Since You've Been Gone

Hey Y'all. I want to say thank you sooo much for all the support you gave me for my Neuro test, and I can officially say I have read again.  So let's get on with it, but before we do...


HAPPY PUNDAY SUNDAY

Okay, moving on.


I finished Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson.  I could spend time giving y'all a personalized synopsis, but instead I'll just put the official one down and get down to business.  The real synopsis is this:

Before Sloane, Emily didn’t go to parties, she barely talked to guys, and she didn’t do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—someone who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. There’s just a random to-do list with thirteen bizarre tasks that Emily would never try. But what if they can lead her to Sloane?

Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a stranger? Wait…what?

Getting through Sloane’s list will mean a lot of firsts, and with a whole summer ahead of her—and with the unexpected help of the handsome Frank Porter—who knows what she’ll find.

Go Skinny Dipping? Um…

So yeah.


The most important thing for this book is the relationships.  It's about family relationships, friendships, and a hint of romance.  Emily, as you can probably figure out, has been the background character her whole life.  When she met Sloane, she found a comfortable way to come out of her shell, but as soon as her friend leaves, it becomes clear that she was relying completely on Sloane to be her safety net.  The journey she takes through the summer, where she finds a way to make friends while finding herself, is deeper than this synopsis would tell you.  The relationships Matson has created between her and her family (her lovable but writing-obsessed parents who cut themselves off from the world when they're creating a play, and her daredevil brother who loves heights) help show multiple sides of her, while her growth as a character is amazingly written.


I love Frank, who throughout the whole book helps Emily find herself.  Even though not all of their decisions are on the moral high-ground, I love how their relationship develops slowly and realistically.


The only real problem I had was Sloane.  Most of the scenes, I understood her.  She was good for Emily, and she was a good friend who listened when she needed to and always trusted Emily.  She pushed Emily out of her comfort zone and made her do things she wouldn't normally do.  I could understand and even forgive her lies that are all revealed at the end.  I could even understand why she put Emily aside when she thought she was in love, and why Emily felt she had to date the guy's best friend and blah blah blah.  They're all understandable in a realistic way.


There was just one small scene I couldn't wrap my mind around.  It was in a flashback that explained "Penelope" (one of the list items) to us.  When Sloane gives Emily a fake ID, with the name Penelope on it, and tries to get her to sneak into a bar to watch their favorite band, Emily stands her ground for once and vehemently says no.  Maybe it's just because I understand Emily's innate need to follow the rules, but I thought it was horrible of Sloane to judge her and then ditch her and walk into the bar.  Then, when Emily waits the whole time because she's the only ride Sloane has, the girl has the guts to be annoyed that Emily wouldn't go in with her.  I feel like a real friend, and especially the kind that the book tries to tell us Sloane is, wouldn't have done that.  They would have seen that this was pushing their friend too far and backed off for once, proud that their friend had finally stood up for something they believed in.


Anyway, that's the only problem.  Overall, this book was a really good examination of different types of relationships.  I recommend it, and I can honestly say calling it a "summer read" isn't giving its depth justice.