Gone by Lisa McMann

November 2010 (out now), Simon Pulse 

240 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Young Adult 

Some strong language, innuendo, teen relationships, isolation, ignoring friends, trying to cope alone, fear of the future, bizarre family reunion, friendship 

Summary from Simon and Schuster

Things should be great for Janie - she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she's totally in love with. But deep down she's panicking about how she's going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people's dreams is really starting to take its toll. 

Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time -and he's in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice she thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined.

Nayuleska's thoughts

This series which started with Wake has got better and better. Given that initially I wasn't too keen on it, it was pretty cool to be so excited about this book. I was desperate to know what happened next for Janie. Her future looked pretty glum. There are severe life-changing consequences from being in people's dreams. Although the previous books had horrifying dreams involving inappropriate adult conduct, Janie has far worse dreams when she meets her father. It hurts her to push Cabel and her friends away, but she still does it. Yes, I believed she made a mistake in doing so - but it turned out better than expected. Only by trying to live by one route could she being to figure out where her real place in life is. Captain still plays a big role in the book - I love her! She's the rock that Janie needs. I liked how the theme of living with an alcoholic was approached here - I learnt a lot about it, and how it affects people. 

I was tearing up at the end at how sweet it was, how everyone rallied round to help her. I'm secretly hoping there will be another book in the future, just to see what happens next to her. This book taught me a lot. It showed me that even when life is pretty rough, close friends and loved ones will do all it takes to help another out. There may be unpleasant times up ahead, but a little love and hope go a long way to disperse the fear of the unknown. As ever Lisa subtly conveys important life messages in her books. 

Final conclusion

An incredible end to a great trilogy. I was sad to finish this book. The ending wasn't what I expected, it isn't a total HEA but I feel this will more than satisfy readers. 

Make sure you check out book one Wake and book two Fade.