Member Reviews
Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, that he went to with his girlfriend. He is shocked to find she is missing and they were in a terrible car accident, wiping his memory of that night. Back at school he is taunted, with everyone suspecting him of her demise. To make matters worse, a fellow student is making a true crime documentary about the incident. As the story goes along, Hunter questions himself, after finding people saw them arguing the night Chloe went missing. Could he really have hurt her?
This was another fabulous novel by the author. While the memory loss issue became a little old for me in previous novels, this wasn't overdone and I found it far more rational in the way it was presented. It hooked me in and I could not wait for the mystery to unravel.
This is one of those rare mysteries that is both a riveting story, full of plot twists and turns, that also touches your heart. The author builds the suspense throughout, as Hunter tries to unravel what happened to his girlfriend Chloe after their tragic auto accident. David Bell has created realistic, flawed and memorable characters, and builds their history throughout the book. It is a book that is hard to put down! The ending is definitely not what I expected, both a conclusion to Chloe's disappearance, and hopeful as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for the advanced copy.
She's Gone is an excellent YA book about a kid named Hunter who woke up in the hospital after an accident only to find his girlfriend Chloe missing. As the story unfolds the suspicions around Hunter intensify. His schoolmates look at him accusingly and Chole's own mother basically tells the whole school he is a murderer. The cops are pressuring him so he decides to take matters into his own hands and figure out what happened that night. For starters, he needs to remember why he had an argument with Chole that night. What was it about? The pacing in this book is perfect with short chapters to keep the pages turning. The characters were well thought out and Hunter is someone you root for even though you really aren't sure if he did indeed cause Chole's disappearance. I found the twists and turns compelling and while one part of the ending I kind of figured out, the other was a total surprise. I highly recommend this one, it is a fantastic page-turner.
Special thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of She's Gone. I've never read a David Bell book but had heard great things about his writing, so when this YA novel came up I was really excited!
MC Hunter and Chloe have a car accident after leaving the Prom - Chloe disappears and Hunter, injured, has NO memory of what occurred! He, of course, is the main subject in the investigation and works hard to clear his name. To help is friend Danial is making a documentary about the incident = but Daniel is murdered and Hunter was the last to see him - and all the equipment he was using to film his documentary also goes missing.
This book will keep you guessing - and you won't believe "WHO DUN IT"
This book had me hooked from the first page! It was fast paced and the short chapters made it so easy to fly through. I love the characters and I loved Hunter and Livvy’s relationship - so many books play the sibling rivalry trope and this was super refreshing. I didn’t expect the ending which is always nice with this genre because they’re usually very predictable.
The writer once again displays his writing "chops" as he ventures into the YA genre with the same expertise found in his previous works. He has created a variety of characters who pop off the page in three dimensions and keep the story moving and the reader engrossed.
The story is okay (just okay), but Bell 100% missed the mark on reading level. This is supposed to be ya but reads at what feels like third grade level. The dialogue especially was downright cringey.
Review of Advance Reader’s Edition eBook
When seventeen-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes up in the hospital, he has no memory of what happened to him. He’s told that he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, were in a car crash, but he has no memory of the accident. And while he’s sustained a concussion, he’s more worried about his girlfriend. Chloe has disappeared.
Hunter returns to school, but some of the other students are derisive; they seem to believe that Hunter killed Chloe. Things go from bad to worse when, at a candlelight vigil for Chloe, Lisa Summers accuses Hunter of murdering her daughter.
Hunter decides to do some sleuthing of his own and begins questioning anyone who might have any idea of what happened to Chloe. Although he doesn’t remember arguing with her at the homecoming dance, he learns that he did.
Could Hunter be responsible for Chloe’s disappearance? Did he kill the girl he claims to love?
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Teens and young adults are the target audience for this captivating story of high school, homecoming, and a missing girl. The plot takes several unexpected twists as the unfolding story reveals a few surprises. The action moves along at a brisk pace; short chapters keep the suspense building.
A strong sense of place, well-defined characters, and an immersive story all combine to pull the reader into the telling of the tale from the outset. Woven into the mystery are some important messages for the young adult readers regarding the handling of difficult situations, giving consent, dealing with unwanted attention, and supporting friends. All lead to an explosive denouement readers simply won’t be expecting. Don’t miss this one.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley
#ShesGone #NetGalley
David Bell is an author that I automatically read -without reading the synopsis. This story is actually young adult but I still enjoyed it. Sex is mentioned once but no body parts were detailed. The young couple say they tried sex once and used a condom. I'm adding this in case people need to know how young adult this book is. I think 13 plus.
I enjoyed this book. Not as much as his others but I was not the correct demographic either.
She's Gone is a YA book about a boy whose girlfriend dies in a car crash that he can't remember and he is subject to internet trolls accusing him of having involvement in it. I found this to be quite a quick read that was relatively gripping.
Great YA thriller! David Bell is a solid author whose fast-paced narrative will keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended for those who love fast-paced YA suspense! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
A fast-paced thriller that I ended up reading in one sitting because the short chapters made it impossible to put down. It isn't a revolutionary book (the usual twists and turns are all here) but it absolutely a well-executed YA thriller. I will definitely be recommending it to people looking for an intriguing and brisk YA book.
I'm a fan of David Bell's work. I also enjoy YA especially if it's in the mystery/thriller genre. So when I discovered David Bell had written a YA novel, of course I had to request it. I'm happy to report he writes just as well in this genre too. She's Gone is a perfectly paced suspenseful mystery.
