What do you think?
Rate this book
Never Really Gone
A first love comes to a tragic end.
For readers ages 13-15 (Beginner YA)
She never worried about where people go when they die. But then her recently deceased boyfriend starts sending alarming messages…
New York. Gabriella is teetering between anger and tears. Starting her sophomore year of high school while juggling a new job, the fifteen-year-old finds no zest for life after her boyfriend’s tragic death. Doing her utmost to be strong and get closure by attending his funeral, she’s terrified when she arrives home and sees his face in her mirror.
Confused by a series of strange texts sent by her sweetheart from beyond the grave, Gabriella can’t tell if his spirit is still wandering or if she’s losing her mind. But when his best friend reveals he also sees the dead boy, they follow a trail of mysterious clues to a shocking conclusion.
Will poking into buried secrets stop Gabriella from meeting a deadly fate?
Never Really Gone is an emotion-drenched early YA ghost story. If you like edge-of-your-seat mysteries, explorations of grief, and magical realism, then you’ll love L. B. Anne’s thrilling tale.
For readers ages 13-15 (Beginner YA)
She never worried about where people go when they die. But then her recently deceased boyfriend starts sending alarming messages…
New York. Gabriella is teetering between anger and tears. Starting her sophomore year of high school while juggling a new job, the fifteen-year-old finds no zest for life after her boyfriend’s tragic death. Doing her utmost to be strong and get closure by attending his funeral, she’s terrified when she arrives home and sees his face in her mirror.
Confused by a series of strange texts sent by her sweetheart from beyond the grave, Gabriella can’t tell if his spirit is still wandering or if she’s losing her mind. But when his best friend reveals he also sees the dead boy, they follow a trail of mysterious clues to a shocking conclusion.
Will poking into buried secrets stop Gabriella from meeting a deadly fate?
Never Really Gone is an emotion-drenched early YA ghost story. If you like edge-of-your-seat mysteries, explorations of grief, and magical realism, then you’ll love L. B. Anne’s thrilling tale.
- GenresYoung Adult
202 pages, Paperback
Published November 19, 2022
6 people are currently reading
2360 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Anne
34 books147 followersWith over five hundred thousand pages read this year, L. B. Anne is consistently an Amazon best selling author. She writes children's and middle grade fiction, with her Sheena Meyer series a best seller in Christian science fiction/fantasy and several other categories.
Find out more at www.lbanne.com
Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlbanne
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlbanne
Read all the novels by L. B. Anne!
The Sheena Meyer Series:
1. The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars
2. The Girl Who Spoke to the Wind
3. The Girl Who Captured the Sun
4. The Girl Who Became A Warrior
5. City of Gleamers
6. Secret of Shadow and Light
7. May Your Vision Be True
8. Fate of the Gleam Keeper
The Everfall Series:
1. Before I Let Go
2. Before I Fall
The Lolo and Winkle Series:
1. Go Viral
2. Zombie Apocalypse Club
3. Frenemies
4. Break London
5. Middle School Misfit
6. The Complete Five Book Collection
The Curly Girl Adventures Series:
1. Pickled Pudding
2. Zuri the Great
3. Tangled
4. Top Knot
Brave New World:
1. Gemma Kaine: Sky Rider
Snicker's Wish: A Christmas Story
The Way to Storey
Children of the Glades Series:
Five Things About Dragonflies
Never Really Gone
What the Good Girl Knew
Gleamers Chronicle: Winter Shadows (A story in the Sheena Meyer series universe)
Find out more at www.lbanne.com
Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlbanne
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlbanne
Read all the novels by L. B. Anne!
