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17 & Gone
Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are seventeen and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? Through Lauren's search for clues, things begin to unravel, and when a brush with death lands Lauren in the hospital, a shocking truth changes everything.
With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautifully visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.
With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautifully visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.
353 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2013
96 people are currently reading
7910 people want to read
About the author
Nova Ren Suma
14 books869 followersNova Ren Suma is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling and #1 Indie Next Pick The Walls Around Us as well as A Room Away from the Wolves, both finalists for an Edgar Award, among other acclaimed novels. She was co-editor of the story & craft anthology FORESHADOW: Stories to Celebrate the Magic of Reading & Writing YA, and her own short stories appear in various anthologies. She is a MacDowell fellow, a Yaddo fellow, and has taught creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania and Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in the Hudson Valley and now lives in Philadelphia. Wake the Wild Creatures is forthcoming from Little, Brown in May 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
March 2, 2013
4.5 stars While I was reading 17 & Gone, I felt as though someone had taken me by the hand and was leading me into a dream state where realities were blurred and paranoia was a constant state of being. I caught glimpses of someone disappearing around a corner, I heard whispers from companions unseen--and there was nothing I could do but allow myself to be pulled deeper and deeper into the ever-changing kaleidoscope of the author's masterful storytelling.
The full text of this review appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
The full text of this review appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
March 7, 2018
I've quickly become a fan of Ms. Suma and 17 & GONE has simply sealed the deal. This is one of those books that I must introduce to "my" high schoolers.
Ms. Suma tackles teenage mental illness and suicide in a way that very few can and do (shout out here to Nic Sheff for nailing it too in SCHIZO, which "my" kids are still talking about.) Presented in such a relatable, compelling fashion, young adults will garner more from this novel than from many of the resources seemingly available.
Experiencing the effects of mental illness through the kind, intelligent, compassion Lauren sheds an understanding that is unparalleled and, I humbly believe, should be experienced by everyone for a better understanding and easier acceptance of mental illness. I know our teenagers deserve this chance.
Ms. Suma tackles teenage mental illness and suicide in a way that very few can and do (shout out here to Nic Sheff for nailing it too in SCHIZO, which "my" kids are still talking about.) Presented in such a relatable, compelling fashion, young adults will garner more from this novel than from many of the resources seemingly available.
Experiencing the effects of mental illness through the kind, intelligent, compassion Lauren sheds an understanding that is unparalleled and, I humbly believe, should be experienced by everyone for a better understanding and easier acceptance of mental illness. I know our teenagers deserve this chance.
May 1, 2013
Girls go missing every day. Teenage girls run away, some get kidnapped, or worse. Lauren is acknowledging this first hand when she starts seeing ghosts, or visions, of missing 17 year old girls. A psychological thriller, or is it a paranormal? You'll have to read and see! ;)
Lauren, being taken over by these visions, is unable to think of anything else but these victims, because as much as the law, and even sometimes the parents, insist they were runaways, she knows they aren't. Wanting to help these girls becomes priority, pushing her boyfriend away in the process. Lauren is an intriguing protagonist. She's very smart, analytical, but seeing these girls is becoming an obsession, with finding out the truth. I liked the psychological side of her character, it's well developed and knows how to immerse its readers, I did wish a bit more of her personality was made clear. I still don't really know who Lauren is, as a person, as a friend, a girlfriend; what kind of person was she before all of this? How much has this affected her life? As a character study, however, this really works well for the type of story this novel becomes at the end. I can't go more in depth without any spoilers unfortunately, but while on one hand its hard to emotionally connect with Lauren, this story works perfectly with the out-of-reach character that we get in her. Through Lauren, we also get the missing girls' stories where we see the circumstances behind their disappearances, showing us exactly how easily this happens, and how often. Some of these stories are mere paragraphs, others pages, and a couple span the whole novel, leaving us with a deep sense of mourning. It shines a new light on what is often mislabeled as a runaway, but is really a tragedy.
What started with one girl turns into a half dozen of them that appear to Lauren, some talk to her, some give her signs to help her along in the process, some are more persistent, almost menacing. I loved the way this story is told, particularly how it unfolds; we get dissociated from the real world and dropped into this girl's life where nothing appears definite, nothing even truly makes any sort of sense for a while. You have to simply go through the motions and juggle with what you're given to try to figure out what is happening to Lauren. All the while you're immersed into a mystery that convinces you, even makes you hope, that it's all real, that she just might be able to do something about these missing girls. It likes to play with your mind. It's compelling because it's vague, if that makes any sense. It also encloses a great range of emotion, especially loss to desolation. No matter if you are hoping for a psychological thriller or a ghost story, I'm convinced you'll enjoy it!
17 & Gone is an artistically crafted novel; powerful, intensely atmospheric, and will leave you thinking about it for days. I want to say more but, alas, I cannot without spoilers, thus I shall leave it at that!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Lauren, being taken over by these visions, is unable to think of anything else but these victims, because as much as the law, and even sometimes the parents, insist they were runaways, she knows they aren't. Wanting to help these girls becomes priority, pushing her boyfriend away in the process. Lauren is an intriguing protagonist. She's very smart, analytical, but seeing these girls is becoming an obsession, with finding out the truth. I liked the psychological side of her character, it's well developed and knows how to immerse its readers, I did wish a bit more of her personality was made clear. I still don't really know who Lauren is, as a person, as a friend, a girlfriend; what kind of person was she before all of this? How much has this affected her life? As a character study, however, this really works well for the type of story this novel becomes at the end. I can't go more in depth without any spoilers unfortunately, but while on one hand its hard to emotionally connect with Lauren, this story works perfectly with the out-of-reach character that we get in her. Through Lauren, we also get the missing girls' stories where we see the circumstances behind their disappearances, showing us exactly how easily this happens, and how often. Some of these stories are mere paragraphs, others pages, and a couple span the whole novel, leaving us with a deep sense of mourning. It shines a new light on what is often mislabeled as a runaway, but is really a tragedy.
What started with one girl turns into a half dozen of them that appear to Lauren, some talk to her, some give her signs to help her along in the process, some are more persistent, almost menacing. I loved the way this story is told, particularly how it unfolds; we get dissociated from the real world and dropped into this girl's life where nothing appears definite, nothing even truly makes any sort of sense for a while. You have to simply go through the motions and juggle with what you're given to try to figure out what is happening to Lauren. All the while you're immersed into a mystery that convinces you, even makes you hope, that it's all real, that she just might be able to do something about these missing girls. It likes to play with your mind. It's compelling because it's vague, if that makes any sense. It also encloses a great range of emotion, especially loss to desolation. No matter if you are hoping for a psychological thriller or a ghost story, I'm convinced you'll enjoy it!
17 & Gone is an artistically crafted novel; powerful, intensely atmospheric, and will leave you thinking about it for days. I want to say more but, alas, I cannot without spoilers, thus I shall leave it at that!
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
June 22, 2013
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
4.5 stars
Thank you Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or take to alter this review.
'The ghosts tonight have already told their stories.'
Reviews are difficult things. Word after word of my thoughts, emotions, qualms and complaints. Yet it still takes time to write. After reading Seventeen & Gone, I realised a problem. I had no notes written down, ready to write this review. Why? Simply because I was so captivated and caught in this hazy world, I was lost in a bookish paradox. So boys and girls, be prepared to listen to me blubbering of this enthralling novel that still has me half awake- the other half still reading and reading those restless last words.
Girls of the century. Millennium. They run away. They make plans to go. They think it's a joke. Funny even. It's when they disappear without meaning to it becomes a mystery. But only for Lauren. Other people couldn't really care less and get the two mixed up. The girl disappeared because she ran away. Or, the girl ran away and disappeared. However only Lauren, asked a different question. Why did they disappear? How? Who? Lauren can see these lost girls, talk to them and see their past. She wants to help them, but no one is listening. Because no one suspects what she knows.
Nova Ren Suma's writing is something to bow down to. The atmosphere she creates is so thrilling and suspenseful that you can't just help but fall into. What I appreciated about Seventeen & Gone was the way her research and key messages spoke through the writing. It was incorporated with jarring experiences and semi-crypticness. A self-awareness novel even. The idea was optimally a mixture of real and surreal. Truth and falsity. Beautiful and alarming sentences. Broken but connected. My words cannot even summarise half of this novel. But I'll just leave it as; I learnt many, many things in this novel, and the messages plotted trickily should not be overseen.
