This was a fast paced YA thriller that started off really strong. The chapters are short and almost all ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to keep reading. There were a lot of clues being thrown out and different suspects, which I loved, and I wasn't quite sure where the story was going to go. Unfortunately, the ending was not my favorite and I felt that the motive behind what happened was probably the weakest part of the book. It was still a fun read and I enjoyed the writing enough that it's made me interested in checking out the author's adult thrillers.

She's Gone
by David Bell
4.5 stars

Hunter wakes up in a hospital with a big black hole in the timeline the last thing he remembers is being at homecoming with his girlfriend. He learns that he was in a car accident and no one knows what happened to his girlfriend. As Hunter deals with everyone accusing him of killing his girlfriend, more and more keeps mounting on his plate. Hunter racing to figure out what happened to his girlfriend and how he can solve this blank spot.

I enjoyed the storyline of a teenager not remembering what happened and putting the pieces together, way before the cops do. Hunter was a typical teenager even with everything going on. The fact that the whole family is put into this book and you get to see the dad struggle, and the bratty sister and how they bicker. That was the best part for me just the family sticking by Hunter's side and trying to get his life back to normal. I enjoyed this so much. The only part that I didn't care for was the teacher going after a student who didn't sit well with me.

Thank you, Net Galley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC for an honest review.

Seventeen year-old Hunter Gifford wakes up after Homecoming Night to find himself in the hospital, with no memory of how he got there or why. He’s suffering from a concussion, and the hospital’s security footage shows him wandering up to the building’s doors bloody and alone. But Hunter should have been with his girlfriend Chloe Summers, who has gone missing in the aftermath of the car accident they were both apparently in. Her car is subsequently found five miles away, crashed into a tree. Some of his blood is on the driver’s side, and some of Chloe’s on the passenger’s. That’s the only trace of her to be found.

Hunter, of course, becomes prime suspect in Chloe’s disappearance. He knows he didn’t, could never hurt her, but has no recollection of anything from the night before. While his friends and family rally round him, other students at his high school are less kind. Perhaps most hurtful is the reaction from Chloe’s parents. Though Chloe’s dad Scott seems willing to take Hunter at his word, her mother Laura is infuriated by what she sees as Hunter’s refusal to cooperate with the police. She refuses to believe that he genuinely can’t remember what happened, and insists that his inability to accurately relate what happened that night is a sign of wrongdoing. Worst of all, she’s ready to make this accusation as publicly and as often as necessary in her desperate search for her daughter.

Not knowing what else to do and stymied by his own uncooperative brain, Hunter decides to film videos asking for the public’s help. Unsurprisingly, this goes over poorly with every adult in his life, even Scott, who is tired of the useless, unwelcome attention from amateur media mavens, Hunter included:

QUOTE
“It doesn’t help,” [Scott] says, his voice getting louder. “It’s like you and those videos you’ve made. I’ve seen them. Everybody’s seen them. Laura’s watched them and is getting madder and madder. They don’t help. They just get people stirred up and angry. I never understood why you kids feel the need to share so much. Every damn thought you have goes online. I just don’t get it.”
END QUOTE

While Hunter isn’t convinced that his videos aren’t helping to prick the consciences or stir the memories of anyone with information about Chloe’s disappearance, he does agree that they’re not working quickly enough. Driven to desperation by Chloe’s continuing absence and by the treatment he’s getting from the police and from suspicious townsfolk, Hunter decides to take matters into his own hands. With help from his sister Olivia and her girlfriend Gabriela, he sets out to search for the secret journal they know Chloe hid somewhere, in hopes it will contain clues to help them find her. But will the information Hunter uncovers only incriminate him further, as he slowly pieces together what really happened that fateful night?

This was a very well-plotted and multilayered Young Adult thriller that totally zigged when I thought it would zag. Hunter is a terrific and entirely believable protagonist. He might act rashly, but he never acts any more stupidly than the average desperate teenager might, and I was completely in his corner throughout.

It helps that David Bell takes such excellent pains to show how oblivious Hunter can be, and how relatively privileged he is compared to the women and minorities in his personal orbit. Crucially, however, Hunter learns as he goes. Here, he’s relating in one of his videos a lesson Chloe taught him after a strange girl suddenly inserted herself into a date they were having at the mall. Chloe acted like it was totally normal, sharing her food with the girl then walking her out to where the girl’s mom had been called to pick her up. Hunter was completely mystified and bemused by how Chloe welcomed the gatecrasher. Afterwards, Chloe explained to him how she had automatically known that the girl was being bothered by a stranger and needed their company:

QUOTE
“‘[G]irls are taught that if they’re ever in that situation, they should go up to another girl and act like they know each other. Just start talking. And we’re all supposed to know to play along because then the creep will think the girl is with other friends, and he’ll leave her alone. That’s what that girl was doing.’”

“‘And you just knew what to do,’ I asked.”

“‘Women have to know how to do those things, Hunter,’ Chloe said. ‘We’re always in those situations where we have to deal with that crap. I just did my best for her. That’s all I could do. No, I had to do it.’”
END QUOTE

Chloe is a wonderful character, making readers root for Hunter to find her quickly so that the young lovers can be reunited. Of course, the story here isn’t as straightforward as all that, making for an excellent if sobering read that is unafraid to talk about the impact social issues have on all of us, and how we learn to cope with them across genders, generations and other divides.

I really enjoyed the twist of this, but the beginning was really hard to get through. Specifically because I hated hunter. He was making a missing girl's case about him, and it honestly didn't seem like he had thought anything through. But the twist was really interesting, and as someone who reads a lot of YA mystery, I was pleasantly surprised. Overall a good mystery.

She’s gone
By David bell
I am no stranger to David Bell novels so you can understand that when I was chosen to have the opportunity to read his latest book early I was ecstatic. I receive the early readers copy from NetGalley and had intended to read it asap but having other books I was approved for I needed to read this first so in line with publication day I started reading this one. It seemed to have engrossed me right away.
Starts out focusing on the character Hunter who was in a car accident and suffered a concussion. The puzzling part is his girlfriend Chloe who he seems to always be with is now missing. Quite naturally people jump to the conclusion that Hunter is responsible for her disappearance. Hunter was quite banged up on the auto accident and while able to make his way to the hospital he doesn’t remember how or why he is there let alone where Chloe might be. As I read on the puzzle pieces start to come together or do they?! . I think I know what happened but then do I?! No I do not!!! I was blown away at these twists and turns in this book! Very fast paced read!!!
Available now on amazon and a bookstore near you. I always opt for kindle edition due to my preference.
Thank you NetGalley thanks to the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this early. I was not disappointed!

17-year-old Hunter Gifford does not recall the event leading up to and including the car accident that he was in with his girlfriend, Chloe Summers. He does not recall walking up to the emergency room nor does he know what happened to Chloe. What he does know is that the police and everyone else believe he had something to do with her disappearance and the accident.

As the police interview Hunter and those in Chloe's life, Hunter does some investigating on his own when not making ridiculous decisions. Oh, to be young, to act on impulse and not think things through.

She's Gone is a fast paced thriller which kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the length of the chapters, and the Scooby Doo detective work Hunter did. He had some help along the way from his sister and friends. The mystery of what happened to Chloe had me turning the pages and doing my own super sleuthing.

I really enjoyed this book. At first I thought wait hey its a teen story - but then got over it really quick - it really just a story for anyone who loves a mystery and a who done it, or loves to know what happens when someone disappears. Chloe disappears after driving off with her boyfriend after a homecoming dance. Hunter crashed into a tree and cant remember anything - or can he? He starts making these videos about it, he is suspected by the police, and he generally acts guilty as he tries to put together what happened. I really thought I knew what happened - I was like oh this is so easy its (fill in the blank). But I was not all the way right :). How it plays out will keep you guessing!

Teenager, Hunter wakes up in the hospital, with memory loss. He’s been in a car accident coming home for HomeComing with his girlfriend, Chloe. But now she is missing and Hunter cannot remember what happened to them. He stands as most guilty, so he is trying to figure out what happened, only succeding to deepen his possible guilt. With the support of this sister and friends, Hunter tries to prove what happened to Chloe. When a former best friend dies following Hunters visit - he is even more frightened that he may be responsible andjust cannot remember.

An entertaining mystery, it isn’t exceptional but then it is a YA book and with that in mind, I believe a younger audience would really enjoy this thriller. What I liked most about the story was the unpredictable ending, I didn’t quite see that coming.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and SourceBooks in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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I found the plot of this to be half predictable. Our protagonist, Hunter, was so grossly self-righteous and made stupid decisions. I mean, those videos are so incredibly self-centered, rather than focusing on the search for the missing girl. Why put yourself out there like that? Why complain about mistreatment and then willingly make yourself a target? It was so maddeningly naive and self-centered. In face, the only truly logical characters were Olivia and Gabby, the youngest of the characters - and Hunter would have been screwed without them. The second half of the twist twist was a nice surprise, but not enough to save such a slow-paced narrative that was terribly dragged down by day to day interactions.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a crazy ride this was. So much going on, and never a dull moment. I will definitely say that I did not see that ending coming! I had so many people pegged, and I really thought it would end differently, but I understand why.

Thank you to the author, Sourcebook Fire and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not familiar with this author, and was surprised to discover how prolific he is. This is his first foray into the YA genre, and while the premise got me interested, I was not a fan of the execution. Short chapters, cliffhangers galore, but I felt the action lurched in place rather than moving forward. Too much lead-up, and then a lack of delivery to move the story forward, and the reveals were very obvious and not at all surprising. Unfortunately, I have to say this did not meet my expectations.

She’s Gone is my first YA book written by David Bell that I have read. I was interested to see if he could take the Mystery/Thriller aspect of his adult books and make it YA-friendly. He did it and he did it very well. The characters are high schoolers, and he has their mannerisms, their reactions, and their lives all portrayed exactly right. The thoughts that the characters have while trying to figure out what happened after hoco (homecoming) and where Chloe is are true to a teenage mind.



As with most thriller books, the reader knows picking up the book that there is going to be more to the story than what appears. She’s Gone has many twists and turns, Hunter is following the clues while also being suspect #1 to find out what happened to himself and his girlfriend. I love that his true friends stand beside him but true to HS Drama, they also talk amongst themselves a lot and rumors are spread. He said, she said, they saw, they heard…it all plays into solving what happen to Chloe and if Hunter did it.



The ending… a little predictable. I was not shocked but I liked how it played out. I will be looking for more YA books from David Bell in the future.

She's Gone by Davis Bell starts off with a bang and continues all the way to an explosion at the end. What a great story and interesting characters. I did not see the end coming!!

I've read a few of David Bell's books but this is my first YA novel by him. I usually do not read YA but this one caught my attention and I thought I would give it a try. I did enjoy it. I thought it was good even though I am far from being a YA. Still not sure if I will read more YA though. Depends on who writes them I suppose.

This book is centered around a young man names Hunter who was in a horrible car wreck. His girlfriend Chloe is missing and everyone assumes he did something to her. Or maybe she was kidnapped. Or wondered off somewhere hurt and confused. Hunter was hurt pretty bad and is suffering from memory loss. He can't remember the wreck nor anything after it. He barely remembers going to the homecoming dance where this supposedly all started. Some say that Hunter and Chloe had a big fight that night and think that is why he did something to her.

This book is a fairly quick read. In my opinion it's well written. A little bit much in places but that is always expected for an ARC especially. I think David Bell did a good job of wrapping things up and keeping me in suspense. I did think it was one person who caused the wreck but I was kind of wrong. I also figured out who actually did do it but was uncertain. It didn't take a thing away from this book for me though. There were enough surprises along the way to keep me turning the pages. I hated that a certain person was murdered but do understand why. I think Hunter was a typical teen who wanted to know what happened to his girlfriend and handled the lashing out from his piers fairly well. It's to be expected with all the social media among high schoolers. They are both unforgiving and quick to forget. You just never know what a teen is going to do or say in certain situations.

This book will definitely appeal to teens. I think it was a good read. I really enjoyed Hunter and his younger sister. They are close and that is always good. Their dad is a bit aloof but when it comes down to it he is there for his kids. Again, this book was pretty good.

Thank you #NetGalley, #DavidBell, #SourceBooksFire, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4 stars. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good mystery and somewhat edge of your seat book. Especially younger people. It's really a good one.

She's Gone was a fast paced young adult thriller! Bell keeps the reader guessing who the killer really is, and the reveal doesn't disappoint! Except for some mild language usage, this book will be devoured by my thrill seekers. Now I'm curious about other works by David Bell. **searches other works**

Wow oh wow what an Amazing book!!! His books are always good but this one was a complete page turner that you will not want to put down!

I got a free copy through Netgalley, this in no way affected this review.

I read this from start to finish in less than a day. The book had me so hooked, I just couldn’t put it down.

We follow Hunter as he tries to figure out what happened the night of the accident where he lost his memory and his girlfriend went missing. The plot was very clear and there were a few good twists here and there.

The side characters were perhaps a bit two-dimensional at times and others may have been completely unnecessary, but I didn’t really mind as I was so focused on Hunter’s journey.

I predicted the ending, but still found it enjoyable to read how everything came together.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

I liked this book and think that teen readers will as well.

This book centers around a high school student going missing after a high school dance, and the last one to see her alive was supposedly her boyfriend, Hunter.. but he has no memory of that night or anything that happened.
This was a great spooky season read. The main characters being in high school, added other complications and aspects to the missing person mystery. High school gossip, social media, strained friendships. Watching the main character struggle through this time was difficult, and I found myself rooting for him to prove his innocence. It was also difficult to see the effects it had on his family, who had already been through a lot recently. I was guessing right until the very end about who harmed Chloe and if she’d be found.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this ARC.