Author: Morgan Matson
Date Published: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
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Summary:
The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.
But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.
Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough. Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Um...
Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go Skinny Dipping? Wait ... what?
In a well-ordered universe, I would love this book and vigorously shove it down on anyone's throat, er.... I mean must-read-ASAP list. And I guess I'm living in one right now. Trust me, I rarely do that. This is the kind of book that has every element of wonderful and versatile characters and relationships. Oh, and the fluff???? I'M ALL SQUEEEEE.
“I don’t think you have to do something so big to be brave. And it’s the little things that are harder anyway.”
What struck me the most and totally pulled my heart strings was how much I could relate to the main character. There was a time that I stopped reading for a moment and muttered to myself, "Is the main character me???? Or is Morgan Matson writing a plausible story about me????? ??" And for me nothing beats a character that I could relate to. Emily is shy and she's working on it. I love that the book didn't try to transorm everything about Emily unlike the usual from shy-timid-quiet girl to everyone's-friend-and-wow-become-suddenly-hot-and-popular. Emily explored things and worked up the courage to do things out of her comfort zone but still being herself. She's more confident and braver by the end of the book. It's very important to empower women whilst not deteriorating who they are.