All our characters and supporting characters in here are so divergent and original. I loved Lauren. Her personality was so thoughtfully driven and clear. She wasn't stupid, all her motives had a reason and I enjoyed going though her thinking process. We also have the collection of lost, seventeen year old girls, even though hinting a little cliché wouldn't have bothered me, Nova Ren Suma has none of that. It's all magnificently breathtaking and earth-shattering.
Another gratifying part of this book (is that even possible?) was the romance. Not at all dominating, it sits in the corner obediently lighting and twisting the mood distinctively every now and again. I guess I can't even call this a subplot as it was such a small element but still touching and gorgeous all the same. Jamie was so full of character and genuine, just like Lauren.
For my first novel by Nova Ren Suma, I know I'll be keen for her other books. Seventeen & Gone is a chilling novel with impressive writing that's full of character, as well as a great backbone meaning that just hits this book home. Just a small hesitation about needing more plot going through bit other than that the characters and idea were executed flawlessly. Recommended to lovers of Pretty Girl-13 and other mystery thrillers.
4.5 stars
Thank you Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or take to alter this review.
'The ghosts tonight have already told their stories.'
Reviews are difficult things. Word after word of my thoughts, emotions, qualms and complaints. Yet it still takes time to write. After reading Seventeen & Gone, I realised a problem. I had no notes written down, ready to write this review. Why? Simply because I was so captivated and caught in this hazy world, I was lost in a bookish paradox. So boys and girls, be prepared to listen to me blubbering of this enthralling novel that still has me half awake- the other half still reading and reading those restless last words.
Girls of the century. Millennium. They run away. They make plans to go. They think it's a joke. Funny even. It's when they disappear without meaning to it becomes a mystery. But only for Lauren. Other people couldn't really care less and get the two mixed up. The girl disappeared because she ran away. Or, the girl ran away and disappeared. However only Lauren, asked a different question. Why did they disappear? How? Who? Lauren can see these lost girls, talk to them and see their past. She wants to help them, but no one is listening. Because no one suspects what she knows.
Nova Ren Suma's writing is something to bow down to. The atmosphere she creates is so thrilling and suspenseful that you can't just help but fall into. What I appreciated about Seventeen & Gone was the way her research and key messages spoke through the writing. It was incorporated with jarring experiences and semi-crypticness. A self-awareness novel even. The idea was optimally a mixture of real and surreal. Truth and falsity. Beautiful and alarming sentences. Broken but connected. My words cannot even summarise half of this novel. But I'll just leave it as; I learnt many, many things in this novel, and the messages plotted trickily should not be overseen.
All our characters and supporting characters in here are so divergent and original. I loved Lauren. Her personality was so thoughtfully driven and clear. She wasn't stupid, all her motives had a reason and I enjoyed going though her thinking process. We also have the collection of lost, seventeen year old girls, even though hinting a little cliché wouldn't have bothered me, Nova Ren Suma has none of that. It's all magnificently breathtaking and earth-shattering.
Another gratifying part of this book (is that even possible?) was the romance. Not at all dominating, it sits in the corner obediently lighting and twisting the mood distinctively every now and again. I guess I can't even call this a subplot as it was such a small element but still touching and gorgeous all the same. Jamie was so full of character and genuine, just like Lauren.
For my first novel by Nova Ren Suma, I know I'll be keen for her other books. Seventeen & Gone is a chilling novel with impressive writing that's full of character, as well as a great backbone meaning that just hits this book home. Just a small hesitation about needing more plot going through bit other than that the characters and idea were executed flawlessly. Recommended to lovers of Pretty Girl-13 and other mystery thrillers.
March 25, 2014
I managed to finish 17 & Gone given that it was so boring.
The writing is great, though, but the stories are not.
Lauren "sees" the ghosts of girls who have disappeared when they were seventeen. Some of them ran away, some were abducted, one was still alive
The story goes from girl to girl without lingering in one long enough to make me feel sorry for her.
I feel that the book was trying to get to my soft side by saying things like "no girl - no missing girl, no runaway - deserves to be given up on, just like I wouldn't want anyone to give up on me." I found those type of lines cheesy.
I didn't feel any thrill; I kept looking to see how many pages were left and how many more stories would be added!
I guess that people who have had somebody missing will love the book because, unless you don't have a heart, you should feel sorry for missing girls. Which I do - feel sorry for missing girls, that is - but this book didn't evoke any of those feelings in me.
I asked my sister what she thought of the book just to make sure that I wasn't being a total bitch, and she said that she found it boring too. Alas! Looks like we are still in-sync... now, if I could just get her to read Angelfall.... my work here would be done :-)
The writing is great, though, but the stories are not.
Lauren "sees" the ghosts of girls who have disappeared when they were seventeen. Some of them ran away, some were abducted, one was still alive
The story goes from girl to girl without lingering in one long enough to make me feel sorry for her.
I feel that the book was trying to get to my soft side by saying things like "no girl - no missing girl, no runaway - deserves to be given up on, just like I wouldn't want anyone to give up on me." I found those type of lines cheesy.
I didn't feel any thrill; I kept looking to see how many pages were left and how many more stories would be added!
I guess that people who have had somebody missing will love the book because, unless you don't have a heart, you should feel sorry for missing girls. Which I do - feel sorry for missing girls, that is - but this book didn't evoke any of those feelings in me.
I asked my sister what she thought of the book just to make sure that I wasn't being a total bitch, and she said that she found it boring too. Alas! Looks like we are still in-sync... now, if I could just get her to read Angelfall.... my work here would be done :-)
March 27, 2016
I realize I read this in Jan in the cold of Winter. The book felt cold at first but pretty soon our heroine thawed it for us. But the book was cold and the contents colder, yet it warmed me by the time I finished reading it, good writing does that. Very readable the kind of book that you could finish in one go. The concept was high and could have easily been convoluted but it was rather easy to imbibe. Some of the sentences and words had me shaking my head in admiration.
The whole mystery was attractive and very compelling. Throughout the book I wanted our heroine to OK, and by the end she....., well you'll have to read it to find that out now, don't you? But the fact I needed to know that, that I cared, is a celebration of the book in itself.
The book made me anxious in all the right ways, it was mature without pulling any punches, and the ending, the twist if you will, was a shocker genuinely surprising. Then I felt a little let down but on reflection when I think really hard about it, it made sense, all of it. It couldn't have been any other way.
The haze that the book created permeated throughout the novel setting my mind and imagination ablaze. It was done just right, with just the right amount of burnt orange. The fire in the book consumed both the protagonist's and the readers' mind and yet it was oddly balmy too.
God, I love this book, just just read it, OK? I am looking forward to reading her Imaginary Girls. Luckily, I already have it.
When I was reading 17 and Gone, inevitably I couldn't help but think of Paper Valentine and Vanishing Girls. This book wasn't anything like those books and yet it was. Also, the theme and message in this book was heard loud and clear. I hope it will alter someone's life and change it for the better.
Also, I just adore the author's name ; Nove Ren Suma, that alone makes this book unique, but unique is what it tried to say.
Let's hope someone was listening.
April 10, 2017
I loved the writing style of this - I think that was what drew me in from the very first page.
Overall, I felt like the story was interesting and mysterious overall -
Nevertheless, I thought the book was really captivating and interesting - and I will definitely read more by this author because of the writing style.
Overall, I felt like the story was interesting and mysterious overall -
Nevertheless, I thought the book was really captivating and interesting - and I will definitely read more by this author because of the writing style.
April 17, 2013
I spent most of this book confused. Like the main character, I wasn't sure what was going on or what was going to happen next. And then it all came together. It's unfortunate that discussing how it all came together is a huge spoiler because it's such an important topic, but luckily, Nova Ren Suma addresses more than one worthwhile issue.
17 & Gone is about in-between girls at that in-between age. They're not legally adults but they left the protection of childhood long ago. If these girls disappear, it's noted but not particularly noteworthy. Expected even. Lauren isn't one of those girls. She lives with her mother, goes to school, and has a boyfriend. Yet one day, she finds herself drawn to a flyer of a missing girl, Abigail Sinclair. She knows without a doubt that Abigail actually went by "Abby." She knows this because Abby is talking to her.
This is a book that could've easily turned into a public service announcement or after school special, but instead Nova Ren Suma weaves her message into a taut thriller. Even when I was confused, I couldn't put it down. The first part, where Lauren obsessively tracks down details of missing girl after missing girl, was heartbreaking and staggering. There's a "ripped from the headlines" feel because they probably were. At one point, Lauren wonders,
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous.
