Spoiler alert: I loved it. I knew this was probably the first book I was gonna need to start with since I've never read a book by Morgan Matson and it seems that everyone agrees this book is one of her best, if not her best. The characters were pretty entertaining, my personal favorite was honestly Collins since he seems like the kind of guy best friend every girl is looking for. Emily was pretty relatable, I mean we've all felt like we've lived in the shadow of some our own friends at one point. I liked Emily because personally I've been in the same spot as her before. She was quiet, reserved and didn't really say much, always hiding behind the shadow of a friend she thought she could never match and who she somewhat idolized as someone she wished she was more like. Sloane was the kind of person that lit up a room and was like a magnet who everyone knew of and wanted to be around.

The two complete opposite friends made up for what the other person lacked. Sloane was the confident fire-starter while Emily saw reason and stayed in her comfort zone most of the time. They were thick as thieves and a great example of just how much good friends can change you for the better.

I loved reading about Emily's adventures as she not only tries to find her missing friend who disappeared on her for the summer, but also as she learns to let people in, making new friends that she allows herself to start trusting and finally getting out of her comfort zone. Emily's growth throughout the book was very well progressed, you see just how much more confident she becomes in herself. She was the kind of person that really kept to herself, keeping her head down and running away from the unfamiliar. As the story goes on, you see Emily start to believe in herself and that she realizes she's capable of much more than she thinks she is.

She sees herself as someone that goes unnoticed and hidden, which is partially true at the beginning and throughout the book as she has flashbacks to the times she spent with Sloane, Emily being more of the silent sidekick and known as "Sloane's friend". But as the story goes on, Emily starts to actually let some of her guards down and before she knows it, people start to notice her, even if it's just a few certain people. I think she's such a relatable character that there's a little bit of her and Sloane in everybody. We all have those friends that are quiet and hidden and those who the spotlight always seems to shine on. But their friendship wasn't all perfect either and seeing the realistic faults and problems they faced just shows how sometimes, you have to work hard to understand each other and keep the connection strong, even if you know each other inside and out.

Things change, people get older, find new interests and friends, but Emily refuses to let her best friend disappear from her life no matter where they go and what happens next. Not to mention that the book made me laugh out loud quite a few times so that's a big plus.

Emily learns a lot about herself and the people around her, finding out secrets she never knew were being kept from her and realizing that her best friend wasn't everything she thought she was. Emily is a very loyal friend and despite the ups and downs of going through the list in hopes of finding Sloane, she never once gave up and that's pretty admirable.

The only con I have would be that I would've liked to have seen a little bit more development between Collins and Dawn's relationship though. I didn't really get to see the feelings change between them as they went from friends to more than that. It was just kind of glossed over and I would've loved to have gotten a little more from them because I think they were adorable together.

So those are my thoughts on this book! It's the perfect summer read and I think it would be a fun idea to make your own checklists for your friends to do this summer, it would keep everyone busy, that's for sure. I hope you enjoyed my little book review and if anyone has any suggestions on what I should read next or what other Morgan Matson book I should check out, let me know. I have plenty of time . . . Until next time!