Gone, Gone, Gone
Hannah Moskowitz
Publication date: April 17th 2012
by Simon Pulse
It’s a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.
Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him…and if he’ll do it again…and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.
Lio feels most alive when he’s with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable…and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.
Craig and Lio both share a perspective in this novel, and each of their voices are incredibly sympathetic, moving you to the point of physically feeling their hardship and anxieties. I can’t even say I liked one perspective over the other, they compliment each other perfectly so what you get is a great example of how well a dual POV can be applied, especially in a story with so much emotional turmoil. Furthermore, these characters quickly develop into something much more, they have heart and personality, facing stresses and emotional challenges that become palpable. The writing makes them so amazingly realistic. The flaws in their way of thinking; the sometimes excitable, sometimes jumbled, and often awkwardly structured thoughts make them one hundred percent real. The dry, sarcastic humor–especially from Lio–offers a nice balance against the otherwise intense tone of the book as well.
While this is, above all, a love story, it occurs the year after 9/11 during the Beltway Sniper Attacks. Having not been familiar with these shootings, a quick Google search is all it takes to see what a tragedy it was, and how completely it terrorized a suburban DC area. No matter how much you know of this ordeal, Hannah has a way with words that will not only show you, but make you feel the threat and terror living through such an event causes.
Intense in tone and in emotion, I was surprised by how much this book is not an issue book. Clearly they have issues; both of them are very bizarre with quirks and social awkwardness. But this is not about that. It’s about finding oneself, finding someone you can connect and feel alive with, which is how you get to move on from a terrible event. It’s not about being gay, or black, or weird. BUT, and this is a very small quirk that was not detrimental to my enjoyment of the book at all, though still something I took note of, I found Hannah’s way of pushing the issues aside a little more illusional than it is realistic. Except for a few stowaway sentences, I wouldn’t have known Craig was black. As hard as it is to be a gay teen, being a black gay teen makes him part of two prejudiced minorities. Yet, being black never comes up as a point of individualism in this novel. Any black teen I have ever encountered, especially in largely white communities, considers their race a rather big part of their identity. As for his sexuality, I found Craig maybe a little too confident and comfortable with it–to the point of kissing his boyfriend in front of his mom. Perhaps Hannah is going for the more modern “race and sexuality are not an issue” perspective, turning them into a matter-of-fact instead, however I can’t help but find this is more fantasy than real life. No matter the level of support in a community regarding sexuality, coming out as a teen is a struggle filled with emotional anxieties. I would think any gay kid would have a lot of self doubt and not be this nonchalant about it.
Although deeply affecting, some parts of this plot are not as fleshed out as I would have liked. There is a pile up of character dysfunctions introduced, and some aren’t further examined. For example, for being such an important part of the story, we’re presented with a pretty vague and blurry idea of what exactly happened between Cory and Craig. I also wanted to have a further understanding of the families and their dynamics–Lio’s in particular. Again, this qualm is very minor, barely having any effect in my reading experience, but it still needed mention.
This is the perfect read for any and all contemporary fans. We have a story that is entirely gritty and utterly raw. Its beauty and heart radiates inside a tale that has such pain and hardship. I became truly mesmerized by Hannah’s writing style, and if she is not yet, this is an author to have on your automatic buy list!
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| 4 Hot Espressos |
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Jenea Whittington
This is a sensitive subject, but it sounds like it handled well. I haven’t seen this one, but it sounds like it will really good. Great review. I’ll have to add it and keep an eye out for it at my library..
Nick
This seems like a really emotional and powerful read. I’m not sure if I could handle something like this, but it’s good to know that the author dealt with all the themes masterfully. It’s too bad that some of the plot isn’t too fleshed out. It seems like it could have been a 5 star read for you!
Beautiful review, Giselle! 🙂
Christina
Gah! I need to read this so much! She’s on my must have author list and I haven’t read anything by her yet. I have her MG book, but it doesn’t come out until March, so I have to wait!
Amy
You’re right, this does sound like a book I would love. I have seen this around and thought about getting it, but haven’t really read any reviews on it. Now that I have I am sure I will eventually get to this one. I love the dark, gritty, emotional reads. I have only read one of her books, Zombie Tag. I haven’t read any of her contemporaries though.
Adriane
Wow… I might have to read this. I lived around where the sniper attacks happened… it was crazy when they were going on.
Kit Grindstaff
Wonderful review, Giselle, thank you. Sounds tough, esp. w/9/11 background, but worth it. Now added to my GR tbr list.
Stephanie Sinclair
So glad you enjoyed this, Giselle! I absolutely LOVED Gone, Gone, Gone. This book was so emotional for me because I live not too far from the area that was effected by the sniper shootings. It was a scary time. Hannah is definitely an author to watch!
Jenni @ Alluring Reads
This one sounds so good. I bought it a couple of weeks ago and really need to get around to reading it. I like that it deals with so many different issues but doesn’t feel preachy about any of them. Fantastic review!
Alexa
When I read the summary you included in this post, I was already intrigued. I think it will be interesting to read this one and see how it’s explored by the author.
Ashley Prince @ The Bibliophile's Corner
Wow I really want to read this one.
Aman
Emotional. Touching. Heartbreaking. How do you read too emotional books so often? I think about the situation, and cry. Just by reading the review I’m sad for the boys. Wonderful review 🙂
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings
I remember Maja speaking very highly on this one. I remember those shootings they were terrifying here in the U.s. This book has all kinds of stuff and I am curious to see how the sensitive subjects are handled.
Silverlight
This wouldn’t be something I would read, but it does sound intense, tackling more than a few social issues. Great review!
Jen (A Reading Daydreamer)
I haven’t read anything by Hannah yet! >.< She sounds like a lovely writer, capable of capturing the essence of teen's problems and making them relatable. The concept sounds really out there and different, but I think it's something I would like. I think it's interesting the Moskowitz did that, making the characters more confident in who their identities are. It's a good question to ponder upon. I'll be adding this one to my tbr now, great review, Giselle!
roro
same here . i did not graig was black
gr8 review Giselle
Shooting Stars Mag
Love contempory and lgbt novels. I’ve been wanting to read this one for awhile now, so I’m glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like the race aspect could have been mentioned more, but I do like that the sexuality wasn’t. Some people really don’t have as much issues with it as others, and if they aren’t JUST coming out during the book, it makes sense they might be more comfortable and cool with it. 🙂
-Lauren