“It was like swimming under the stars, like sleeping outside, like climbing a tree in the dark and seeing the view. It was scary and safe and peaceful and exciting, all at the same time. It was the way I felt when I was with him. Like a well-ordered universe.”
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Emily’s best friend Sloane disappears, almost without a trace – the only thing left behind is a to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that wallflower Emily wouldn’t normally do, and definitely not without her best friend. But what if completing the list could bring Sloane back?
Emily and Sloane are best friends but somehow Emily is always in the background. Sloane is the confident one and always does the talking. She is cool, stylish and funny. When Sloane leaves town without warning, Emily feels that her life will not be the same again. In a way she is right but it is not something to fear. Sloane has written a list of tasks designed to bring Emily out of her shell and so a story unfolds of a girl learning how to live life to the fullest and leave anxiety behind. Dancing until dawn, sleeping under the stars and hugging someone called Jamie… Emily is about to make amazing new friends and wonderful new memories.
If you read one book during summer then make it this one. Emily’s journey and transformation is inspiring and heart-warming. At first she doesn’t think she will cope without her best friend by her side but Sloane’s list shows her that she has the confidence and ability to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Since You’ve Been Gone is fun, romantic and full of characters you will fall in love with. If you enjoy this one then make sure you read Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by the same author as well. Morgan Matson is Queen of the Summer Read and needs to write more books now, please, thank you.