"In a well-ordered universe...camping would take place indoors." -Since You've Been Go

10 out of 10 jellybeans because this book is hands-down one of the most spectacular I've read in a while.

Sloane, vintage queen and out-going master of adventure, and her trusty sidekick Emily, grade A runner and introvert, have been inseparable since Sophomore year of high school. Never one without the other. Peas in a pod. That is until Sloane disappears without a trace over the summer. Two weeks after her unexplained absense, Emily finds a list from Sloane of 13 things to do that summer. Emily is determined to do them all in hopes of finding her best friend. Apple picking at night? No problem. Kiss a stranger? Okay, this may take a while... Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson tells the story about what adventures friendship can wrangle people into.

This book is such an adorable coming-of-age story! Normally I can't stand realitstic fiction because it's either dreadfully sad or incredibly fluffy. Not Since You've Been Gone. The story is a fast-paced thrill ride with a large scoop of friendship on top.

The characters are relatable, funny, and have their own great quirks. Frank, for example, is only known to Emily at the beginning of the summer as the super smart nerd with a perfect family. Over the course of just a few weeks, Emily's perspective is flipped around. People have secrets, and judging them based on their outer shell will enivitably lead to their deep emotions remaining forgotten. So, in all honesty, people are clams.

The timeline gets flopped between present day over-the-summer to different points in Emily's past with Sloane marked by the amount of months or years the event was prior to "present day." I loved jumping back in time to see what Emily is thinking about or relating back to because it made the story very clear and easy to follow. Otherwise, the story might have slowed down a bit or felt repetitive. Emily would have had to constantly describe different events involving Sloane to somebody else ust so the reader could understand. Morgan Matson, you made a wise and wonderful decision by moving through time in this book.

Another smart move would be the layout of the chapters. The chapters are divided into different steps on Emily's list and when she works up the courage to do each one. They aren't in the original order, obviously. I mean, who would go skinny-dipping before going apple picking at night? You have to work up the guts. Nobody would start jumping off a 100 meter diving board. Start small at 10 meters and work your way up. Anyway, it was a creative twist on chapter division.

Now when I said that most realistic fiction stories that aren't dreadfully sad are incredibly fluffy, I meant it. At this point I would like to point out that there are some really fluffy cute scenes, but it's not Anna and the French Kiss fluffy. No spoilers, but soooooooo adorable! And there was rain and spontaneous action and my heat grew three times its size. Then it was frustrating, and I'm really trying to be vague here. I'm sure the message has gotten across that this book does include super adorable characters that are perfect like teddy bears.

Also, let's take a minute to just admire the cover. Whoever did that deserves a gold star; it is beautiful.

Ultimately, my recommendation is for fans of various books. If you read The Darkest Minds, I think you would enjoy Since You've Been Gone because Rubiam. If you enjoyed the mystery that came from tracking down Margo in Paper Towns, there's elements of that in this book too. Or maybe you just don't read a lot of realistic fiction, need to widen your reading limits, or were looking for a really great finding-yourself story. Whatever the reason, this book is awesome!

Formula: Summer + Friendship + Courage + Loyalty = To-Do List in Scotland

#realistic #katie #5stars