“We’re all just at the mercy of what happens. You can try to grab hold and steer as much as possible. You can try to take control, but sometimes it just slips away, spiraling fast, like water down a drain.”


I was super excited for this read and overall, enjoyed it but was hoping for a bit more. She’s Gone is David Bell’s first young adult novel. I’d honestly probably like his adult thrillers better but this one was still ✨alright✨

What I liked:
-Fast-paced with short chapters which kept me more engaged in the story *just ✨one✨more chapter*
-Hunter is kind of stupid but I guess I can understand how he acts, given the circumstances, but his sister is the real mvp.
-The first part of the story seems to drag on a bit as Hunter can’t remember anything after the accident. Some of the story felt kind of like in limbo until we start learning the facts and events leading up to the accident and disappearance. But it came together pretty well in spite of that.

What I didn’t like:
-The author tries sooooo hard to make the police and detectives horrible people who are so unlikeable. Which they are and treat Hunter like they know he murdered his girlfriend before any shred of evidence. It was just super over the top and in your face.
-There’s some icks but I can’t say much more without spoiling the story.
-The twist(s) were unsuspecting but I was hoping for a bit more twisty.

Overall, this was a good YA thriller and wasn’t as cheesy as others I have read. Definitely worth the read if you like books with unreliable memory/memory loss with details about a character who can’t speak for themselves for whatever reason (in this case because she’s already gone).

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