Book Review: Since You've Been Gone

Book: Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: January 22, 2015

Description:

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 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.



Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Review:

A very moving story that follows a teenage girl and her mother as they try to evade someone from their past.

Having to abruptly leave had unfortunately become a normal way of life for 15 year old Edie Fraser, when yet again her and her mother Sydney quickly left Toronto, Canada and headed to London, England. Thinking maybe this will be the last time they would have to move, well at least for a while.

Edie had to get adjusted to attending a new school while her mother found a job, they really wanted to hope that this time they would be safe. But when Edie's mother didn't come home from her job where she worked the night shift, Edie didn't really know what to do. She was hoping that maybe her mother had just taken another shift since they really needed the money. But when she still didn't show up Edie was at a loss, she didn't trust going to the police because then she might end up back with the one person her and her mother were trying so hard to stay away from.

Desperation started to sink in and the only things she knew for sure was she had to find her mom. Edie along with a fellow student Jermaine Lewis tried to find her mother but the more information she found made her fear something terrible must have happened to her mother.

This was an easy to read book although the subject matter wasn't. I read this in a few hours because the writing has a very easy flow to it that moves the story along. It's a good story and I found myself at the end wondering how everything will turn out for Edie even though it seems like the story was headed toward a more positive future for her.

There are some heavy issues within this story including abuse which is never an easy topic to deal with but I think the author did a good job with how the story was told. Since You've Been Gone is told from Edie's point of view and you get to see how she deals with everything that is affecting her throughout the story.

This book is something I would recommend it's a quick read that has a good story.