17 & Gone is about in-between girls at that in-between age. They're not legally adults but they left the protection of childhood long ago. If these girls disappear, it's noted but not particularly noteworthy. Expected even. Lauren isn't one of those girls. She lives with her mother, goes to school, and has a boyfriend. Yet one day, she finds herself drawn to a flyer of a missing girl, Abigail Sinclair. She knows without a doubt that Abigail actually went by "Abby." She knows this because Abby is talking to her.
This is a book that could've easily turned into a public service announcement or after school special, but instead Nova Ren Suma weaves her message into a taut thriller. Even when I was confused, I couldn't put it down. The first part, where Lauren obsessively tracks down details of missing girl after missing girl, was heartbreaking and staggering. There's a "ripped from the headlines" feel because they probably were. At one point, Lauren wonders,
I was 17.The second part deals with a topic I wish was explored more. I'm being purposefully vague but wanting more is just a testament to the quality of the writing. I expected a straight criminal procedural, but 17 & Gone surprised me with its creative depiction of relevant and serious issues.
I was a girl.
Didn't we matter?
This review appears on Young Adult Anonymous.
dnf
May 21, 2013This started really well but I've hit a patch that isn't holding my attention, I just find it really easy to put aside right now. Maybe I'll come back to it later.
April 12, 2013
3.5
Not mind-blowing/awesome enough for four stars but definitely demands more than 3 stars.
While I can tell you a host of things I liked about this book, I can't exactly pinpoint what I didn't.
Perhaps, it was the palpable despondency and depression that surrounded this book.
Or maybe, it was the aimlessness of the story, the lack of an engaging plot in certain parts.
It could always also be that despite it being a fairly character-driven novel, I don't get a feel of Lauren.
17 & Gone was one of the most anticipated books of 2013 and I'm sorry to say that I'm one of the minority who don't feel so hyped about it. And there are very few of us. :/ Not that I'm saying you should come and join us; go out and love it or not love it, but do read it. I get why people gush about it so and I find myself thinking some similar things but frankly, and I think I'll be reiterating this a lot, the book bored me even when I was hooked and I know it makes no sense at all.
This, the book was not. :(
I think it's because of the author's writing. It's creepy and evocative, and creates such an ethereal atmosphere. It's lush and begs for another glance. A multitude of sentences are crowding my head, some of them constituting whole paragraphs. It's one of the most fabulous pieces of contemporary literature I've read, in terms of writing style.
The story is of a girl, Lauren, who is haunted, in the most literal sense, by past and figments of imagination and ghosts. All of them girls. All of them 17 and gone. Missing, runaways. Soon she becomes obsessed with them and it wrecks her life slowly, one piece at a time and she doesn't even feel it. But we do. And it's eerie, how oblivious she remains, how immersed she is in this world of hers.
Intriguing as it was, this obsession of hers also makes Lauren's a hard narrative to immerse in, much less appreciate. I liked her unreliability and the missing pieces that were always there, and the things that shouldn't be there, but it is difficult to get to know a person when there is no background. The only part of her life from before that can be recollected is her love for her mother.
The book's slow pace is quite the anathema to Nova Ren Suma's words, augmented by the feeling of redundant ignorance on the part of the reader. The two make a fitting pair, constantly grappling the reader(majorly me) from pushing the book away as well as staying up late into the night to finish it.
This, the book was not, either.
I am neutral towards the ending, but I love the message this book delivers about not forgetting, not giving up on any of those girls. Those that we see on posters for missing/runaways-and-please-call-if-you-have-info and forget the next second as life delivers a soy-less coffee when we specifically ordered it with soy. And that very vital misstep of some bumbling barista draws our attention.
To end with, I'll be on the lookout for new novels by the author, even if this book didn't hold much appeal for me. And I'd recommend you to do so, as well.
Cross posted on Books behind Dam{n}s
Not mind-blowing/awesome enough for four stars but definitely demands more than 3 stars.
While I can tell you a host of things I liked about this book, I can't exactly pinpoint what I didn't.
Perhaps, it was the palpable despondency and depression that surrounded this book.
Or maybe, it was the aimlessness of the story, the lack of an engaging plot in certain parts.
It could always also be that despite it being a fairly character-driven novel, I don't get a feel of Lauren.
17 & Gone was one of the most anticipated books of 2013 and I'm sorry to say that I'm one of the minority who don't feel so hyped about it. And there are very few of us. :/ Not that I'm saying you should come and join us; go out and love it or not love it, but do read it. I get why people gush about it so and I find myself thinking some similar things but frankly, and I think I'll be reiterating this a lot, the book bored me even when I was hooked and I know it makes no sense at all.
This, the book was not. :(
I think it's because of the author's writing. It's creepy and evocative, and creates such an ethereal atmosphere. It's lush and begs for another glance. A multitude of sentences are crowding my head, some of them constituting whole paragraphs. It's one of the most fabulous pieces of contemporary literature I've read, in terms of writing style.
The story is of a girl, Lauren, who is haunted, in the most literal sense, by past and figments of imagination and ghosts. All of them girls. All of them 17 and gone. Missing, runaways. Soon she becomes obsessed with them and it wrecks her life slowly, one piece at a time and she doesn't even feel it. But we do. And it's eerie, how oblivious she remains, how immersed she is in this world of hers.
Intriguing as it was, this obsession of hers also makes Lauren's a hard narrative to immerse in, much less appreciate. I liked her unreliability and the missing pieces that were always there, and the things that shouldn't be there, but it is difficult to get to know a person when there is no background. The only part of her life from before that can be recollected is her love for her mother.
The book's slow pace is quite the anathema to Nova Ren Suma's words, augmented by the feeling of redundant ignorance on the part of the reader. The two make a fitting pair, constantly grappling the reader(majorly me) from pushing the book away as well as staying up late into the night to finish it.
This, the book was not, either.
I am neutral towards the ending, but I love the message this book delivers about not forgetting, not giving up on any of those girls. Those that we see on posters for missing/runaways-and-please-call-if-you-have-info and forget the next second as life delivers a soy-less coffee when we specifically ordered it with soy. And that very vital misstep of some bumbling barista draws our attention.
To end with, I'll be on the lookout for new novels by the author, even if this book didn't hold much appeal for me. And I'd recommend you to do so, as well.
Cross posted on Books behind Dam{n}s
February 19, 2018
“I was looking back into memories I didn't own, wanting in.”
17 & Gone is a fairly fast read and will likely keep you engaged enough to keep going so you can see how it all turns out.
Honestly, I'm not that excited to write this review. I don't feel like there is a ton to really say about it. The writing is pretty simple, so it's easy to fly though. The characters are not bad, I wouldn't call them really developed though either. I don't always need character development to be deep in a thriller/paranormal type of book but this one really needed it. We have our main protagonist, Lauren, seeing dead girls everywhere basically and one of them seems to really need her help still. The plot is something I've seen before but I didn't feel it was executed that well. It felt kind of messy to me.
I didn't get much background on the character, I was just thrown right into her having visions of dead people. She didn't seem to question it, she just rolled with it. Not exactly how I would react if
the dead paid me a visit, but maybe she is much braver than me - it wouldn't take much! We get hit with girl after girl and their missing posters and how they went missing. This could've been cool but they were very short and it started feeling filler after awhile. There is also a romance that I guess we are supposed to care about but again we barely know anything about him and I personally cared very little.
I had a lot of issues with the ending. I didn't think it was done well. There were way too many plot holes to explain certain things that happened in the book. I just kind of eye-rolled at it. I'm giving it a very basic three stars, it wasn't horrible but not really something I'd go around recommending either. I have a couple other books by this author and I'll still give them a try at some point.
17 & Gone is a fairly fast read and will likely keep you engaged enough to keep going so you can see how it all turns out.
Honestly, I'm not that excited to write this review. I don't feel like there is a ton to really say about it. The writing is pretty simple, so it's easy to fly though. The characters are not bad, I wouldn't call them really developed though either. I don't always need character development to be deep in a thriller/paranormal type of book but this one really needed it. We have our main protagonist, Lauren, seeing dead girls everywhere basically and one of them seems to really need her help still. The plot is something I've seen before but I didn't feel it was executed that well. It felt kind of messy to me.
