Since You've Been Gone

 

Author: Mary Jennifer Payne
Series: none
Pages: 224
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2015
Genre: Contemporary
Acquired: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school she's in a different country.
Sydney promises her that that this is their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn't come home, Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them.
Alone in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that she'll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most difficult decision of her life."

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Since You've Been Gone follows sixteen year old Edie Fraser as she struggles with her ever- changing life of constantly moving from city to city and school to school. Edie hasn't lived in a stable, permanent home since she was ten. That's when it happened, and she and her mother quickly packed and fled their home to never look back again. But as soon as things start to look brighter, he finds them.... he always finds them.

Starting off with Edie's character, I really liked her personality and determination. I also liked how real of a person she seemed to be... as in I didn't feel like I was reading about a made up character, this story has the very real possibility of happening in the real world .... and how as a reader I could connect to her story better because of this.

 I thought this book was good at portraying real life examples and events such as abuse, racism, bullying, and also sickness. Reading about these events whether they directly affected the main character, Edie, or not definitely makes connecting to the story easier as most people have gone through at least one or more of the same situations these characters have experienced.

Problems?... I felt some parts in the book were rushed through or either could have been explained more. Knowing more about Edie's past could have helped me to better understand why the main storyline in the book even happened. I just felt that I had a lot of questions about Edie's mother and father that could have been explained better.

Liked Most: the relatable events and mystery of the book as a whole
Liked Least: the pacing, rushed through some parts then dragged in others

For me, personally, the plot was predictable. I could accurately predict the ending and most of the other events in the book, so that was disappointing seeing as the mystery element in the book wasn't very strong. Overall the plot was okay.

Ending: Mehhh, the ending tapered off and stopped all at once. The main climax of the book was rushed and glazed over. I spent most of the book waiting for the climax to blow me away and leave me feeling like the book was worth it, sadly I didn't get that feeling. Actually the climax wasn't much of a climax, the mystery aspect of the book was summed up in what felt like half a page.

Rating: 3/5... it was an OK read for me
Recommend: I would recommend this to those who like reading about realistic serious issues like abuse, bullying, etc.

RECIEVED FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****