about the book
The last two weeks had been the worst of my life—no exaggeration. Imagine that your very best friend and constant companion is suddenly gone with no clue where she is. My name is Emily Hughes and the first weekend after my junior year ended, my annoying playwright parents dragged me upstate to visit every art gallery and antique shop. The minute I got back home, I called Sloane, my best friend, but there was no answer. She didn’t respond to texts either. I drove to her house but the windows were dark and the cars were gone. Two weeks have passed and still not one word from her!
Until Sloane moved to our town, I hung mostly by myself and remained basically invisible. Sloane is bubbly, daring, and a social tornado. She yanked me out of my shell and made life perfect for both of us. In the last two years I shared every thought and experience with her. We had fun plans for the summer, and now I don’t know what to do with myself. Just when I decide to share my concerns about Sloane’s disappearance, my parents go into play writing mode—meaning they are so focused they don’t even know that I or my younger brother exist!
But then THE LETTER arrives. Although there is no name, I know it is from Sloane. It is basically a list containing thirteen bizarre dares—including crashing a wedding, using a fake ID, dancing till dawn, skinny dipping, and kissing a stranger! This is all stuff I would never do, but maybe, if I get through the whole list, there might be clues to where Sloane is or how I can contact her. I have to at least try.
Unexpected help arrives from popular but geeky Frank Porter, the class president and school’s top jock. Along with him comes Collins, his wild buddy. And then Dawn, the girl who works in the pizza place, offers to help too. Together we spend the summer checking crazy tasks off the list. Let’s just say, the summer is full of a lot of firsts!
about the author
Morgan Matson was born in New York City, but grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was one of those kids who would get into something really intensely for a while, then drop it. So if you ask her, she’ll tell you she can do a little of everything…but not well!
In high school, Morgan was a big reader but wasn’t motivated to write. (She did her reports on the bus the day they were due; her teachers all thought she had really shaky hand writing!) Once she got involved with the theater group, she started writing short plays. With hopes of becoming the next A-list actress, she headed to California to study theater/English at Occidental College. Unfortunately, she wasn’t spontaneously discovered by a talent scout.
During her last semester in college, Morgan took a creative writing class…and was totally hooked! Because she worked in a children’s bookstore, she never contemplated writing for adults. She went on to earn a MFA in writing for children from the New School.
Her first three books were published under the pen name Katie Finn. Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was inspired by the childhood experiences she had while spending summers in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Since You’ve Been Gone was inspired by a friendship Morgan had in high school. Whenever Morgan went off on a trip, this friend would give her cards with fun things to do. Years later, the friend moved out of state, and now Morgan is pondering how to keep their close relationship going. This led to the story of Emily and Sloane.
Morgan currently lives in Venice, California, with her pup, Murphy.
Sources:
Author website/Morgan Matson
Author website/Katie Finn
Author video interview: Daily Quirks
Also by Morgan Matson (including titles under her pen name Katie Finn):
Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross (Broken Hearts & Revenge, Book 3). Feiwel and Friends. 2016.
The Unexpected Everything. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2016.
Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold (Broken Hearts & Revenge, Book 2). Feiwel and Friends. 2015.
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend (Broken Hearts & Revenge, Book 1). Feiwel and Friends. 2014.
Second Chance Summer. Simon & Schuster. 2012.
Unfriended : A Top 8 Novel. Point Signature. 2011.
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. Simon & Schuster. 2010.
What’s Your Status? : A Top 8 Novel. Point Signature 2010.
Top 8. Point Signature 2008.
read more!
100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
Finn tries to convince himself that he’s a real boy, not the character in his father’s cult-classic novel, by viewing the world through miles instead of minutes. The only good things in his life are his crazy best friend Cade, and Julia Bishop. But when Julia moves away, Finn doesn’t know what to do. Deciding to take a road trip, Finn and Cade encounter the unexpected. How can one road trip change their lives so much?
Forget Me by K.A. Harrington
After the death of her boyfriend Flynn, Morgan receives a FriendShare prompt suggesting she check out the picture of Evan Murphy. After clicking on Evan’s profile, Morgan discovers that not only does he look identical to Flynn, but he is alive and well only a few towns away. Her investigation into her boyfriend’s identity uncovers a tangle of lies that connects back to her own family’s secrets.
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Taylor’s family gets along fine, but they are too busy to be close. Then dad gets the news that he has the big C and his prognosis is not good. The parents decide the whole family will spend one last summer at the small lake house in the Poconos. It’s their second chance at becoming more of a family. It’s also Taylor’s second chance to repair a friendship and rekindle a relationship with the first boy she ever kissed.