I didn't get much background on the character, I was just thrown right into her having visions of dead people. She didn't seem to question it, she just rolled with it. Not exactly how I would react if
the dead paid me a visit, but maybe she is much braver than me - it wouldn't take much! We get hit with girl after girl and their missing posters and how they went missing. This could've been cool but they were very short and it started feeling filler after awhile. There is also a romance that I guess we are supposed to care about but again we barely know anything about him and I personally cared very little.
I had a lot of issues with the ending. I didn't think it was done well. There were way too many plot holes to explain certain things that happened in the book. I just kind of eye-rolled at it. I'm giving it a very basic three stars, it wasn't horrible but not really something I'd go around recommending either. I have a couple other books by this author and I'll still give them a try at some point.
March 3, 2013
After reading Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls last year she fast became an author to watch for me. After reading 17 & Gone she has solidified herself as an author that I will buy & read anything that she does. Her writing is remarkable; the eerie, dreamlike quality of her prose sucks you in and leaves you questioning everything that you read. 17 & Gone is a novel about missing girls, not only girls that are taken but also ones who have run away from their life.
Lauren was someone that I really connected with. She struggled with what was happening to her and she wasn’t afraid to put what she needed to do ahead of the boy in her life. This was such a refreshing aspect to her personality because so often in YA the girls put the boys first, it was a breath of fresh air to see a girl who wasn’t afraid to throw her relationship in the back seat and do what she needed to do for herself. That being said, I also really did like her boyfriend Jaime. He was super supportive and I loved how he would go along with her and have very little questions. Their relationship was really sweet and as Lauren reflected on the path they had taken together and how they had opened up to one another I became invested in the relationship and where they would go. The real gem in the relationship department in this novel is between Lauren and her mother. I loved how her mother was portrayed as a completely unconventional mom; an ex stripper covered in tattoos who was always there for her daughter and really took an interest in the goings on in her life. The mother daughter relationship was fantastic and their openness with one another was exactly as it should be.
While reading this novel you don’t only get to meet wonderful characters and experience their relationships, but there is also a mystery going on. Lauren is seeing missing girls not only in her sleep but in her waking hours as well. Throughout the novel I wasn’t sure what was real and what was not and it made reading every page that much more chilling. I was a little nervous that this would be one of those stories that doesn’t really wrap up in the end and leaves a lot for each reader to take from it what they will but I am happy to report that I loved how it wrapped up. I wish I could talk about that aspect of the story a little more but I don’t want to spoil anything.
Much of this tale is Lauren working through the mystery as the elements just keep piling up. She meets more missing girls and as she meets each one we get snapshots of their stories leading up to their ultimate disappearance. Getting each girls story and realizing that no two circumstances are the same kept me absorbed in the story. This novel packs a punch and the writing is absolutely stunning. Once again Suma has come out with a story that I will be recommending to anyone who will listen.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
Lauren was someone that I really connected with. She struggled with what was happening to her and she wasn’t afraid to put what she needed to do ahead of the boy in her life. This was such a refreshing aspect to her personality because so often in YA the girls put the boys first, it was a breath of fresh air to see a girl who wasn’t afraid to throw her relationship in the back seat and do what she needed to do for herself. That being said, I also really did like her boyfriend Jaime. He was super supportive and I loved how he would go along with her and have very little questions. Their relationship was really sweet and as Lauren reflected on the path they had taken together and how they had opened up to one another I became invested in the relationship and where they would go. The real gem in the relationship department in this novel is between Lauren and her mother. I loved how her mother was portrayed as a completely unconventional mom; an ex stripper covered in tattoos who was always there for her daughter and really took an interest in the goings on in her life. The mother daughter relationship was fantastic and their openness with one another was exactly as it should be.
While reading this novel you don’t only get to meet wonderful characters and experience their relationships, but there is also a mystery going on. Lauren is seeing missing girls not only in her sleep but in her waking hours as well. Throughout the novel I wasn’t sure what was real and what was not and it made reading every page that much more chilling. I was a little nervous that this would be one of those stories that doesn’t really wrap up in the end and leaves a lot for each reader to take from it what they will but I am happy to report that I loved how it wrapped up. I wish I could talk about that aspect of the story a little more but I don’t want to spoil anything.
Much of this tale is Lauren working through the mystery as the elements just keep piling up. She meets more missing girls and as she meets each one we get snapshots of their stories leading up to their ultimate disappearance. Getting each girls story and realizing that no two circumstances are the same kept me absorbed in the story. This novel packs a punch and the writing is absolutely stunning. Once again Suma has come out with a story that I will be recommending to anyone who will listen.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
April 19, 2013
I never quite got on board with this book. A 17 year old high school student starts hearing voices and having visions of other 17 year old girls who are missing -- whether they have run away, or been abducted, or encountered accidents, they are missing.
I'm going to spoiler this because it's the kind of book where talking about the structure will give away some stuff, even though I won't reveal any specific plot details.
I'm going to spoiler this because it's the kind of book where talking about the structure will give away some stuff, even though I won't reveal any specific plot details.
October 22, 2016
This was good but honestly I'm a bit disappointed it wasn't what I was expecting but it was still a good read and kept me turning the pages.
More review to come.
More review to come.
March 21, 2013
I reread this in March. It is at 4.5. This was really good on read one. It was SPECTACULAR on read number two.
*****
10/12
The genres for this one are all over the map and pretty much exactly right and exactly wrong simultaneously.
Lauren keeps seeing 17-year-old girls who have gone missing. She fears she's next -- she's 17. She's not that different than those other girls.
Except that she is.
At this point, it's impossible to talk about this book without spoilers.
The writing is top-notch, haunting and gorgeous at the same time.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/03/1...
*****
10/12
The genres for this one are all over the map and pretty much exactly right and exactly wrong simultaneously.
Lauren keeps seeing 17-year-old girls who have gone missing. She fears she's next -- she's 17. She's not that different than those other girls.
Except that she is.
At this point, it's impossible to talk about this book without spoilers.
The writing is top-notch, haunting and gorgeous at the same time.
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/03/1...
December 2, 2014
Not nearly as amazing as Imaginary Girls, but still quite impressive. I love the overall message behind it, and, let's face it, Ms. Thing can write like nobody's business.
April 4, 2013
From Blue Butterfly Books.
Holy. Nova Ren Suma, you fucking genius you. Sorry, language censor is down for a bit because I just read a work of brilliance and I'm just in that mode of, Did I really fucking read something so fucking amaze? And yes. Yes, I did.
Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat. I love Nova Ren Suma. I've read her two latest YA's (this and Imaginary Girls) and I'm thoroughly convinced she's one of my top five favorite authors ever. If not in the top three. Yes, top three. Screw the top five. The woman just wrote a book with so little dialogue--dialogue that would probably make up ten pages, if that--that had me so engrossed to the point where my nose is touching the book. She created a narrator who I fell in love with from the get go, who I cared about, and whose mind became my mind.
Suma's writing is, quite frankly, gorgeous. It is just gorgeous. I feel like she could write about the alphabet or the lone rubberband that's sitting off to the side of my computer, and I would drop dead with her beautiful descriptions and characterization. Yes, of a letter or a rubberband. Because she is that good. Here, a paragraph from the opening chapter for those of you who have either A) Never read Suma, B) Don't know if you want to, or C) Just like reading parts of Suma's work at random because you love her as much as I (I picked this one to avoid having to pick and choose a favorite from the middle of the book because this was easier, okay):
"Another girl could go today. She could be pulling her scarf tight around her face to protect it from the cold, searching through her coat pockets for her car keys so they're out and ready when she reaches her car in the dark lot. She could glance in through the bright, blazing windows of the nearest restaurant as she hurries past. And then when she's out of sight the shadowy hands could grab her, the sidewalk could gulp her up. They only trace of the girl would be the stripped wool scarf she dropped on the patch of black ice, and when a car comes and runs it over, dragging it away on its snow tires, there isn't even that.
I could be wrong.
Say I'm wrong.
Say there aren't any hands."
Do you see that description, man? Do you see it? Don't tell me you don't already have a tone set for this. I know you do. This book threw me into a sort of state I've rarely been in. Really, I don't think I ever have this deeply with any other book before.
The world...it was such a dream-like world. I felt as if I were floating around in a haze the entire time. Even the snow in my mind looked off, the world surrounding Lauren, too. The memory of it still gives me chills, even more so now that I know what happens. It makes me want to go back and reread, dig for all the signs, see the foreshadowing.
But the plot itself. I'm blown away by its complexity and execution. It had me mesmerized from the get-go. There are few books I have stayed up through the wee hours of the morning to read, and this was one of them. I got halfway through, saw that the clock read after midnight and I said to myself, That's all right, just one more chapter. Thirty-something chapters later, I was closing the book, it was after two in the morning, and I was stuck in Lauren's mind, running over every little detail that happened with the girls and with Lauren, with my heart skipping beats from all the feels it had.
At one point in the book, I began to figure out what was going on and I thought to myself, How did you make this so realistic? Suma clearly did her research and the reality of this story twisted, twisted, twisted my stomach. Even after a dreamless night after reading, I still feel for Lauren, wonder where she's going to go, wonder how life is going to turn out for her. Like Imaginary Girls, this will be one I'll have to reread again in the future. And I have a feeling it'll terrify me even more.
It's hard to say much without giving anything away. I wanted to be as vague as possible because, really, you should read this without any expectations, other than the fact that Suma is goddamn god. And if you still aren't convinced, go to your local bookstore, pick up a copy, and read the first chapter. Your feet will have carried you to the checkout before you even reached the end of Chapter 1. Guarantee it.
Holy. Nova Ren Suma, you fucking genius you. Sorry, language censor is down for a bit because I just read a work of brilliance and I'm just in that mode of, Did I really fucking read something so fucking amaze? And yes. Yes, I did.
Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat. I love Nova Ren Suma. I've read her two latest YA's (this and Imaginary Girls) and I'm thoroughly convinced she's one of my top five favorite authors ever. If not in the top three. Yes, top three. Screw the top five. The woman just wrote a book with so little dialogue--dialogue that would probably make up ten pages, if that--that had me so engrossed to the point where my nose is touching the book. She created a narrator who I fell in love with from the get go, who I cared about, and whose mind became my mind.
Suma's writing is, quite frankly, gorgeous. It is just gorgeous. I feel like she could write about the alphabet or the lone rubberband that's sitting off to the side of my computer, and I would drop dead with her beautiful descriptions and characterization. Yes, of a letter or a rubberband. Because she is that good. Here, a paragraph from the opening chapter for those of you who have either A) Never read Suma, B) Don't know if you want to, or C) Just like reading parts of Suma's work at random because you love her as much as I (I picked this one to avoid having to pick and choose a favorite from the middle of the book because this was easier, okay):
"Another girl could go today. She could be pulling her scarf tight around her face to protect it from the cold, searching through her coat pockets for her car keys so they're out and ready when she reaches her car in the dark lot. She could glance in through the bright, blazing windows of the nearest restaurant as she hurries past. And then when she's out of sight the shadowy hands could grab her, the sidewalk could gulp her up. They only trace of the girl would be the stripped wool scarf she dropped on the patch of black ice, and when a car comes and runs it over, dragging it away on its snow tires, there isn't even that.
I could be wrong.
Say I'm wrong.
Say there aren't any hands."
Do you see that description, man? Do you see it? Don't tell me you don't already have a tone set for this. I know you do. This book threw me into a sort of state I've rarely been in. Really, I don't think I ever have this deeply with any other book before.
The world...it was such a dream-like world. I felt as if I were floating around in a haze the entire time. Even the snow in my mind looked off, the world surrounding Lauren, too. The memory of it still gives me chills, even more so now that I know what happens. It makes me want to go back and reread, dig for all the signs, see the foreshadowing.
But the plot itself. I'm blown away by its complexity and execution. It had me mesmerized from the get-go. There are few books I have stayed up through the wee hours of the morning to read, and this was one of them. I got halfway through, saw that the clock read after midnight and I said to myself, That's all right, just one more chapter. Thirty-something chapters later, I was closing the book, it was after two in the morning, and I was stuck in Lauren's mind, running over every little detail that happened with the girls and with Lauren, with my heart skipping beats from all the feels it had.
At one point in the book, I began to figure out what was going on and I thought to myself, How did you make this so realistic? Suma clearly did her research and the reality of this story twisted, twisted, twisted my stomach. Even after a dreamless night after reading, I still feel for Lauren, wonder where she's going to go, wonder how life is going to turn out for her. Like Imaginary Girls, this will be one I'll have to reread again in the future. And I have a feeling it'll terrify me even more.
It's hard to say much without giving anything away. I wanted to be as vague as possible because, really, you should read this without any expectations, other than the fact that Suma is goddamn god. And if you still aren't convinced, go to your local bookstore, pick up a copy, and read the first chapter. Your feet will have carried you to the checkout before you even reached the end of Chapter 1. Guarantee it.
August 13, 2015
Ehh... 3.5 ish?? This is my first Nova Suma book, and I doubt it will be my last. 17 & Gone was so gorgeously written, and not at all what I was expecting... And I'm okay with that. I mean it did take some time for this one to grow on me, but after reading that last page and last sentence, I am more than okay with the journey Nova Ren Suma took me on with this read. It was well worth the ride. But let me forewarn you, it was one heck of a slow ride, with too few ups and downs, but a big enough loop that makes it worth in the end... that is if you can get there.
As wonderful as the writing was, at times it wasn't enough to keep me focused and interested on the story itself--I put this book down numerous times-- which seemed to be going nowhere for way too long. The slow build was a definite killer (no pun intended) and I think that this novel could have been astoundingly better if it had only been condensced some. It's only when you get towards the end that you can realize and appreciate the reasons for the... um *coughs*... slowness of the story, but quite frankly I still think that it could have--should have--been a tighter read.
Yet, I have such a high appreciation for books that are centered not just on mental-illnesses, but on enlightening the readers by exposing them for their complex and disastrous nature, shedding new light that isn't all just darkness and shadows. What Nova Ren Suma did with the main character, Lauren, was brilliant. It was chilling. It was stirring. It was organic, and in a weird way... loving. I could feel the love she had for Lauren while bringing her character to light. And that love certainly did rub off, because I found my feelings toward Lauren shift dramatically from being annoyed with her, to understanding her, and for a moment, I even placed myself in her shoes and admired her for holding the frayed seams of her world together, because I doubt that I could perform such a feat.
Ahh... this book... There were flaws. But I love the authenticity of it. I love the thought-process behind it. The intuitiveness. The consideration and effort behind it. The realness. The beauty and even the ugliness within the pages. And for that, I'm thinking that's more than enough to round this one up to a four star read.
As wonderful as the writing was, at times it wasn't enough to keep me focused and interested on the story itself--I put this book down numerous times-- which seemed to be going nowhere for way too long. The slow build was a definite killer (no pun intended) and I think that this novel could have been astoundingly better if it had only been condensced some. It's only when you get towards the end that you can realize and appreciate the reasons for the... um *coughs*... slowness of the story, but quite frankly I still think that it could have--should have--been a tighter read.
Yet, I have such a high appreciation for books that are centered not just on mental-illnesses, but on enlightening the readers by exposing them for their complex and disastrous nature, shedding new light that isn't all just darkness and shadows. What Nova Ren Suma did with the main character, Lauren, was brilliant. It was chilling. It was stirring. It was organic, and in a weird way... loving. I could feel the love she had for Lauren while bringing her character to light. And that love certainly did rub off, because I found my feelings toward Lauren shift dramatically from being annoyed with her, to understanding her, and for a moment, I even placed myself in her shoes and admired her for holding the frayed seams of her world together, because I doubt that I could perform such a feat.
Ahh... this book... There were flaws. But I love the authenticity of it. I love the thought-process behind it. The intuitiveness. The consideration and effort behind it. The realness. The beauty and even the ugliness within the pages. And for that, I'm thinking that's more than enough to round this one up to a four star read.
March 14, 2013
This book was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup.
**I received an ARC from Penguin but that did not influence the review**
My first thoughts before I opened the book: This sounds uber creepy! It seemed like the novel crossed into so many genres and I looked forward to discovering where I thought it fit in.
First thoughts after reading: That was a mind f*ck and now I’m so disappointed.
The story: The fist 60% was pretty slow for me and I found myself putting the book down. However, it still piqued my interest. Lauren sees girls who have gone missing. All were 17 years old when they disappeared, and now Lauren is 17. She isn’t sure when her time will be up. For a while it just seemed like a string of stories of missing kids. BUT then things started connecting.
Lauren: I wish I had met her before she “saw” missing Abby Sinclair. She claimed she was a totally different person before the first vision. The girl with friends and a boyfriend. She was now consumed with thoughts of these girls. It was so sad and I wasn’t sure if she was crazy….or not.
