Being a teenager can be awkward at times, particularly so when you’re best friends with someone who just seems to sail through life with no problems. That, at least, is how Emily feels prior to the summer that this novel is set.
We don’t get answers to this particular mystery until very near the end of the novel, but at the start of the summer Sloane, Emily’s best friend, has disappeared. Her family home is empty and nobody has any idea where she has gone. All Emily is left with is a letter, comprising a list of thirteen things that Sloane asks Emily to complete before finding her.
Rather than asking people what has happened to Sloane, Emily takes it upon herself to keep quiet about everything and try to work her way through the list of challenges. Some are harder than others – but they all push Emily’s boundaries in some way, forcing her to confront her fears and develop her own sense of self.
Along the way, Emily learns quite a lot about herself and her best friend. She also finds new friends, and the somewhat inevitable romance. While this didn’t really have me full of awe, it was a pleasant enough read and I can imagine it striking a chord with more than one or two readers.