Since You’ve Been Gone is Morgan Matson’s ode to the introverted teenage girl. The YA contemporary fiction novel follows one summer in the life of 17-year-old Emily, who has awoken one morning to find that her best friend, Sloane, has packed all her belongings and left town without a word. The only trace of her left behind is a to-do list addressed to Emily. It’s filled with tasks that shy, insecure Emily would never do without her adventurous best friend, like “Kiss a stranger” and “Go skinny-dipping.” The list becomes a catalyst for a summer of new experiences, friends, and self-confidence. Since You’ve Been Gone is not the most well-written or interesting book, but it is fun, wholesome, and perfect for the summer months.
“She was my heart, she was half of me, and nothing, certainly not a few measly hundred miles, was ever going to change that.”
Matson chose to tell Emily’s story in the first-person point-of-view, so it’s paramount that the style is accurate to an introverted and self-conscious teenage girl. I believe the author succeeded – I knew every anxious thought swirling around in Emily’s head. The writing borders on hyperbolic, but all I had to do to suspend my disbelief that a young girl is so nervous about so many things is reminisce on my 17-year-old self. It’s easy for me to forget that when I was Emily’s age, I also lacked self-confidence and belief in my own potential. In the end, I related a good deal with Since You’ve Been Gone‘s main character. Unfortunately, the novel was much longer than it actually needed to be, not because of unnecessary plot lines, but because Matson injected too much detail into every scene. For example, instead of writing, “Emily climbed into the passenger seat of the car,” the author might say, “Emily walked around the car, stood in front of the passenger-side door, pulled on the handle, and sat in the seat.” I’m not quoting a specific scene, but it is a good example of Matson’s love of the comma (a love I obviously can relate to). Thankfully, although the drawn-out details are tedious, they don’t ruin the book.
“It was like hitting the snooze button on your alarm – your sleep in that window is never very good, since you know it’s borrowed time, and that it will be over all too soon.”
The book’s word count was too high, but it did have good plot pacing. The chapters were titled with a specific item on Sloane’s to-do list, so the events within each chapter furthered Emily’s completion of the tasks. Her bravery and self-confidence grew with each to-do item she crossed off the list, and I enjoyed witnessing her personal growth. Matson also sprinkled scenes from the past within the story to allow the reader to meet Sloane and learn about her relationship with Emily. The flashbacks were always relevant to the present timeline to show either the holes left behind from Sloane’s departure or Emily’s character development. I also appreciated the end of the novel – I will only reveal that Emily does learn the reason for her best friend’s disappearance, and Matson ties together the loose ends in a way that will warm your heart.
“Real friends are the ones you can count on no matter what. The ones who go into the forest to find you and bring you home. And real friends never have to tell you that they’re your friends.”
I found the protagonist in Since You’ve Been Gone occasionally irritating, with her nervousness bordering on hysteria, but her character gains self-confidence throughout the novel. Emily only does difficult and exciting things if Sloane is present to push her, so it was interesting to observe Emily’s behavior when she didn’t have her best friend’s outgoing personality as a crutch. Also, readers who enjoy a bit of family dynamics in their books will appreciate Matson’s inclusion of quirky parental figures and an adorable younger brother. Unfortunately, I found the romantic lead to be too knight-in-shining-armor, although I appreciated the slow-burn romance. It’s also important to note that closed-door romance readers won’t need to skip any pages because the relationship is entirely PG.
“All the stuff you can’t wait to get away from, until it’s not there anymore, and then you miss it like crazy.”
The main theme in Since You’ve Been Gone is an important one for every teenager – your growth and self-worth will increase with each challenge. In the beginning of the novel, Emily has minimal self-esteem and molded her own personality based on Sloane’s opinions. However, after completing just the first task on the to-do list, Emily begins to realize that she’s capable of acting of her own accord. She slowly stops over-analyzing her social interactions. She makes physical changes to her appearance to symbolize her growing confidence, such as cutting her hair and wearing an outfit she chose without Sloane’s help. She makes new friends and confronts people she would have usually avoided. By the last page of the book, Emily has discovered the adventure in the unexpected. It turns out that the best memories often stem from the unplanned.
“Nothing worth doing is easy,” Frank said. “Especially not in the beginning. But I’m not about to give up.”
Overused commas and gratuitous details in Since You’ve Been Gone are unfortunate, but the plot is well-paced, Emily is a relatable protagonist with great character growth, and the book’s theme will aways be relevant and important for its intended audience. Since You’ve Been Gone is a relatable, wholesome, and easy read well-suited for the summer.
You might like Since You’ve Been Gone if you enjoy:
- Young adult books
- Contemporary novels set in the summer
- Books with slow-burn romances as side plots
- Novels focused on character development rather than fast-paced plots
- Themes of friendship and personal growth
Buy a copy of Since You’ve Been Gone at the following links:
Check out the synopsis and reviews on Goodreads
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