The romance: wah. I love romance and there was a love interest but it fell apart when Lauren saw Abby. I would have loved to see more of Jamie. I was not convinced they would not get back together, and ultimately what happened was very sweet.
Level of mind f*ckery: hmmmmm. I went back and forth between wondering if this book was a paranormal psychological thriller or just a psychological thriller. Is that good writing? Probably genius. I honestly couldn’t tell which way it was going.
The ending: Well, everything got totally cleared up and everything came together very nicely. However, none of it happened the way I had hoped. I felt sad.
Rec it? It really wasn’t my thing, but I can see how so many people would love it. I think it would affect some readers quite deeply, however I felt let down. It is truly a personal thing.
**I received an ARC from Penguin but that did not influence the review**
My first thoughts before I opened the book: This sounds uber creepy! It seemed like the novel crossed into so many genres and I looked forward to discovering where I thought it fit in.
First thoughts after reading: That was a mind f*ck and now I’m so disappointed.
The story: The fist 60% was pretty slow for me and I found myself putting the book down. However, it still piqued my interest. Lauren sees girls who have gone missing. All were 17 years old when they disappeared, and now Lauren is 17. She isn’t sure when her time will be up. For a while it just seemed like a string of stories of missing kids. BUT then things started connecting.
Lauren: I wish I had met her before she “saw” missing Abby Sinclair. She claimed she was a totally different person before the first vision. The girl with friends and a boyfriend. She was now consumed with thoughts of these girls. It was so sad and I wasn’t sure if she was crazy….or not.
The romance: wah. I love romance and there was a love interest but it fell apart when Lauren saw Abby. I would have loved to see more of Jamie. I was not convinced they would not get back together, and ultimately what happened was very sweet.
Level of mind f*ckery: hmmmmm. I went back and forth between wondering if this book was a paranormal psychological thriller or just a psychological thriller. Is that good writing? Probably genius. I honestly couldn’t tell which way it was going.
The ending: Well, everything got totally cleared up and everything came together very nicely. However, none of it happened the way I had hoped. I felt sad.
Rec it? It really wasn’t my thing, but I can see how so many people would love it. I think it would affect some readers quite deeply, however I felt let down. It is truly a personal thing.
April 5, 2014
oh, this really wasn't my thing, despite seeming like it could be my thing for a very long time. this is prime evidence of someone who i think has an interesting idea but just has no idea how to actually execute it in a way that isn't riddled with holes and conveniences. (the jj abrams disease, if you will.) i can't really say much about this story without giving the "twist" (which is a really gross way to describe what happens, but okay) away, and i don't think that's a warranted thing in a review that basically just says, "but if that's the answer, then how the hell did that other thing happen?"
i would've preferred if this had dealt with either the supernatural or the alternative and not a haphazard blending of the both. for someone reason it just comes off as disrespectful of the alternative, when i'm quite sure that the purpose of the book was to shed light on an issue that YA literature doesn't normally tackle in a respectful way! i don't know what to call that. 2* might be overly generous for the look on my face right now, but that's where it's at.
i would've preferred if this had dealt with either the supernatural or the alternative and not a haphazard blending of the both. for someone reason it just comes off as disrespectful of the alternative, when i'm quite sure that the purpose of the book was to shed light on an issue that YA literature doesn't normally tackle in a respectful way! i don't know what to call that. 2* might be overly generous for the look on my face right now, but that's where it's at.
March 30, 2013
Absolutely mesmerizing, riveting and so beautifully written.
4.5 stars!
I want to give it that extra star, but it took me some time to really get into it. Still, another incredible book by one incredible author.
4.5 stars!
I want to give it that extra star, but it took me some time to really get into it. Still, another incredible book by one incredible author.
June 14, 2015
17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
4 stars
There are spoilers and it's best not to click unless you've read the book. Unless you don't care about being spoiled then go for it!
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5
Swoon Worthy Scale: 3
The Villain- I’ll just leave this one with the answer of I’m not sure. I just don’t know what to put without giving anything away.
Villain Scale: Undecided
Character Scale: 4.25
Plotastic Scale: 4.5
Thank you Penguin Teen for the Advanced Reader Copy and Ms. Suma for signing it!
Cover Thoughts: I absolutely love the cover. It is just so perfect. I love how they have Abby’s missing poster on the cover and I just love it.
4 stars
There are spoilers and it's best not to click unless you've read the book. Unless you don't care about being spoiled then go for it!
Lauren starts to have visions of girls who have gone missing a few months before her seventeenth birthday. All these girls are 17 and gone. While Lauren struggles to shake the nightmares and uncover the questions about why these girls are speaking to her and how to help them. In a little house in Lauren’s dreams all the girls await and causing Lauren to wonder why she’s the only girl that can leave the house. Is she next? Will she be 17 and gone like Abigail? This book was so good. I had mixed feelings after reading it and even though I loved it I wasn’t sure if I loved it enough to give it five stars. It is good enough and beyond that to be five stars for me. This book was just perfect. I’m absolutely entranced by Ms. Suma’s writing. I consider her to be a writing witch. She weaves stories with words so perfectly. Her descriptions are entrancing and the story is always interesting. I never want to put a book of hers down, but sometimes life gets in the way and it forces me to do just that. This book is just so different. It’s a lot like Imaginary Girls in writing style and I urge anyone that even remotely liked that book to read 17 & Gone. While I noticed that a lot of people had a problem with the fact that Imaginary Girls had no plot or explanations to the things happening, 17 & Gone does.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 5
The main female character is Lauren. Lauren isn’t my favorite heroine ever, but I did like reading from her perspective. I was just as confused as her to her situation. Her story is quite moving. Lauren is far from being a great heroine, but she’s no Mary Sue. I liked learning about what she went through when she was little with Fiona. SPOILER! Seriously I kid you not if you click on the spoiler tag it’ll ruin the whole book for you.
Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 3.5
The main male character is I guess her boyfriend Jamie. He is absent for quite a bit of the story. I didn’t really like Jamie, but I didn’t hate him either. I do appreciate the choices he made for Lauren in the end though. This makes me like Jamie a lot even if he was hardly ever present.
Swoon Worthy Scale: 3
The Villain- I’ll just leave this one with the answer of I’m not sure. I just don’t know what to put without giving anything away.
Villain Scale: Undecided
The girl that Lauren first saw that started the visions is Abigail or Abby. I’m not sure how to explain what I think about Abby. There’s also Fiona Burke who plays a huge part of Lauren’s story. It’s hard to explain any of the girls of Lauren’s visions without giving anything away, which is why I put off writing a review right away. I have my opinions about these girls, but I can’t talk about them because it gives too much away.
Character Scale: 4.25
I enjoyed this book immensely. I officially consider myself to be a fan of Suma’s work. I’m so happy to have read this book because it really made me think about things. Not only what Lauren is experiencing, but also about how many girls go missing. The girls that went missing were real I find this incredibly scary because it happens so easily and sometimes it’s voluntary, but going missing is such an often occurrence. This book made me think about the girls that have recently been going missing in my little town. They are a lot like Abby and Fiona and all the other girls that go missing. I think this book is absolutely amazing and I encourage everyone to read it. This is definitely a great book and it won’t have an impact on everyone, but it’s worth reading. Sorry for the not-so-great review! It's hard to review a book that you don't want to give away.
Plotastic Scale: 4.5
Thank you Penguin Teen for the Advanced Reader Copy and Ms. Suma for signing it!
Cover Thoughts: I absolutely love the cover. It is just so perfect. I love how they have Abby’s missing poster on the cover and I just love it.
August 16, 2018
This summer, i read the book 17 & gone. The book 17 & gone is a book that has a lot of mystery. The book is narrated through the main character Lauren’s mind. Lauren can see visions of all of these 17 year old girls that have gone missing.
The book has really detailed descriptions about the visions that Lauren sees. Throughout the book Lauren searches for clues to help find the missing girls. While Lauren is looking for the girls she takes her friends with her on the adventure.
I would recommend this book to everyone because it was really good. The ending was great. Overall 10 out of 10.
The book has really detailed descriptions about the visions that Lauren sees. Throughout the book Lauren searches for clues to help find the missing girls. While Lauren is looking for the girls she takes her friends with her on the adventure.
I would recommend this book to everyone because it was really good. The ending was great. Overall 10 out of 10.
