since you’ve been gone

I’ve been waiting years to find another author of YA coming-of-age feminine-but-deep novels to follow in the enormous success of Sarah Dessen’s work, and Morgan Matson does that and so much more. This is exactly the kind of cute story of high school best friends that teenage girls should read to learn that they’re not alone and the world really cares about them and things turn out okay in the end. Although there are still a few too many loose ends at the conclusion, I love that we really get the sense that Emily has become someone she likes and is proud to be, and that’s all I can wish for other readers to take from the story, too. Plus, how refreshing to read about a girl who isn’t a beautiful, flawless enigma, but one who is a little shy and loves country music and takes care of her younger brother and seems human and real. It is definitely a tame read, decidedly PG-13, but one that I won’t hesitate to recommend to future little girls.