Already Gone

OH, man. This did not go where I was thinking it was going. Have your tissues ready. I wasn’t really sure what to think about Hope and Lacy at first, and kept changing my mind on what I thought would happen next. I was getting a “13 Reasons Why” vibe from it at times. The teenaged characters reminded me of what the kids in that story/show went through with the mixed up feelings, romances, jealousy, guilt. A bit more of a heavy topic with the major chasm between the sisters, but the book was quick so you don’t have to feel stressed long. The sisters mature a good deal throughout the book and I had to reread the start of it again once I finished it. It was refreshing to have a different (but good!) sort of ending to this type of story. A perfect read for a rainy afternoon!

Already Gone takes the reader on a journey. In this journey you see how two sisters who are close in age and in the same grade deal with things when their typically-separate school-related spheres collide. There is a lot of heart in this book and it’s beautifully written from two points of view. One of Bridget Baker’s best.

Normally I'm not a fan of books with multiple POVs, but this was written so well (and the overlaps from different perspectives gave such depth and pathos) that it works. Sisters Lacy and Hope are thrown together more than most: they are less than a year apart, so they are in the same grade. Their father has died so they share one parent, who tries her best to give time and attention to both while working to support them. But what they've never had to share is a guy. Hope is the gorgeous athlete, used to dating the most popular guy at school. Lacy is the brainy nerd, used to being ignored by the popular crew. So when a guy shows up who is both a star athlete and a brilliant student (not to mention kind and funny and amazingly good-looking), the sisters find themselves forced to decide which is more important: their relationships with Mason or with each other. The plot was woven very skillfully, allowing the reader to sympathize deeply with each character despite their differences. And the reveal at the end totally surprised me, despite the clues scattered throughout the book. It's rare to see a teen book with such depth and exploration of family and self. It doesn't preach the usual "believe in yourself and love yourself and everything will be okay" message that's so prevalent, but explores how to love self and others, through sacrifice and hard work. Beautiful book that has kept me thinking about it for weeks!