February 28, 2015
“How heartless it was for a girl to be forgotten and buried before there was even anything of there to put in the ground.”
Encontré este libro en la lista de favoritos de uno de mis amigos. Irónicamente, esa persona me dio unfriend días después. Ja. Ha resultado en un gran placer el leer 17 & Gone. Los personajes, la historia, la narrativa.... Las estrellas parecen alinearse y poner todo en su lugar para lograr un producto final memorable.
17 & Gone es un misterio que no es enteramente un misterio, y un libro paranormal que no entra completamente en esa casilla. Es un libro hermoso sobre chicas de diecisiete años que desaparecieron -algunas huyeron y otras fueron tomadas- y sobre alguien que se niega a olvidar. Lauren es una joven que de repente comienza a ver fantasmas, fantasmas de chicas perdidas y que inexplicablemente tratan de contactarla a ella. En medio de sus voces, Lauren se encuentra con el objetivo de salvar a una de las chicas de un horrible final.
La cosa es que este libro me ha recordado a uno de mis favoritos y a uno de esos libros que odio mucho, The Storyteller y We Were Liars. Algunas veces me encontré confundida al creer que se trataba de otra historia de fantasmas y seres sobrenaturales; pero rápidamente se convirtió en más que eso. Es un hermoso viaje por la mente de personas que se han desvanecido, quienes no han querido ser hallados ni han tenido a alguien que les haya tratado de encontrar. En algún momento te encuentras en total incertidumbre; sin saber diferenciar lo que es real de lo que es un mero delirio de la protagonista.
“The ghosts tonight have already told their stories.”
Lo que más me ha gustado de esta obra es la escritura. He quedado encantada con la forma de contar historias de Suma. Es simplemente exquisita. Transmite millones de sensaciones indescriptibles, y eso me fascina. Su prosa tiene un toque de nostalgia, casi de tristeza, pero también logra llenar al lector con una cierta esperanza, lo cual es difícil de hacer. Últimamente las novelas de que he leído de este género han tratado demasiado. Intentan obtener esa profundidad deseada pero terminan siendo planas y sin emoción. A Nova Ren Suma esto le sale muy effortlessly, así me lo ha parecido. Su libro ha logrado transmitir mucho sin realmente intentarlo, y eso es algo que pocas veces encuentro en libros como éste.
A pesar de que no me atrapó desde el principio -me tomó más de cincuenta páginas el poder meterme de lleno a la historia-, 17 & Gone ha superado mis expectativas. Sobra decir que no es lo último que leeré de Suma.
January 2, 2013
This book stunned me, and even over a week later, I am still thinking about it. It is beautifully scripted, and has such a hefty emotional atmosphere to it. From a sense of loss and isolation to confusion and determination, everything is as much in the background as it is the foreground. This is one of those books that is almost impossible to talk about without spoiling anything, so I will leave this short and sweet, but say this is one of the most potent books I've ever read.
June 13, 2015
Abandoned around the 21% mark of my Kindle. My only status update: "I had wanted to read this for so long, because the Suma's stunningly beautiful debut "Imaginary Girls" impressed me so much. Now, to my own horror, I am steering towards abandoning a book I coveted for months and months: Dear author, the is-it-imagination-or-is-it-sick-or-is-it-magic-angle gets stale/old the second time around. Try something new and I'll read it."
October 15, 2020
Nova Ren Suma is so gifted; I can’t even deal!
June 7, 2013
So. This book was not about what I thought it was about. I mean, YES, there are seventeen-year-old girls and they've gone missing and they're talking to seventeen-year-old Lauren. But this isn't a paranormal, per se. Well, it could be. But it's so much more than that with it's tangled web of genres and directional possibilities. This is, in fact, my very favorite kind of book. And 17 & GONE is officially one of my favorite books ever.
Let me backtrack a minute. Think about all those paranormal/supernatural books you've read (or at least heard about). Now imagine, if you will, what would happen if the freaky things that happened in those books happened in real life. You'd probably be freaking out, and you may never fully recover from those experiences, right? Say word got out that you claimed to be dating a vegetarian vampire. Maybe you'd be dragged off in a straightjacket, yeah? At the very least people might cross the street when they saw you coming, because you, my dear, would be considered certifiable. And on top of that, you might start wondering if maybe you weren't, in fact, losing your mind.
Well, that's the realistic sort of path 17 & GONE takes us on while treading on the edges of a very magical one. 17 & GONE is part psychological, part magic, and in every way a mystery you simply must unravel, no matter how unnerving it is. And it is at times ridiculously unnerving. Nova Ren Suma immerses you so completely into Lauren's character that you begin to forget she's not real--and that you're not her. You get turned upside down, seeing and feeling the world as she's seeing and feeling it, so that when she's certain she's inside the magic, you're certain of it, and when she questions her own sanity, you begin to question it. When she's curious, no matter how scary the situation might be to an outsider, you feel curiosity more than fear. When she's terrified, no matter how normal a situation might seem to an outsider, you feel the prickle of goosebumps and the intense need to turn the page to find a way out. And when she's with her boyfriend...ah well, you doubt, you wish, you push away, you want.
And while you're feeling so much through Lauren, you're just as invested in all of Lauren's lost girls as she is, and you begin to want desperately for them to be found. All of these girls with their distinct personalities and stories worm under your skin and make you feel so much, and draw you to the pleas of other lost girls. And when the danger turns on Lauren and it becomes clear she may also disappear, you find yourself completely incapable of setting down the book until you know exactly what's to become of her.
17 & GONE takes you on a remarkable journey through magic and psychosis and fearful possibility; through desperate longings and the twists and turns our brains will take to find fulfillment of those longings. A work of consummate skill, 17 & GONE is a beautiful, chilling story filled with evocative imagery and thought-provoking, often rhythmic prose. Its arrestive voice and masterful use of dialogue captures the complexity of human interaction and need and leaves no doubt you're entirely inside the mind of a seventeen-year-old girl who's experiencing something truly extraordinary and terrifying. Altogether, 17 & GONE redefines what it means to be lost and will leave you questioning what it means to be found.
Let me backtrack a minute. Think about all those paranormal/supernatural books you've read (or at least heard about). Now imagine, if you will, what would happen if the freaky things that happened in those books happened in real life. You'd probably be freaking out, and you may never fully recover from those experiences, right? Say word got out that you claimed to be dating a vegetarian vampire. Maybe you'd be dragged off in a straightjacket, yeah? At the very least people might cross the street when they saw you coming, because you, my dear, would be considered certifiable. And on top of that, you might start wondering if maybe you weren't, in fact, losing your mind.
Well, that's the realistic sort of path 17 & GONE takes us on while treading on the edges of a very magical one. 17 & GONE is part psychological, part magic, and in every way a mystery you simply must unravel, no matter how unnerving it is. And it is at times ridiculously unnerving. Nova Ren Suma immerses you so completely into Lauren's character that you begin to forget she's not real--and that you're not her. You get turned upside down, seeing and feeling the world as she's seeing and feeling it, so that when she's certain she's inside the magic, you're certain of it, and when she questions her own sanity, you begin to question it. When she's curious, no matter how scary the situation might be to an outsider, you feel curiosity more than fear. When she's terrified, no matter how normal a situation might seem to an outsider, you feel the prickle of goosebumps and the intense need to turn the page to find a way out. And when she's with her boyfriend...ah well, you doubt, you wish, you push away, you want.
And while you're feeling so much through Lauren, you're just as invested in all of Lauren's lost girls as she is, and you begin to want desperately for them to be found. All of these girls with their distinct personalities and stories worm under your skin and make you feel so much, and draw you to the pleas of other lost girls. And when the danger turns on Lauren and it becomes clear she may also disappear, you find yourself completely incapable of setting down the book until you know exactly what's to become of her.
17 & GONE takes you on a remarkable journey through magic and psychosis and fearful possibility; through desperate longings and the twists and turns our brains will take to find fulfillment of those longings. A work of consummate skill, 17 & GONE is a beautiful, chilling story filled with evocative imagery and thought-provoking, often rhythmic prose. Its arrestive voice and masterful use of dialogue captures the complexity of human interaction and need and leaves no doubt you're entirely inside the mind of a seventeen-year-old girl who's experiencing something truly extraordinary and terrifying. Altogether, 17 & GONE redefines what it means to be lost and will leave you questioning what it means to be found.
August 5, 2015
This book turned out to be totally different than what I thought it would be. Which is both a good and a bad thing.
