Official Review: Gone by Anna Bloom

Momlovesbooks · Post by **Momlovesbooks** » 31 May 2016, 11:23

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gone" by Anna Bloom.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Gone by Anna Bloom is a young adult, contemporary romance novel. The story is written from an older teen's perspective. The main points of view are from Rebecca and Josh, the primary characters.

Rebecca Walters is a misunderstood, troubled teen from London, England. She has been labeled a "bad girl" as a result of her actions following a traumatic night six months ago. She holds a dark secret about a night she can't remember. She wears fifty-three bangle bracelets that remind her of her guilt and keeps herself from moving forward.

Rebecca's family tries to intervene and moves them to the small, coastal town of Cornwall. They hope Rebecca (Bex) will have time to heal and forgive herself. On a moonlit beach, Bex meets Joshua, another troubled soul. He is dealing with his own tormented past. Josh is unable to let go and return to his former self. He was an artist, but has been unable to rekindle the creative fire. When the two meet, they are drawn to each other. However, in order to protect her younger sister from her "labels", Bex is planning on leaving in two weeks. Josh has only fourteen days to make her rethink her plans of moving on. By opening up to each other, they find healing in each other's presence.

This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story. It shows how teenagers perceive themselves based on other people's opinions and perceptions. Often, those are skewed viewpoints. The story delves into the anguish and blame a person can heap upon themselves.

The author has a unique writing style. I liked the story being told from alternating points of view. An unexpected angle was the use of letter writing by Rebecca as she pours out her heart to her best friend. At times the language was a little hard to understand. London's "jargon" was used often, but fit appropriately into the flow of the narrative. The main characters, Bex and Josh, were complex and interesting. I was captivated by their stories and what had happened in the past that led them to their current situation. The supporting characters, mainly family and friends, did not have much depth. They seemed to be "props" for the protagonists.

Ms Bloom was detailed in her descriptions of the bustling city of London down to the small coastal town of Cornwall. Her descriptions of the beach scenes and time in the ocean made me feel like I was transported to a sandy destination.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. There were a few grammatical errors, but nothing that distracted from the story. I would recommend this to mature, older teenage readers because of some sexual scenes and language. I feel it would be inappropriate for younger teenagers. With that being said, I would encourage adults of any age to read this book. It is thought-provoking and just may help you look at the teenagers in your life from a new perspective.

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Gone
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vigabo · Post by **vigabo** » 04 Jun 2016, 18:27

Sounds like a very good read. Thanks for sharing your opinion with us all.

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 04 Jun 2016, 19:18

Great review! I love how powerful young adult novels can be. I am intrigued about what these two characters are dealing with.

Post by **bookowlie** » 11 Jun 2016, 09:44

Nice, thorough review! The plot looks interesting, especially with the London setting (I love books set in England!).

d_gsmer · Post by **d_gsmer** » 15 Jun 2016, 11:54

This most definitely sounds like a book I'd enjoy reading! I do believe I am going to order it off of Amazon this very moment!! Thank you for sharing!