a coming-of-age romance and it had a lot of moments that would be really exciting to a teenager in one of her last summers as a kid, and I, being a teenager found that interesting to read about. I would recommend this book to people who want a lighter read but something that will still capture your attention and suck you into the story until you are finished with the book. I also definitely think that this book is a lot more enjoyable for an audience of young or teenage girls. However, I think anyone can enjoy the book. The pace is nice, the characters are likable, and the dialogue is natural.