Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (ARC)

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Simon & Schuster BYR, 449 Pages
US Release Date: May 6, 2014
Format/Souce: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

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…
--------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

I don't think you have to do something so big to be brave. And it's the little things that are harder anyway.

Is there anything Morgan Matson can do wrong? I swear she has it all when it comes to writing. Amazing characters? Check. Growth and development that is both exciting and unpredictable and natural? Check. Friendships that are real and organic? Check. Brilliant boys who function as friends and like-like friends? Check. A wonderful writing style that invites you in and never lets you go? Check, check, and more check.

I have to say, while I love pretty much all and everything Morgan Matson does, probably the best parts of Since You've Been Gone to me were the small, nuanced details. Like that Frank was called "Frank Porter" through a lot of his introduction into the story. Because we all have or know those people who are just first+last name people, right? It's such a small detail, but it says so much about him. I was immediately given an idea about who he is and how he is viewed by that small thing.

Or the parallel between Collins and Frank's friendship to Sloane and Emily's, regarding an "extra" feeling to the relationship. I can't quite discuss it since it gives away some of the book if I were to go into details, but it was a subtle draw from the story, and it made it so much more whole, so much more like real life to me.

Of course I loved the big things, too. I thought Sloane was a bit strange and had a whole ethereal, hippie vibe to her--which was great. I felt very close to Emily and her character, who was a bit lost and looking. I really loved Frank Porter and Collins, they had such fun personalities and had great Best Dudes vibes and chemistry with each other. I was surprised how much I loved Dawn, too, and how she fit into the story. She came crashing in with tears and a teenage tragedy, and what she turned into was utterly fantastic.

I was really in love with the list, even though I didn't like how Sloane up and left Emily. It was such a fun, creative list, and I liked the ways that Emily fulfilled the items she could. Some were at face value, and others were a little more and a little deeper than I thought they would be--and it was better that way. It takes a lot to surprise someone when we're given a list from the beginning, but again, Morgan doesn't disappoint.

Sloane up-and-leaving Emily was something I didn't like, as mentioned--but I have to say, I understand it. I move around a lot, and I get why it feels easier to do that when you live a transient lifestyle…but I felt like Emily is the kind of girl you realize you can't do that to, and I was a little sad Sloane did. Of course, it fits with the characters and creates the whole story so it's not really a complaint…just a comment.

Since You've Been Gone is a brilliant story about friendship and finding yourself, about defining who you are and digging into what you once were with the people you knew and want to always know. Written with warmth, love, subtlety, and fun, it's a book that climbs quickly to one of my favourites of the year. And you should read it and discover why, too.

5 stars

and lists upon lists more

Summer Lovin' Tour recap (featuring fun swag!)

On Tuesday (May 8), the Summer Lovin' Tour with Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby and Morgan Matson came to Huntington Beach -- and I was stoked to find out I would be able to drive up! I suck and didn't take a picture of the 3 of them together, nor did I get a picture with Jenny Han (I told you, I suck), but it was still TONS of fun. I absolutely adore each of these authors: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is still one of the best, most perfect YA novels in my opinion (read my review here!), I snagged an early copy of In Honor and was reduced to tears by how wonderful it was (read my review here!), and even though I hadn't read anything by Jenny Han yet, I'd heard great things, I love her Tumblr and I'm actually in the middle of The Summer I Turned Pretty (and love it already). Safe to say, I was SUPER excited to get to meet them all in person!

Me + Morgan Matson. My hair is really long again.

Me + Jessi Kirby. She is so cute and HER ARMS. I dream of having arms like that one day.

They each started out introducing their own books and reading passages from them. Jessi read Finn's letter to Honor from In Honor (I started tearing up, and I'd already read it!); Morgan read the scene from Second Chance Summer when the family is just arriving at their old house; and Jenny read a flashback scene from Christmas from We'll Always Have Summer. It was hilarious because the store's security alarm kept going off, and Jenny seamlessly worked it in as special sound effects to her passage - so awesome.

After, they each asked each other questions and then opened it up to the audience for questions, where they'd bribe reward askers with Skittles.  As per my usual, bullet point recap!

• Morgan is not so good at throwing.
• They did a hilarious round of Date, Marry, Kill with the options of Voldemort, Nagini, and Dobby.
• Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was NOT Morgan's first book she wrote, but it was her first published. She says the first one she wrote will not be seen.
• Jenny's and Jessi's first published books were their first written - Jenny wrote Shug for a grad school class; and Jessi wrote Moonglass first.
• Two of Jessi's favourite books are The Secret Life of Bees and White Oleander.
• One of Morgan's favourites is Blue Castle.
• Jenny's favourites are I Capture the Castle, Gone With the Wind and Time Traveler's Wife.
• Jessi just turned in her script for her third novel, called Golden, that will be out in Spring 2013.
• Jenny talked about her next book out, Burn For Burn, that was cowritten with Siobhan Vivian.
• Siobhan and Jenny would write scene for scene; one would write it and send to the other, who would send back with edits and changes, and the original would read and revise again, and they'd continue until they were done with the scene.
• Sarah Dessen was a major YA influence to both Morgan and Jessi.
• Jenny took a second to defend Jeremiah in Book 3, and my heart loved her more when she said "they were on a break!" (Friends reference <3)
• Jessi is big on outlining.
• Jenny writes scenes, often out of order, by hand and in notebooks.
• Morgan writes as she goes and doesn't often look back.

And they were troopers as well and signed every single book that everyone had. They took the time to talk to each person individually and were so, so sweet. Morgan and I discussed Europe (she recognized me from Twitter and asked about my handle) and road tripping, Jenny and I talked about our dresses (hers was SO cute, I'm so mad I didn't get a picture!), and Jessi not only recognized me from Twitter but remembered my review about In Honor! I was floored that she'd read it and remembered (that also makes me incredibly nervous haha), and told me it made her cry. In all fairness, In Honor made ME cry!

This tour definitely had some of the most fun swag I've ever seen! I realized after that I had been too busy talking with Morgan and Jenny and forgot to grab their book postcards and/or bookmarks :( There's a keychain with red boots for In Honor (Jessi even wore her own boots to the event!) and bookmarks; a pair of earbuds and personalized playlists for each of the authors' current books*; and a small bottle of sunscreen and a Chapter sampler for Burn For Burn**!

All in all, a super fun time! They just wrapped their tour tonight, but if you ever have a chance to see or meet them, don't hesitate; they're wonderful.

*For those wondering, here are the playlists!
We'll Always Have Summer: Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts | So Long, So Long - Dashboard Confessional | Summertime - Will Smith
In Honor: Fallin' For You - Colbie Caillat | On My Mind - Donavon Frankenreiter | Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift 

Second Chance Summer: Sunburn - Owl City | Long Hot Summer - Keith Urban | California Girls - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg

**I have an ARC of Burn For Burn and don't need the Chapter sampler...anyone want the sampler? I can pop it in the mail (US only).