Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone
Ebook197 pages3 hours

Since You've Been Gone

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

3/5

()

Read preview

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.
LanguageEnglish
PublisherDundurn
Release dateDec 19, 2014
ISBN9781459728202
Since You've Been Gone
Author

Mary Jennifer Payne

Mary Jennifer Payne is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers' Summer Workshop in Creative Writing and the author of many books for young people including the Daughters of Light series, Enough and Since You've Been Gone which received a Quill & Quire starred review. Her writing has been published in journals, anthologies and magazines in Canada and abroad. She works as a special education teacher and lives in Toronto.

Read more from Mary Jennifer Payne

Related to Since You've Been Gone

Related ebooks

YA Social Themes For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Since You've Been Gone

Rating: 3.2083333833333327 out of 5 stars
3/5

24 ratings6 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I received this book from Netgalley in return for a review.

    Edie is 15 year old a girl who, while smart and capable, hasn't been allowed to form relationships with her peers and always feels on the outside. Her mother was severely abused by her father and has kept Edie on the run hiding from him since she was 10. This time they moved from Toronto, Canada, to London.

    The author describes quite well the alienation and anger Edie feels, and when her mother doesn't come home from work the first night at her new job, her panic over her situation. Edie doesn't know what to do except cover up what has happened and pretend everything is fine.

    She has barely had time to make any friends, but one person she confides in is Jermaine, a boy who has a bad reputation. They take off and try to find out what happened.

