'Tuesday 30 June 2019

I know you’ll hate me. I just know you will. But I can’t help it. I’m going to find you.'

Nominated for the 2021 Carnegie Medal

Matt’s mam left when he was ten. He writes letters to her but doesn’t send them. He keeps them in his Gone Book. Five years of letters about his life. Five years of hurt.

“Dark and gritty and desperately sad and wildly funny, this is as real as writing gets. I was locked inside of Matt’s head for the duration, and I lived his whole mad summer. Every line rings perfectly true.” Donal Ryan

“A skillful and truthful novel from a wonderful storyteller.” Joseph O’Connor

“Achingly sad but hugely funny. A gritty story full of heart.” – Sheena Wilkinson

“Helena Close’s YA debut The Gone Book is sure to make a big splash. From the memorable first line right through to the dramatic conclusion, the story hurtles along at a rapid rate, riding the crest of a massive wave and finally throwing its reader on Lahinch’s shoreline with a thump…Close is an incredible storyteller.” –  Books Ireland Magazine

“A remarkable narrative that throws the reader right into the story, this is a book that simply sings. Completely riveting  and relevant; filled with compassion and soul.” – Fallen Star Stories

“I would highly recommend this book. It’s a chaotic read, full of twists and turns. It is gritty and realistic, and highlights the anguish of an absent parent and the strife of teenage friendships.” – Paper Lanterns

“A heart-wrenching, hard punching, insightful narrative of life in modern Ireland.” –  Swear by the Books

Download the book guide

From Limerick City in the west of Ireland, Helena Close has been writing full-time for twenty years. She has written or co-written seven novels, published by Hodder Headline (under the pseudonym Sarah O’Brien), Hachette Ireland and Blackstaff Press.