Since You've Been Gone

Mary Jennifer Payne

Dec 2014 · Dundurn

About this eBook

CCBC’s Best Books for Kids & Teens (Fall 2015) - Commended

Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser searches for her mother, who has gone missing shortly after the two moved to London, England, to escape Edie’s abusive father.

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.

Ratings and reviews

2 stars — So I was trying to find a mystery type book for one of my reading challenges, and this is one of the oldest NetGalley books I haven’t read…from when I first joined NetGalley and requested all sorts of things. Unfortunately this book was just…not engaging. I just had all sorts of problems with it, but because I wanted it to count for my challenge, because I usually give NetGalley books more time, and because I was curious about the mystery, I kept going. Probably a mistake. Honestly, there was very little that worked for me in this book. The writing felt very basic, and while I appreciate that 15 years old is very young, I felt like Edie came across even younger. Or rather, it felt like the book was being written by a young teenager. The characters were all very shallow, there was no depth. It was very black and white, and for the first part of the book EVERY character was horrific, including Edie. I was torn with myself, because I think it was trying to show how from a teenagers perspective it can seem like everyone is against you, but the way it was done just didn’t work. I didn’t end up empathizing with Edie, and I really should have. She was going through some hard things. But I felt nothing. Later on in the book she meets kinder people, and I get that it’s probably supposed to show her growing up, but it just didn’t work for this reader. It felt unrealistic. I should classify this as a coming of age story, b/c I believe that was the author’s intention. But I didn’t see/feel her grow in this story. I didn’t believe her transitions. It just didn’t come across to me. And while I get that it was from Edie’s perspective, it paints the world and London in a HORRIBLE light, where everyone is a horrific bully (teachers, other kids, random people on the street), with no nuance. If it was truly just Edie’s perspective, the reader should have seen some light even if she couldn’t see it. I did eventually appreciate the friendship she formed with Jermaine, though that happened rather quickly. As for the mystery/plot? It didn’t feel realistic, it didn’t really keep me on the edge of my seat, and in the end it was kind of anti-climactic. So yeah. Not a good review from Lenore. So often that’s just my perspective and personal taste, but I have a feeling I wouldn’t be in the minority with this book. *shrugs*

I finished within 24 hours. Definitely worth it ☺👌

Amazing story with lots of heart

About the author

Mary Jennifer Payne’s writing has been published in journals, anthologies, and magazines in Canada and abroad. She is the author of several YA graphic novels. Since You’ve Been Gone is her first YA novel. She teaches with the Toronto District School Board and lives in Toronto.