    This book is written well, though there are formatting problems with the Kindle edition I read. It was a very quick read. I had a few problems with her decisions but of course they are made to further the story. There were good illustrations of the types of bullying and racial negativity teens can face. It just seemed rushed after 2/3rds of the book to get to the end. Perhaps there could have been more exposition of her school relationships and a fleshing out of Jermaine's character and his backstory. I can see how the target audience would like this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A compelling story with archetypical but well-developed characters, Since You've Been Gone was a quick and satisfying read. The author captures the essence of being both a child, and an adult before one's time, and her writing is engaging and entertaining without being cutesy or trite.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I would like to thank Dundurn & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.Goodreads Teaser: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 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."Edie and her mom have been on the run from her father for years. Now, they've made their biggest move of all, leaving Canada for England in the hopes of shaking him loose. Tired of the constant running Edie is just trying to fit in at her new school, one she's hoping she can stay at for at least the entire school year. She's got the art of being the new girl down pat. But Edie's world gets turned on its ear when her mom doesn't come home from her night job. Instead of asking any adults for help, since that would risk alerting her dad to their new location, assuming that he doesn't know it already, Edie makes a choice fated to both repel and attract a new friend. Lifting the fundraising money from her class is the only thing Edie can think to do, cause they hadn't been in London long enough for her to have any savings to use for food or her search for her mom. When the theft is discovered Edie lets Jermaine, the local bad boy, take the fall for her theft. And he knows it.This is where things get interesting in this story, as we get to discover just who Edie is, and who Jermaine is. And neither one is who they seem to be to the rest of the world. In a strange twist Edie ends up confessing to Jermaine why she took the money, and he agrees to help her search for her missing mom if she promises to clear up the theft once they've located her mom. The search is certainly part of the story, but it was the emotional aspect of Edie's reaction that I found to be more compelling. Even in the midst of searching for her missing mom Edie manages to somehow go on living, though she might not think so at the time. Her resilience is pretty astonishing, as is the fact that she discovers an attraction to Jermaine. An attraction that appears to be reciprocated. While the mystery of where her mom vanished to and why gets solved, once again that seems to take the back seat to Edie and her choices - at least for me. Edie matures almost overnight, making choices that many adults would struggle with, let alone a teenager whose mother is missing so soon after moving to a brand new country. Ms. Payne does a good job of sharing insights into Edie's thought process, while still moving the story forward at a decent clip. That she spent so much time focusing on the choices Edie makes, and the consequences of each choice, that is what made this book for me. She took it from a mild mystery into a really solid YA story, one with important messages. Those lessons aren't shoved down the reader's throat, but rather laid bare to be discovered and processed as part of the story, making them that much more palatable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Edie and her mother Sydney have been on the run from Edie's abusive father for five years. This move has taken them from Canada to London, England, where Edie starts school and Sydney finds an off-the-books job. But she doesn't come home after her first night on the job. Edie doesn't know what to do. She hasn't made friends at her new school. In fact, she has attracted the attention of one of the major bullies. She decides to steal money from a charity collection and is caught by a fellow student named Jermaine. Jermaine is the subject of rumors, is being bullied by both students and staff, and happens to be black. He is the only one who agrees to help her find her mother.Together the two of them try to trace her mother's last days. They meet are variety of helpful and not at all helpful people on their quest. They also become friends. Edie catches a glimpse of her father and runs from him. Then Jermaine jumps into a river to save a toddler who fell in and television reporters interview him. Edie decides to take that opportunity to tell her story.This leads her father to come forward with his version of events. There isn't a happy ending for Edie and her mother but Edie does learn that she is strong enough to stop running.This was a very touching and emotional story. I look forward to sharing it with students.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is going to be a ridiculously short review.The story starts off with Edie and her mother, Sydney, running. Apparently from Edie's father who has, yet again, found them. The next thing you know they have moved from Canada to the UK and Sydney is explaining to Edie about her new job and how she works nights. Short story even shorter Edie comes home from school one day to realize her mother hasn't returned from work and sets out to find her. Kind of. This book annoyed me. A lot. It was very, very rushed and Edie wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. For someone who has been on the run for such a long time you would think she would have been a little bit more 'street smart'. I understand (to an extent) not calling the police, but if you're not going to involve the authorities you might want to be a little more active in searching for your missing mother! Edie was all over the place character wise, and don't even get me started on Jermaine or any of the other sub characters. The plot was very transparent to the point that it had gaping holes staring back at you. To be honest it might have been better had it been longer but if it hadn't have been so short I probably wouldn't have finished it so it's a double edged sword... Until next time, Ginger In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. My review is my honest opinion.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Contemporary, Suspense, Young Adult, Romantic ElementsToronto, Canada and London, England Edie Fraser is fifteen years old. She and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to outrun their pasts for the past five years. Things were bad before but now they are even worse. Edie is in a new school and if that wasn’t bad enough she is now in a different country. Sydney has promised Edie that they are finally going to get a fresh start. So Edie is doing her best to adjust to their new life in London, England. In spite of the fact she is being targeted by the school bully. Then Sydney goes out to work one night and doesn’t come home. Now Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up to them. Edie is now alone in a strange country and is too afraid to call the police for fear she will be sent back to her father who is abusive. Edie is determined to find her mother. She is now faced with the most difficult decision of her life especially since she has no idea where to start. This is a story that will pull at readers heart strings. It handles an emotional subject very well while not letting it drag the storyline down. Edie proves to be very resourceful as she goes about trying to find her mother in a place she has no idea of what is where. The story has some action and moves along at a pretty fast pace and it keeps moving forward. Reading what Edie is going through as she tries to find the answers she needs pulls the reader in until the very end. While there are some heavy subjects in the story the story itself doesn’t get too dark or depressing and it makes for a very interesting book. This is one story that is worth taking the time to read.

