Since You've Been Gone

Imagine the ominous stillness of waking up one day to find that your best friend and constant companion is suddenly gone—family and all. Emily and Sloane shared every thought via text ever since Sloane moved into town, and Emily became the faithful sidekick to her fearless personality. Now, without Sloane as her navigator, Emily is stuck with no friends, no job, and no plans, with only her self-absorbed playwright parents and adventuresome younger brother, Beckett (one of the many literary references sprinkled throughout the narrative). Then a to-do list arrives in the mail from Sloane, and Emily begins a transformative summer that she hopes will lead her to her friend. In Matson’s gentle portrayal, Emily’s completion of the list propels her to participate in her own life, stand in no one’s shadow, have a voice, and value that which makes her whole. The author of Second Chance Summer (2012), among other titles, creates a time-and-space experience for teens that might actually interrupt their social-media convos until they’re finished reading.