Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Title: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: ARC, ALA

Summary from Goodreads:
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...

What I Liked

First and foremost, I loved the storyline. I loved that Sloane left Emily a list of things to do that forced Emily to step outside of her comfort zone. What a fun idea for a book. And the list felt really authentic, like something that would be from a best friend that knows you better than anyone else, full of history.

I loved how the story was told. Each chapter was dedicated to Emily completing an item on the list.  I loved the journey she went on and the friends and memories she made along the way. And most chapters, if not all, had a flashback to times when Emily and Sloane were together, giving readers a greater understanding of their friendship and who the girls were/are. And Morgan Matson's writing is just so easy, so smooth.

I love the growth we see in Emily's character. In the beginning she is guarded, self-conscious, shy, fearful. But by the end of the book, she is no longer so afraid of everything. She learns how to be herself, not just Sloane's best friend. And with each item on the list that she completes, the more her confidence grows, and by the end she is rather brave. She really comes into herself.

The romance in this book was really sweet. A series of chance encounters throws Emily and Frank together and they grow to become friends. Frank starts helping Emily with the list and over time their relationship grows stronger, deeper. It kind of took Emily by surprise, when she suddenly realizes how much she grew to rely on him, feel comfortable around him, and want to talk to him.

There is something about this book that just made me want to live in the moment, seize the day, take risks. Watching Emily sleep under the stars, make out with a stranger, go skinny dipping, and feel so free and alive made me want to feel all of those things too. Not necessarily by going skinny dipping, but by better appreciating the beauty that surrounds me.

The ending was fantastic. Not only do readers get answers and closure, but everything wraps up just so perfectly.  I closed this book with a big smile on my face. 

What I Didn't

Now I thought this book was adorable and charming and sweet, but at the same time it felt a little underwhelming. I didn't experience strong feels with this one that would move it from a "REALLY like" to a "LOVE" if ya know what I am saying. I'm sure the length didn't help any. This was a fairly long book and although there was always something going on, the pace was on the slower side. BUT THIS WAS STILL REALLY GREAT. I don't want the one negative thing I say to dissuade anyone. :)

And in the beginning, Emily was so awkward that it was almost painful. I didn't think someone could be as bad at social interaction as she was. But I guess that made her transformation all the more dramatic.

Bottom Line

Morgan Matson delivers yet another wonderful contemporary. Since You've Been Gone has a fun plot, a rich friendship, and a sweet romance. It was full of life, love, summer, firsts, friends, adventure, courage, and more. The perfect summer read!

REVIEW: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Pages: 344, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

It’s official. I have joined the Morgan Matson Fan Club. I read Second Chance Summer not too long ago, which was my first Matson book, and found it to be extremely emotional. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, though on the lighter side, is just as finely crafted and wonderful.

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour is a perfect ‘feel good’ book. Amy & Roger are brought together by their parents to travel cross country. At the start of the trip they are both in a difficult place. Amy recently lost her father and blames herself. Meanwhile, Roger can’t get over his ex and the unexpected ending to their relationship. What neither one of them realizes, is that they are exactly what each other needs at this moment in their lives.

I strongly believe that people are put in your life for a reason and I feel like this book exemplifies that idea. Amy & Roger quickly fell into a comfortable routine. Whether as friends, or the possibility of more, they just worked together. I loved watching their relationship grow. It was a slow and steady build of trust and affection. They learned to let each other in a little more with each mile that passed and they ultimately helped each other move on from hard times. It was honest and sweet.

It was also fun watching them discover each other’s quirks, likes and dislikes. And how did I get this far without mentioning the playlists and fun facts about each state at the beginning of chapters. I adore details like this in books. This book had just so much personality.

Although this is a road trip book and the story spans several locations, I wouldn’t say the setting is a prominent part of the story. The focus was on Amy & Roger and them overcoming their respective hold ups, and the road trip was just a tool that gave them the time and means to do so.

So I did say this was a ‘feel good’ book. Even though the story does touch on some serious topics, the progression of events and the ending to the story made me feel good. (Well, Roger did drive me crazy a little bit, but that’s beside the point). There was promise and hope and compassion and comfort written into these pages. This story tells the start of something beautiful. A momento to the promise within the unexpected.

REVIEW #136: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Title: Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Pages: 468, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

There are so many things going on in this book. The last time Taylor was at her lake house in the Poconos was when she was 12. But given her bad habit of running away when things got hard, she left the two people she cared for most behind and hurt, suddenly and with no explanation. She never expected to go back and have to deal with the consequences of her choices. And she has almost succeeded in forgetting abotu them. But 5 years later, the Edwards family has returned and this time Taylor can't run away. And they come back into her life by storm.

Henry and Lucy are less than thrilled to see Taylor and she struggles to give them the apology they deserve. She's more cowardly than she cares to admit. But once she works up the courage to say what needs to be said, she starts on the long road to mending the two friendships that meant so much to her five summers ago. And with Henry, she rekindles a romance that never really escaped her. 

I really enjoyed Henry and Lucy as secondary characters. They weren't given too much of their own story but their connection with Taylor was palpable. Both relationships were sweet and comforting and enduring. 

But the real heart and soul of this book lies in the story of Taylor's father. 

Taylor's father has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and only has a few months to live. Taylor doesn't know how to cope with losing her father or the dramatic changes she sees in him as his illness progresses. And since her family has grown apart over the years, she doesn't know where or how to find comfort. She feels more alone and lost than ever. 

But slowly her family comes together and learns to lean on each other for support. And Taylor makes the most of the time she has left with her father, appreciating the moments they share. The moments she once took advantage of.

Her father has such a strong presence in this book. I loved everything about their relationship and the final summer they spent together (well obviously except for the ending). I could feel how previous these moments were to them and I cherished reading them. I easily cried when the end came. Oh, and I loveed the pun jokes that they shared. It was such a joyful addition to the story.

But Taylor is conflicted because she feels like she should be focusing on her father and her family, not galivanting about with Henry and Lucy, worrying over matters that are trivial in comparrison to his illness. She struggles to let anyone close and to trust in herself and her heart.

We see so much change in Taylor over the course of this book. At the start she is timid and guarded, but by the end she is braver and more open. I really admired her personal growth. But I didn't connect with her that strongly. I didn't see myself in her and I don't believe that I myself would make some of the same decisions she did. That is ultimately the reason why I gave this book 4.5 and not 5 stars.

The writing is just so beautiful. Everything about this story felt so honest and real and personal. I think everyone can connect to it on some level.

Second Chance Summer is a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey.