Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah 
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 Gone, Gone, Gone takes place 13 months after September 11th (yes, the). 15-year-old Craig was indirectly effected by that day and hasn't been the same since. He finds solace in his pets. Yes, pets. Craig practically hoards animals in the basement of his parents' home. He has multiple dogs, multiple cats, rabbits, and a guinea pig. One morning he awakens to find all of them gone after someone apparently broke into the house and left the door open. Craig is distraught and he and his family begin searching for them immediately. 
 Helping Craig through the situation is Lio. Lio is a boy Craig met online who is actually from NY and recently moved to DC (where Craig lives). They go to the same school, they're friends, and are attracted to each other - but they are both apprehensive about letting the other know. 
 When people around the city start getting shot at gas stations and while doing nothing but going about their day, Craig and Lio are brought closer together by the tragedy and their feelings about the sniping, September 11th, and its' aftermath. 
 "There are so many ways to survive. Why does everyone act like we're hopeless?" 
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 This was a really beautiful story. I loved so much about it. 
 What didn't I love? 
 Mostly, my issue was the fact that these boys are just 15 and I personally think that's a bit young for the level of drama going on between them and also with Cody. The way they spoke to each other and how Craig acted like a total nut over Cody in their emails. I know love is love, and even at 15 it can seem like the end of the world if someone you love leaves you or is hurt, but something about it all just didn't sit right with me considering their age. I think it would have been more believable if they'd been even a year older. 
 I also think the book was a bit slow to take off. I wondered for too long whether or not Craig was mentally handicapped, had some sort of disorder, or was just dealing with his pain in an offbeat way (with the animal hoarding... I mean the kid didn't care that he was practically living in animal urine and stink). 
 This is the first book I've read by Hannah Moskowitz and I was very moved by her writing. It's beautiful and was able to evoke emotions from me that don't come to the surface often. She just has a way with words and a knack for creating a beautiful story that is a bit tragic but also has that much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. 
 Let's see... Craig and Lio. What can I say about them? I was quite moved by their story. Both of these boys had their own demons to conquer, and although both of them stumbled a bit along the way, they made it through their issues and were able to stand tall together once they had. Both characters have depth and personality. Both of them had a distinct voice and I enjoyed the dual-narrative. I also feel that I should mention how much I truly appreciated Hannah not turning her two gay protagonists into stereotypes. I strongly dislike when I read a novel and there is a gay person who the author apparently thinks can only be gay if they love Cher and have a shoe fetish -- or any other number of lame stereotypical things they want to pull off of the television or movie screen. Thank you, Hannah, for making these boys just boys. People. Not gay, not straight. Just people. 
 Gone, Gone, Gone is a powerful, thought provoking novel about two high school boys and their struggles with love, loss, and coming to accept things you cannot change or control. Ms. Moskowitz has a wonderful way with words and knows how to paint a truly beautiful picture even with a plot packed with angst. I'd recommend this book to almost all readers. :) 
 *Contains a handful of curse words and some underage drinking.* 
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 Book source: Pulse It 
 Publisher: Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster