17 & Gone
by Nova Ren Suma
Published: 3.21.13 by Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 354

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.

Inky's Blurbings: 
As I'm sure it is/was with most of you, this book has a very appealing premise and cover. I got super excited to get my hands on a copy of it, when all these gushing reviews starting hitting the 'net around it's release date. So, I just had to snag a copy. I read or attempted to as a part of a little buddy read with my bloggy bud - Nikki. However, we both reached the same unfortunate conclusion. DNF. In all honesty, I really did not want to DNF this book. There were some things that were different, but I wasn't totally sure that it was a bad thing. Then I got to page 42 and it stopped working. Let me tell you why.

The writing is quite unique. It's almost like a mash-up of 1st and 2nd person.She would be saying things like "He was shaking me." Or this: "At the same time I was taking a glance in the rearview mirror." Can you see how that feels a little different? It's first person, but it's NOT. This kinda cracks me up: "My neck turned..." and, "My hand reached out and unzipped the pouch." It feels like 1st person, doesn't it? But the whole "MY HAND REACHED" bit....Please don't tell me I'm insane, and the only one who thinks that feels wrong. Of course, you might need the whole picture to get what I'm going for. Moving on. So while it was unique and interested, I felt more words than character. Sure, there's a lot of talk going on in her brain, but not much of it was HER, as opposed to her BRAIN. And while there was good description, it was weird description. Almost too much for me. It was just...

Beyond the writing issue, Lauren is kinda hard to connect with. It must have gotten chilly in her brain right before the book starts, because to me it felt like she was in this FOG the whole time. This weird writing style and description? Yeah, part of that is feeling very detached from her. Take this quote for instance. 

"The only way I knew I'd gotten up and started walking was the slap-slap-slap that followed me as I went." 

COME ON. You only knew you were walking because you heard your feet? Doesn't that seem kinda weird to you? Beyond that, it felt like she has ALWAYS been this way! That totally doesn't work if this sentence is true:

"--I'd been the girl Jamie fell for. Whoever that was. It wasn't so long ago, but she and I were different people now." 

That is from page 31. However the narrative leads me to feel like she's been this way the whole book. Which technically would not work, since she's supposedly only been this way since first meeting Abby. And that takes place at pretty much the very beginning of the book. So this whole other character business, is either, information that we're supposed to understand, or a failed attempt and a change in character. Because I never saw this "other girl."

Oh and then there is the fact, where it's like she's telling the story later, but in present tense. Because she's always saying things like "before I discovered Abby" or "..I later learned." Just, all these things combined, didn't fit together for me enough to make this book work. Which is sad, because I thought this new style would be a nice change! I love new and interesting writing voices. For example, Blood Red Road by Moira Young. Alas and alack though...this book is not to be with me. That's all I really have to say on this book. I can only hope you like it more than I did.
So....this book was a sad disappointment for me. What about you? Have you read it? Do you plan to? Do you agree with me? I'd love to hear what you think! XOXO,