The Sheena Meyer Series:
1. The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars
2. The Girl Who Spoke to the Wind
3. The Girl Who Captured the Sun
4. The Girl Who Became A Warrior
5. City of Gleamers
6. Secret of Shadow and Light
7. May Your Vision Be True
8. Fate of the Gleam Keeper
The Everfall Series:
1. Before I Let Go
2. Before I Fall
The Lolo and Winkle Series:
1. Go Viral
2. Zombie Apocalypse Club
3. Frenemies
4. Break London
5. Middle School Misfit
6. The Complete Five Book Collection
The Curly Girl Adventures Series:
1. Pickled Pudding
2. Zuri the Great
3. Tangled
4. Top Knot
Brave New World:
1. Gemma Kaine: Sky Rider
Snicker's Wish: A Christmas Story
The Way to Storey
Children of the Glades Series:
Five Things About Dragonflies
Never Really Gone
What the Good Girl Knew
Gleamers Chronicle: Winter Shadows (A story in the Sheena Meyer series universe)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 23, 2023
Ever since a good friend recommended it to me, I have been wanting to read Dustin Thao's popular book, You've Reached Sam. And so when I saw that Never Really Gone is meant to be reminiscent of You've Reached Sam, I knew I had to read it!
The set-up and plot of Never Really Gone, though not completely original, were still nicely done. The book begins at the funeral of our main character's boyfriend. I immediately felt for Gabriella and remained invested in her story throughout the book.
I have seen one review that complains that the story doesn't take grief or mental health seriously enough, but as someone who has grieved and who has gone through significant struggles with mental health, I didn't find this to be true at all. Gabriella is numb and depressed throughout the exposition, but as the plot thickens and mystery and danger unravel, she is able to pull out of the numbness and is eventually able to come to terms with Micah's death and find closure. Her parents, Micah's best friend, and her sister Elle also help along the way, and I didn't find that aspect of the story to be unrealistic at all.
*Spoilers in next two paragraphs!* I did have a few questions while reading the climax, though. For example, what was going on with Shaun? Was he a ghost or something all along, then? And if so, if he was still able to physically be in the real world, why did Micah have to stay confined to mirrors?
And wasn't it a stupid decision for Brie and Chase to enter the bar the way they did? Why did the police let them? Raul could've killed them both, easy, when he found out the police were coming (think how the Germans killed all of the people at the concentration camps during WW2 when they found out that the Allies were coming to free them). Knowing Raul, he would've done that just out of spite, but for some reason, he didn't. That was rather unrealistic.
However, those two things are basically the only issues I had with the book, and overall, I found Never Really Gone to be a fantastic read! I appreciated the space the author gave for mental health issues (specifically for grief and anorexia) and how she included a diverse cast into the story without the annoying political messaging we often see.
I would recommend this book to YA readers (ages 13-16), though the writing style is more at a middle-grade level. Can't wait to read You've Reached Sam next!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own, and I was not required to leave a positive review.
The set-up and plot of Never Really Gone, though not completely original, were still nicely done. The book begins at the funeral of our main character's boyfriend. I immediately felt for Gabriella and remained invested in her story throughout the book.
I have seen one review that complains that the story doesn't take grief or mental health seriously enough, but as someone who has grieved and who has gone through significant struggles with mental health, I didn't find this to be true at all. Gabriella is numb and depressed throughout the exposition, but as the plot thickens and mystery and danger unravel, she is able to pull out of the numbness and is eventually able to come to terms with Micah's death and find closure. Her parents, Micah's best friend, and her sister Elle also help along the way, and I didn't find that aspect of the story to be unrealistic at all.
*Spoilers in next two paragraphs!* I did have a few questions while reading the climax, though. For example, what was going on with Shaun? Was he a ghost or something all along, then? And if so, if he was still able to physically be in the real world, why did Micah have to stay confined to mirrors?
And wasn't it a stupid decision for Brie and Chase to enter the bar the way they did? Why did the police let them? Raul could've killed them both, easy, when he found out the police were coming (think how the Germans killed all of the people at the concentration camps during WW2 when they found out that the Allies were coming to free them). Knowing Raul, he would've done that just out of spite, but for some reason, he didn't. That was rather unrealistic.
However, those two things are basically the only issues I had with the book, and overall, I found Never Really Gone to be a fantastic read! I appreciated the space the author gave for mental health issues (specifically for grief and anorexia) and how she included a diverse cast into the story without the annoying political messaging we often see.
I would recommend this book to YA readers (ages 13-16), though the writing style is more at a middle-grade level. Can't wait to read You've Reached Sam next!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own, and I was not required to leave a positive review.
