Since You've Been Gone
The description for this amazing story just doesn't do it justice in my opinion. Since You've Been Gone is a perfect summer read, the kind that leaves you with a book hangover and a stupid grin on your face. I got an eBook of it, but will be buying the hardback and re-reading as soon as it arrives! It was everything I was hoping for from To All The Boys I Loved Before, and more.Emily and Sloane are complete opposites but you know what they say about opposites. Although I didn't meet Sloane until midway through the first chapter (the chapters are a little long), the way Emily talked about her I felt like I knew her. She's that crazy best friend, the one that will text you at 2 in the morning before sneaking in your house, stealing your pyjamas and half your bed. Everyone needs a Sloane in their life.
Emily was really... as someone with Social Anxiety I don't want to say shy, as it brings to mind cute images of giggling girls. So, Emily had Social Anxiety and really struggled with how to act around people. In a way she let herself be in the background and just let Sloane do the speaking most of the time, so Sloane leaving was really the best thing for her. It was great to see her making steps towards being happier and gaining new friends without Sloane, although I missed Sloane a lot. Despite only knowing about her from flashbacks.
The relationship I loved the most in this book wasn't Emily and Franks (slow burn romance for the win though), it was Emily and Beckett's. Beckett being her brother, not another love interest. The younger siblings in stories are usually the ones that are kicked to the curb and despised by the protagonist, so it was nice to see Emily doing whatever she could to keep him happy while their parents were too busy typing to care. He felt like a real person too, despite being a less mentioned character.
The list itself was hilarious, and the reason why I mentioned To All The Boys I Loved Before. In that I was hoping that the letters would spark a lot of awkward moments and hilarity but that never happened. In this, each thing on the list has it's own chapter and detail descriptions of what happened. Hug a Jamie almost had me in tears and Steal Something was one of the most awkward moments I've ever read!
This is my first book by Morgan Matson but definitely not my last - I've owned Amy and Roger's Epic Detour for quite a while and will be picking it up soon to read. I just need to get myself a copy of Second Chance Summer. And re-read this at least ten times.