It all starts on homecoming night, Hunter is in an accident and remembers nothing leading up to it. Which is unfortunate because his girlfriend Chloe was also in the car and now she's nowhere to be found. Naturally a lot of suspicion falls upon Hunter and he is desperately trying to find answers. Not just to clear his name, he is genuinely worried about Chloe and wants to believe she's out there somewhere.
You really feel the stress Hunter is under, I also sympathized with him and didn't want to believe he hurt his girlfriend. Luckily there are other suspicious characters to choose from! Seriously, I didn't get great vibes from anyone. Except for Hunter's sister and her girlfriend, they were delightful. I'm glad he had them on his side at least.
She's Gone will keep you guessing right up until the last twist. I might have had an idea about a couple character's involvement. But there's no way I could have guessed how it all actually goes down. I can definitely say if you're a David Bell fan you won't be disappointed with this one. And if you've never read his books, go ahead and start here! Whether you're a young adult or a not so young one (like me) you will enjoy She's Gone.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the copy of She’s Gone. Don’t be deterred because this book is considered a “YA” book. It’s a solid mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. The writing was great as I expected from reading other David Bell books. I loved the real and believable characters and how the young people acted true to their ages, mistakes included. The missing person story was intriguing and I really liked the additional underlying stories that came to light as the book progressed. If you’re looking for a quick, fun, and suspenseful story, don’t miss this one.
I really enjoyed the overal story, lots of twists and turns and even though I thought I knew what had happened it turned out I didn’t, which is always nice. I loved hunter the main character and his crazy sister, however there were some parts that were really drawn out or where it just got intresting then a slow part invaded and I found it very frustrating. Never the less I finished it in a couple of hours and the ending was beyond unexpected!!
Homecoming with your girlfriend should be every teenager’s dream night. Now for Hunter he wakes up to a nightmare. Hunter wakes up in the hospital to find out that he and his girlfriend Chloe were in a terrible car accident. He has no memory of this accident or how anything led up to the accident. The worst part? Chloe is now missing. He now has to struggle at school for being branded a liar and being bullied. Chloe’s mother also accuses him of murdering Chloe. He is losing his faith in everyone, and the police are suspicious of him. What is Hunter going to do? The book unfolds for us to follow along on this crazy mystery. We will read how Hunter takes matters into his own hands to figure out what really happened to Chloe.
What I loved:
- the pacing is really well done. The first few chapters start off strong which helps with not wanting to put the book down. We are instantly thrown into the mystery of Chloe’s disappearance.
- the angst is so realistic to the teenage experience. Teenagers lives are still developing, and losing your close friends will cause serious turmoil. I thought this was well written and truthful on how vicious kids can be.
- Hunter! I really felt for him. I wanted to take him into a big hug and make him a cup of tea. I also loved the relationship between him and his sister.
- You are fully immersed in this story. Just like Hunter we are trying to figure out the disappearance of Chloe. What really happened that night? Also, twists!
I am often weary about YA Thrillers, but this did not disappoint. Every chapter ended on a slight clidd hanger so you want to continue on to the next chapter. I thought that was a brilliant aspect of the story. This was a hard book to put down. I did figure out the ending pretty easily but it was fun to keep reading to confirm my theory. Excellent weekend read, 4 stars out of 5!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Hunter Gifford can’t remember what happened the night of homecoming. What he does know is that he has woken up with a concussion and a missing girlfriend and everybody thinks he is to blame. He knows that he would never hurt his girlfriend Chloe because he loved her so much but as more and more evidence comes forward he begins to wonder if he is really who he thinks he is. I read this book in one day it was great kept me enthralled from beginning to end, with twists that you didn’t see coming. The book also has a really important message around the unwanted attention that women often receive from men, and the seemingly ludicrous but obviously very necessary steps that women often have to go through to get away from this unwanted attention. I’m excited to put this one in my classroom not just because of the great murder mystery plot but also because of the larger message around consent, being there for your friends, and how to handle difficult situations.
I just flew through this clever YA novel! Hunter awakens from a coma after getting a concussion during an accident after Homecoming. But even more disconcerting is where is his girlfriend, Chloe? As he begins to piece together the night and its aftermath, more questions begin to plague him as nothing seems to make sense of the wrecked car and what caused the accident. His dad and sister attempt to help but when another death occurs, things get even more confusing and dicey! Great humor and tension in setting the scenes and taking us back to the comfort as well as terrors of high school and family life!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Hunter and Chloe leave the Homecoming Prom and have an accident. Chloe disappears and Hunter is injured and cannot remember what happened.
Hunter is the main suspect in Chloe's disappearance and does his best to try and clear his name.
His childhood best friend, Daniel is making a true crime documentary about the incident, and Hunter is the last person to see him before Daniel is murdered, and his filming equipment disappears.
In the end, the last person you would ever suspect is the guilty party.
I did enjoy this book immensely, it kept me on the edge of my seat.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
Thank you Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an eARC of She's Gone! I absolutely love David Bell's work, so upon getting approved for this one I had to drop everything I was doing to read it. This had been a highly anticipated release for me for 2022, especially given the YA storyline. Hunter knows he was with his girlfriend, Chloe, at the Homecoming dance the night of her disappearance. But how did he end up a the hospital? What happened that night, and where is Chloe?
I really enjoyed this book and with its quick, twisty chapters, I flew through it. I thought I guessed the twist(s), but I was pleasantly mistaken. I loved the quick chapters, the presence of an adorable LGBT couple in a YA thriller, a shocking ending, and the somewhat academia storyline. I've read a lot of 'missing person' thrillers and was really happy that this one wasn't like all of the others - This book is one I'll definitely be recommending to other book lovers!