Voice of Youth Advocates

Emily's best (and only) friend, charismatic and beautiful Sloane, disappears at the start of their senior summer, leaving Emily puzzled and bereft. Sloane is the leader, the one with the wild and wonderful ideas, and Emily, her faithful sidekick. Now all Emily has left is the list Sloane mailed her, tasks to complete before summer's end: kiss a stranger, hug a Jamie (what?), ride a horse (gulp!), go skinny dipping. Emily convinces herself that if she accomplishes all thirteen tasks, Sloane will return. She cannot do it alone, though, and soon she has all-around overachiever Frank Porter; his best friend, Collins; and Dawn, the pizza-delivery girl who works next door, encouraging and abetting her. Then Emily sets herself the most difficult task of all: find Sloane.Punctuated by the iPod playlists Emily and Frank exchange, the story unfolds smoothly. Characters are three-dimensional and fully realized. Perfect Frank's life is not so perfect, Emily finds, and Collins's humorous, party-boy persona hides insecurity and self-doubt. As the tasks roll along, Emily learns to challenge herself, take a deeper look at Sloane, and cherish her own family's eccentricities. Matson writes with humor and the rare ability to outline a character in a few, well-chosen words: Frank's super-citizen girlfriend, Lissa, "made me [Emily] want to sit up straighter, and made me wish I'd read a newspaper recently." Readers will cheer Emily as she emerges from Sloane's shadow and claims her own space. This engaging story is a solid choice for both school and public libraries.Kathleen Beck.Mike & Riel Mysteries. Darby Creek, 2014. PLB $27.93.

Horn Book

Emily feels lost when her best friend, Sloane, disappears without explanation. But Sloane left Emily a daunting to-do list (with items like "kiss a stranger"), and Emily bravely takes on each task, finding new friends, confidence, and a crush along the way. A perfectly awkward protagonist; well-rounded, quirky supporting characters; and spot-on dialogue make this novel of self-discovery stand out.

Kirkus Reviews

A teenager disappears and leaves behind a quirky to-do list for her best friend. It's the beginning of summer, and Emily is disconsolate; her best friend, Sloane, is nowhere to be found. But she's disappeared before; her parents would occasionally steal Sloane away for a few days, and she would return tanned and with travel tales to tell. Without Sloane, reticent Emily feels like she's lost her spiritual and social tether. Finally, two weeks later, Sloane sends Emily a to-do list in the mail—but without a return address. The list includes daring, funny, incongruous items like "Hug a Jamie," "Steal something," and "Go skinny-dipping," and with the completion of each task, Emily is coaxed farther out of her shell. She recounts the navigation of the deep, unfamiliar waters of self-discovery in a grave, meticulous past tense. As she's on her way to complete the first item, she befriends Frank Porter—a handsome, kind and accomplished fellow student. Emily shares the list with him, and as Frank helps Emily cross off each item, their friendship deepens. Soon, Emily's having to remind herself that Frank has a serious girlfriend out of state, and anyway, they are just friends, right? Interspersed flashbacks provide revealing background into Sloane and Emily's friendship. A winning blend of touching moments, memorable characters and situational humor takes readers to a surprising revelation at the story's end. (Fiction. 12-16)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Emily is bereft when her bubbly and energetic best friend, Sloane, leaves without saying goodbye at the beginning of what should have been the best summer of their lives. Sloane was the one who planned their adventures and befriended everyone they met, and Emily is feeling more than a little lost when a letter arrives from Sloane containing a list of tasks for Emily to do over the summer. Hoping that the list contains clues to Sloane's whereabouts that will become clear as she crosses items off, Emily tackles the challenges, making new friends, overcoming her fears, and gaining confidence as the summer goes on. Readers will root for Emily as she gets a new job, skinny dips, uses the fake ID Sloane got for her, crashes a wedding, and kisses a stranger. Though marred by a few leaps of logic and the occasionally clunky turn of phrase, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book with a terrific romantic subplot and an ending that ties up the loose ends believably and satisfyingly. It will appeal to readers who loved Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes (HarperCollins, 2005). Stephanie Klose, Library Journal

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Emily Hughes-s best friend Sloane has disappeared without a trace-Emily has called, texted, and driven by her house, but it-s as though Sloane and her family have ceased to exist. Then, one of Sloane-s famous -to do- lists mysteriously shows up, with 13 directives for Emily, including -Kiss a stranger,- -Go skinny-

ALA Booklist

Imagine the ominous stillness of waking up one day to find that your best friend and constant companion is suddenly gone mily and all. Emily and Sloane shared every thought via text ever since Sloane moved into town, and Emily became the faithful sidekick to her fearless personality. Now, without Sloane as her navigator, Emily is stuck with no friends, no job, and no plans, with only her self-absorbed playwright parents and adventuresome younger brother, Beckett (one of the many literary references sprinkled throughout the narrative). Then a to-do list arrives in the mail from Sloane, and Emily begins a transformative summer that she hopes will lead her to her friend. In Matson's gentle portrayal, Emily's completion of the list propels her to participate in her own life, stand in no one's shadow, have a voice, and value that which makes her whole. The author of Second Chance Summer (2012), among other titles, creates a time-and-space experience for teens that might actually interrupt their social-media convos until they're finished reading.