Published: May 6, 2014 by: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 449
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Emily's best friend Sloane brought her out of her shell and into the light. However what was supposed to be the summer of a lifetime for the girls turns sour when Sloane mysteriously disappears. The weird thing is, Sloane left Emily a list of things to do while Sloane was gone. Determined to find her friend, Emily embarks on the journey of a lifetime, finally surviving life without Sloane, and going after her longtime crush Frank Porter.
This was a very good summer read. I guess this review comes a bit late since it's November, but hopefully you'll get the summer vibes from it. Overall this book was a good, easy read for on the beach or something, but I wouldn't say that it was anything special.
I really liked the vibes from this book. The atmosphere was really nice, and while reading this in the summertime, I could really imagine that I was in the character's place. This book was very bright and happy and definitely puts you in a good mood.
I would say that this book is easy to get through. It is kind of long for a contemporary book, but it's still very easy to read and understand and the story is interesting. It will keep you entertained on a beach or on a long road trip, that's for sure.
I guess this book just didn't "wow" me. It was nothing that I hadn't seen before, and the character's weren't really that exciting or diverse. They were just your typical white teenage girls, which kind of bothered me. I would have liked a POC in there or something.
So I guess if you want to read this book, read this in the summertime when you just want something to get you through the hot days, but don't really expect to be amazed. And definitely don't read this if you're expecting something diverse.
Have you read Since You've Been Gone? What did you think?
Emily @ Paperback Princess
I actually enjoyed this contemporary, but like you said: it was nothing really special. I couldn't stand Sloane at all, though.
ReplyDeleteYeah she was pretty annoying!
DeleteSounds like a resounding 'meh!' ;)
ReplyDeleteVery accurate explanation!
DeleteI'm sorry this book failed to make you go wow! I've so far come across kinda mixed reviews, and everyone says not to expect anything extraordinary. Well. I guess I'll pass :(( Great review, as always Em!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ruzaika! I think what could have made this book better would to be some diversity, that was the main problem.
DeleteI read this a while ago and wasn't a huge fan either - I reread it as a group read later on and upped my rating to 4 stars from 3, but, tbh, I think I was just getting excited because of how much some of the others liked it haha.
ReplyDeleteI pretty much disliked all the characters, tbh. I'm a shy person & don't want to be in the centre of attention, especially in bigger crowds, but I couldn't relate to Emily one bit. I also wanted HER to learn to be on her own and I felt like that didn't happen, rather she found new people to hang out with and that was that.
I also wanted Emily to be more angry with Sloane for leaving without even saying goodbye or any kind of explanation. Wouldn't a normal person be pissed if any of their close friends just left without a word?
I think for a novel where nothing HUGE and groundbreaking happened Since You've Been Gone was way too long.
Great review, Emily! :)
Thanks Veronika! I definitely agree. I'm shy as well but Emily just didn't seem to relate to me. It seemed like all of her problems were solved very fast! Also I expected more drama once she found Sloane. It seemed like she just moved on with her life!
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