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A review by steph01924
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
3.0
OK, the beginning of this book was very...needy/whiny/pathetic and it turned me off. It felt very juvenile and I was surprised so many people liked it as much as they have. I actually skipped to the end to see where the friend Sloane (it's pretty bad I had to pause to go look up everyone's names and I only read this a few weeks ago) went because I couldn't stand the thought of reading the whole book to be let down by this silly 'mystery'. Once I read the end, I decided to go for the whole shebang, and I began skimming.
But then...I began actually reading. It all got much better once Emily went to the Orchard by herself. I enjoyed Frank as a character, so his inclusion made it all better. And Emily's extreme shyness/anti-social issues, coupled with having just one amazing friend that she felt like a shadow to, I related somewhat. No self-respecting introvert enjoys showing up to a party alone. Emily was a bit extreme (seriously, LET the cute boy get you some gas for your car!) but I began to understand her more throughout the book. I still may have skimmed over a few minor parts, and it was still a pretty fluffy venture overall, but I ended up liking it more than I expected to five pages in.
I read another review where the person berated 'The List' as being too easy and babyish. Not everyone is amazingly comfortable to run around nude in front of their sort-of friends! Some people have 'silly' fears like being scared of adorable horses (I mean, they ARE large). I didn't have a problem with the relative smallness of the tasks Emily had at hand, because when you're a cautious/risk-adverse person, even the smallest things can be daunting.
So. Not the most amazing thing I've read, but decent just the same.
But then...I began actually reading. It all got much better once Emily went to the Orchard by herself. I enjoyed Frank as a character, so his inclusion made it all better. And Emily's extreme shyness/anti-social issues, coupled with having just one amazing friend that she felt like a shadow to, I related somewhat. No self-respecting introvert enjoys showing up to a party alone. Emily was a bit extreme (seriously, LET the cute boy get you some gas for your car!) but I began to understand her more throughout the book. I still may have skimmed over a few minor parts, and it was still a pretty fluffy venture overall, but I ended up liking it more than I expected to five pages in.
I read another review where the person berated 'The List' as being too easy and babyish. Not everyone is amazingly comfortable to run around nude in front of their sort-of friends! Some people have 'silly' fears like being scared of adorable horses (I mean, they ARE large). I didn't have a problem with the relative smallness of the tasks Emily had at hand, because when you're a cautious/risk-adverse person, even the smallest things can be daunting.
So. Not the most amazing thing I've read, but decent just the same.