Book preview

Since You've Been Gone - Mary Jennifer Payne

,1^book_preview_excerpt.htmlm[ےƕHϭޗT9֒`(4 @TaZ'~d3^$NPu.yy5~u|^}{|[o}?^VOմuC*U|պ?T\6\q}%\|T _i8Mx$Gѧ7m{~z,*.suKaqp7;G hr8T!UX%|/$7M,wx%`^}z}xե u.F3zMs씶3xfp&k@DCs|&7g~^OSU9i "w|!C!X`Ʀjp;i)6Njƻ>[jC\ IfˁaX/<|;Ucڻmvbq Wĥoۇ(у Ru5,e<"lL;xk-T_,y_LO;Lx`Zv&l.:FLZ&׍$~N&`>^Y&s01t85f| ۓK}h5ň )C.!C, ]Q0rSo^x3.% B'bx9<#0cs"v5z{qΆ)hRp}}.L=&.]6(| c/1 DĻ c.{${=lPz RW8<8a3ѻa9y/#Bp~z*zJ :ߤαԳ[a uG OJU/QM f1^(}ZPDY`%uQBx-iᣙ*VE|P>dxE*^%?xPcru>?1ML8[zRD/~Iq^=S?2it@a$x/򤠱g4RvYlV' *5Os\vV]mMag4rZ^ w]8zYLA @$IH7G2ASH L2 zAb,!.11E"QJF&͗f{x᫧M٧ݣy  }l³ <&¢YĂqX9׎!gzn(hśq3ڞy&4W8[V5ƍT} "ax BLJjpzJd? 0X)yGxwL'rKYfB&;NϼH3#4#Nn\+lґW'kJ)yM3ݬfbs!HSQGN 3RAusnj+K16ζ9S.fh.m@GZ2N5M$Fug~zMZD-u7tRz뻞Thc-m@fһ68ڂ[2X@յ30 E'tmDB9P݊at[Aѳ{CU8ciil{Mĭ+I4a|oǦorF5uwuJ!S1knd ҠZ} ҏ:xm)?-3ɧ|W\[)VjDM$H \5plqY'LtIDdQTc\u޴3zX'a@=oHH ʝ;zs<N5xKdvm1f?Wb|hbM"mϩ[Dc-Qp~,sa7Eo=^H΃P,Vє Ec{xyxp|X$):g(O` *;=\mXL3'-av92PZŨNv%EDNIiBnfVC*lyϦ?Ev`7ِߓ7EZ˰=ѩֆ8~tkA.)ߔM&cDFJM$QFlD.Q|1EXhƮ*ZKW=ȮpP].77GlT M^3V EId@Aykb~1X®T~m%QDs~)wQHz^ e%=gouk U;QaUl1@.XO ۄG$P }ָQ kX qj6~tG:oA~ʜZ'UB\W Iam#{]@[^iIزFC8d5"UZ\Xز~%ƻ ,a[rK_*D;d2<ʲ$>j66'`ƢhJRFa^o1D;8/n,'&堊\o7\hcH$!Y-\MP3!v*h*%wEmu !kdJ4r m2\u %o%g [zS29W.|6JEq<#%T^b0ʎ?ڼ6/{l|c >|}.P3\) rȆ 5J<#Xj-0o|0~qncfX[|0ֽ=oun6r-ȼ aH77Y~矋F- ֑+OKkDM 08'g͔Ҙ*R e(iw 6FbF;f'w%-So0:HdKˌMD" ~A9-_[Fj{}ݬ$KՒnWX2EvE;.)!8PQ퓯fykT Gg~{` ל@X=Y2nW0lJikYgTjj|#e0XP^>R0ՉKjNЩٯZ}J:$)Nxs3Nq]J(ExRT\*{iH R s U ”ߤ|N.fyQb"J&q KD{ەs6fWz\6e~P}XG AH[56 S  尿MnjֹuB!drdpsb>C^onoE6j{J u$z_6N>r &. sm"H,+#a@F5MZoZEM\*RcT/STTog fdrԋveEs+g;4_pīZia.yFl^- :],vpѲeXW9fQ|5(3Ӂ@W1IQ"Q OPMjVVBTP$ b;լs;͂&Aj،DԎg?[\\y:"[z^|o+a:^Rt]\f ԙ6X֫` |vv=qΨ˖ N~)f܋FؗUyzE>M^I}CE H,BvGNKc{ 'с͊}Nd"sj@{T>ǣ̅&@6 L3PӦr vTl*> Ok\ݧ9XD2o:I8l@g_*`vQ%TrÆS`H:+HDNvŒs6`n5A􅥸n$mw@~ZUQRB*ea%nFm#ǎI/`9s_\ ~+!fn7Xyk]DMTZjx R+}Hn T;ba1Ey!ig$b88H\$bXiV v5OQ{wV!ri*S6
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1