Review: 17 & Gone

Author: Nova Ren Suma
Date of Publication: March 21 2013
Pages: 354
Source: Library

*I think this synopsis is kinda spoilery so beware!* 

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 17 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? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.



Review:

There is no definitive statement I can make on 17 & Gone so I'll just jump straight into the review. 17 & Gone can be split, in my mind, into two parts. Before and after the twist. I'll first review the before part. 

I thought the story was extremely vague. I even explained it as "abstract" when talking to a few people because I didn't know where it was going. There were mysterious scenes and stories of the girls Lauren encountered. There were creepy scenes and honest goosebumps, but I couldn't be sure of the focus. 

Lauren herself was hard to imagine. It became pretty obvious early on that I didn't know her. Her descriptions and actions didn't make logical sense to me and that's how this book went, for the most part. It flowed along. I didn't like that. I wanted a concrete purpose. Several times, I wondered about DNFing this book because this type of writing wasn't drawing me in. Many people will tell you the writing is beautiful, but Nova Ren Suma's writing doesn't seem to be to my taste. I found it so scattered. 

There were profiles of the missing girls which were cool, and while I sympathized with the poor girls who were far from their homes, I couldn't connect completely with any one character in the book. 

At some point, something happens. (Well, duh. But trust me, I need to be vague on this.) The story is transformed and there are hints and clues but the most amazing thing is that I fell into Nova Ren Suma's trap and so this twist was like a blindside hit. I had no idea it was coming even though I should have. 

The after section fixes one of my complaints, but I still can't connect to Lauren or the characters very well. This isn't a fun story and I can't say this was a page turner for me. The after did effect my overall opinion on 17 & Gone, but not enough to change my opinion significantly. 

I already said how the writing wasn't to my tastes. While Nova Ren Suma wrote a very smart book, this isn't my type of read. I will say that if you're someone that likes more abstract, character driven stories, you might enjoy this one. Also, I picked this book up based only on the cover (and the author's name) and a cursory look at Goodreads ratings and top reviews. I didn't read the synopsis beyond maybe the first sentence or so, which I think impacted my reading because I was expecting something completely different. 

Although 17 & Gone wasn't my typical read, I have to say it definitely is original and very different from what's out there. I have mixed feelings in terms of actually enjoying the story, but I was impressed by the writing. I really can't say much more.  2 hearts.

**


-P.E.


6 comments:

  1. Hm. All the things you're describing are problems that Kristan had with Suma's first book, IMAGINARY GIRLS. Sarah, on the other hand, loves Suma's writing and thought 17 & GONE was even better than IG. So to your point, it's probably all up to taste. Some authors are more universal, whereas Suma may be an acquired taste. Nothing wrong with that at all! In fact, some of the "finest" things in life are considered acquired tastes. ;)

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    1. I would agree with that. I think she is very talented, and the more I read her writing, the more I appreciate it. However, I still don't think she's to my taste at this point.

      -P.E.

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  2. I know exactly what you mean. I liked this book a little better than you did, but I agree that there was never really much of a plot. I feel like the booked lack direction and motivation, and there was no real conclusion. I love the way Nova Ren Suma writes, but that's about all I can say.

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    1. Exactly, the lack of direction killed the story for me. I'm not very patient and I would have liked more action.

      -P.E.

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  3. Nova Ren Suma is one of those writers that, though a phenomenal one, she's not really loved by all. And it's nothing personal about it, but I just think she's geared to a more intelligent crowd. That's just me though. I, for one have a hard time with her books.

    Glad you gave it a chance.

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    1. I agree with that comment. Her books are very thoughtful and they're not very light at all. I sometimes get lost in the writing, and maybe not in the best way.

      -P.E.

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