Lauren is assumedly just a “normal” teenage girl until she sees the flyer that says that a seventeen-year-old girl named Abby has gone missing. Cue the beginnings of a mania that involves Lauren insisting that Abby – and the rest of the girls – have to be found, including the seventeen-year-old neighbor who went missing almost ten years earlier, a runaway who might have possibly met a terrible fate. The MISSING flyer of Abby causes her to cross paths with the stories of countless other girls – all missing, many assumed runaways – and a compulsion to find them or at least find a way to tell their stories.
What I loved – Nova Ren Suma has an incredible way of writing, a way that sucks you in and keeps you turning the page in a poetic prose that haunts (which I first came across in her novel, The Walls Around Us; you can read my raving review here). The mystery was also great – not only the eventual close of the mystery of what happened to Abby, but also the attention to the detail that so many cases of disappearances are never solved, which means that many of the girls that Lauren becomes obsessed with in this novel are never found, either. Yet there’s such a strong theme of Lost Girls (what I’m calling them) tied into what turns into a subtle plot of escalating mental illness that so many of these aspects tie together to create a truly unique novel that’s not about finding the others, but about Lauren finding herself.
However – while I loved the almost fragmented way the story was put together (and it really was in fragments, as the novel tells Lauren’s story, as well as Lauren’s perception of the other girls’ stories in a way that is truly mesmerizing), there was still a lot left to be desired by me, namely in the character of Lauren, the narrator. As it stands, her passion is incredible, but by the end I still know nothing about her: hobbies, dreams, favorite color, the kind of student she was pre-Abby. Or even anything about her pre-Abby and before this high-stress/intensity time that this novel covers. Lauren remained as much a ghost to me as the other Lost Girls, and while I appreciated the weight of the theme and how much it permeated every nook and cranny of the novel, I still wish I had a little bit more to hold on to.
So that’s why I’m taking just one star off.
But the truth is: I couldn’t put this book down, regardless. It’s all a puzzle, as you (the reader) seek out any detail that’ll affirm or deny whether there truly is a paranormal element, or whether it is all happening in Lauren’s imagination as she finally addresses some questions and guilt from her own past. The film between reality and illusion grows so thin and Lauren is such a convincing narrator that it’s really hard to figure out what to believe and in which direction to be pulled.
Highly recommend for fans of mystery and unreliable narrators and, of course, if you love beautifully-written prose.
Final Answer: 4 / 5
Lauren is assumedly just a “normal” teenage girl until she sees the flyer that says that a seventeen-year-old girl named Abby has gone missing. Cue the beginnings of a mania that involves Lauren insisting that Abby – and the rest of the girls – have to be found, including the seventeen-year-old neighbor who went missing almost ten years earlier, a runaway who might have possibly met a terrible fate. The MISSING flyer of Abby causes her to cross paths with the stories of countless other girls – all missing, many assumed runaways – and a compulsion to find them or at least find a way to tell their stories.
What I loved – Nova Ren Suma has an incredible way of writing, a way that sucks you in and keeps you turning the page in a poetic prose that haunts (which I first came across in her novel, The Walls Around Us; you can read my raving review here). The mystery was also great – not only the eventual close of the mystery of what happened to Abby, but also the attention to the detail that so many cases of disappearances are never solved, which means that many of the girls that Lauren becomes obsessed with in this novel are never found, either. Yet there’s such a strong theme of Lost Girls (what I’m calling them) tied into what turns into a subtle plot of escalating mental illness that so many of these aspects tie together to create a truly unique novel that’s not about finding the others, but about Lauren finding herself.
However – while I loved the almost fragmented way the story was put together (and it really was in fragments, as the novel tells Lauren’s story, as well as Lauren’s perception of the other girls’ stories in a way that is truly mesmerizing), there was still a lot left to be desired by me, namely in the character of Lauren, the narrator. As it stands, her passion is incredible, but by the end I still know nothing about her: hobbies, dreams, favorite color, the kind of student she was pre-Abby. Or even anything about her pre-Abby and before this high-stress/intensity time that this novel covers. Lauren remained as much a ghost to me as the other Lost Girls, and while I appreciated the weight of the theme and how much it permeated every nook and cranny of the novel, I still wish I had a little bit more to hold on to.
So that’s why I’m taking just one star off.
But the truth is: I couldn’t put this book down, regardless. It’s all a puzzle, as you (the reader) seek out any detail that’ll affirm or deny whether there truly is a paranormal element, or whether it is all happening in Lauren’s imagination as she finally addresses some questions and guilt from her own past. The film between reality and illusion grows so thin and Lauren is such a convincing narrator that it’s really hard to figure out what to believe and in which direction to be pulled.
Highly recommend for fans of mystery and unreliable narrators and, of course, if you love beautifully-written prose.
Final Answer: 4 / 5
May 14, 2013
This review can also be found on my blog.
I devoured 17 & Gone. Admittedly this book was a pleasant surprise. This isn't necessarily a book I would normally pick up, mainly because I'm not a big contemporary reader. These days I'm trying to challenge myself to branch out more, and this was one of those books that I hoped would be different. And different it was. 17 & Gone doesn't let you in on its secret until far into the book. Is this truly a paranormal occurrence, or is the main character suffering from a mental illness? This question was a huge part of what drove me to finish this book as quickly as I did, so I won't spoil it for you.
The fascinating part of my reading experience with 17 & Gone was how much I cared about the answer to that question. As the story developed, our main character's experiences intensified. She was being visited by more missing girls. She was losing control of herself while she was learning these girls stories. By the time this was happening, I was so incredibly drawn to her character that I was clutching my chest anxiously... hoping and praying that what she was experiencing was real; dying to know that the girls were ghosts, that these stories were real, and that everything Lauren was doing to help them was worth it.
By that point, I was scared for Lauren. I don't want her to have a mental illness. I don't want her to have to suffer. I want her to be okay, I want everything she's experiencing to be real - to be valid. But is it? That's part of the mystery.
17 & Gone was well written. Suma's prose is subtly poetic at times, and the writing was never too indulgent or scant on detail. Sometimes this balance is taken for granted, but there was no way to take it for granted with this book.
This book could have gone terribly wrong in many ways. With the issue of many girls who have gone missing - either runaways or kidnapping victims - there is a lot of room for presenting issues faced by teenagers. Every one of these issues was presented respectfully and realistically, from bullying to mental illness.
I haven't got much more to say, because I really don't have many complaints. This book has elements of contemporary, paranormal and mystery novels and is very well done. If you enjoy any (or all) of those genres, 17 & Gone is a book to add to your shelf. If not, it's still probably a book to add to your shelf. ;)
I devoured 17 & Gone. Admittedly this book was a pleasant surprise. This isn't necessarily a book I would normally pick up, mainly because I'm not a big contemporary reader. These days I'm trying to challenge myself to branch out more, and this was one of those books that I hoped would be different. And different it was. 17 & Gone doesn't let you in on its secret until far into the book. Is this truly a paranormal occurrence, or is the main character suffering from a mental illness? This question was a huge part of what drove me to finish this book as quickly as I did, so I won't spoil it for you.
The fascinating part of my reading experience with 17 & Gone was how much I cared about the answer to that question. As the story developed, our main character's experiences intensified. She was being visited by more missing girls. She was losing control of herself while she was learning these girls stories. By the time this was happening, I was so incredibly drawn to her character that I was clutching my chest anxiously... hoping and praying that what she was experiencing was real; dying to know that the girls were ghosts, that these stories were real, and that everything Lauren was doing to help them was worth it.
By that point, I was scared for Lauren. I don't want her to have a mental illness. I don't want her to have to suffer. I want her to be okay, I want everything she's experiencing to be real - to be valid. But is it? That's part of the mystery.
17 & Gone was well written. Suma's prose is subtly poetic at times, and the writing was never too indulgent or scant on detail. Sometimes this balance is taken for granted, but there was no way to take it for granted with this book.
This book could have gone terribly wrong in many ways. With the issue of many girls who have gone missing - either runaways or kidnapping victims - there is a lot of room for presenting issues faced by teenagers. Every one of these issues was presented respectfully and realistically, from bullying to mental illness.
I haven't got much more to say, because I really don't have many complaints. This book has elements of contemporary, paranormal and mystery novels and is very well done. If you enjoy any (or all) of those genres, 17 & Gone is a book to add to your shelf. If not, it's still probably a book to add to your shelf. ;)
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