March 12, 2023
Totally confused by the author stating that she is a Christian science fiction author, what does that mean? Not a Christian Science author but a Science Fiction Author who is a Christian? I think it would be helpful for the author to clarify that.
Going on to the book, I had a difficult time reading it until I remembered the old TV sitcom, Topper, which was inspired by the 1937 movie. I loved that comedy and fantasy show so I pretended that the dead boyfriend, Micah was a Topper type of character.
L.B. Anne, picked a very difficult subject, the death of a boyfriend who was the closest friend of Gabriella. The grieving part at the beginning was a very familiar situation to write about to teens. Gabby saw Micah in a mirror and it scared her. When my brother died of suicide, I grieved deeply for him and even felt his presence for a while after death. I wonder if this subject is serious to deal with the plot of this book. Gabby thinks she may be going crazy and is greatly relieved to find out that Micah's friend, Chase also saw Micah's reflection in the refrigeration door. Then the plot changes from strong grief and a mystery. I wonder if would have been better for the author to stop the book and bluntly say that story is changing from profound grief to an adventure/mystery. I felt uncomfortable going from the most painful of our experiences to a story that is more fantasy. Without pretending that Micah was a fictional ghost like Topper, I could have not be able to read the rest of the book.
Going on to the book, I had a difficult time reading it until I remembered the old TV sitcom, Topper, which was inspired by the 1937 movie. I loved that comedy and fantasy show so I pretended that the dead boyfriend, Micah was a Topper type of character.
L.B. Anne, picked a very difficult subject, the death of a boyfriend who was the closest friend of Gabriella. The grieving part at the beginning was a very familiar situation to write about to teens. Gabby saw Micah in a mirror and it scared her. When my brother died of suicide, I grieved deeply for him and even felt his presence for a while after death. I wonder if this subject is serious to deal with the plot of this book. Gabby thinks she may be going crazy and is greatly relieved to find out that Micah's friend, Chase also saw Micah's reflection in the refrigeration door. Then the plot changes from strong grief and a mystery. I wonder if would have been better for the author to stop the book and bluntly say that story is changing from profound grief to an adventure/mystery. I felt uncomfortable going from the most painful of our experiences to a story that is more fantasy. Without pretending that Micah was a fictional ghost like Topper, I could have not be able to read the rest of the book.
May 31, 2023
This book was simply too unrealistic. By unrealistic, I do not mean the idea of a deceased loved one lingering. Rather, I mean it was unrealistic that teenagers could confront gang lords and remain unscathed. I believe that Gabriella confronting Raul is a very dangerous sentiment; I would hate for young readers to read this and believe that this is realistic or teenagers can confront dangerous people in this manner. Furthermore, the whole confrontation was just so unrealistic, it was painful.
Gabriella’s eating disorder was not well-developed and seemed like it was just thrown in as a form of tokenism
The book alluded to the idea that Micah was murdered but never explained how Raul could have possibly given him covid, thus murdering Micah.
Gabriella’s eating disorder was not well-developed and seemed like it was just thrown in as a form of tokenism
The book alluded to the idea that Micah was murdered but never explained how Raul could have possibly given him covid, thus murdering Micah.
Read
September 23, 2023Amazing!
I loved this book! So well written, with realistic characters, vivid imagery, and deep emotions. I laughed out loud, I cried. Definitely have a tissue handy! Faith, friendships, family. Healing from grief and past hurts. Mystery and suspense. The characters are teens, but if this 63 year old can get lost in the story, anyone with a heart can. Highly recommended!
I loved this book! So well written, with realistic characters, vivid imagery, and deep emotions. I laughed out loud, I cried. Definitely have a tissue handy! Faith, friendships, family. Healing from grief and past hurts. Mystery and suspense. The characters are teens, but if this 63 year old can get lost in the story, anyone with a heart can. Highly recommended!
June 13, 2023
I was thankful to receive this book as part of a giveaway; I'm not sure what led me to go for it, but I'm glad I did. The storyline was great, the characters (Elle!) were lovable. I'd love to see what Gabby ends up doing in the future.
July 15, 2023
Never Received Book To Write A Review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews