If You’re Out There Audiobook Summary
“Funny, engrossing, and one-of-a-kind. If You’re Out There completely swept me away.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Leah on the Offbeat
Part whip-smart suspense tale, part touching story of friendship, this is an extraordinary debut about a determined teen trying to solve a mystery no one else believes in.
After Zan’s best friend moves to California, she is baffled and crushed when Priya suddenly ghosts. Worse, Priya’s social media has turned into a stream of ungrammatical posts chronicling a sunny, vapid new life that doesn’t sound like her at all.
Everyone tells Zan not to be an idiot: Let Priya do her reinvention thing and move on. But until Zan hears Priya say it, she won’t be able to admit that their friendship is finished.
It’s only when she meets Logan, the compelling new guy in Spanish class, that Zan begins to open up about her sadness, her insecurity, her sense of total betrayal. And he’s just as willing as she is to throw himself into the investigation when everyone else thinks her suspicions are crazy.
Then a clue hidden in Priya’s latest selfie introduces a new, deeply disturbing possibility:
Maybe Priya isn’t just not answering Zan’s emails.
Maybe she can’t.
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If You’re Out There Audiobook Narrator
Kate Rudd is the narrator of If You’re Out There audiobook that was written by Katy Loutzenhiser
Katy Loutzenhiser is a graduate of Bowdoin College who trained in comedy with the iO and Second City theaters in Chicago. Katy made her YA debut with If You’re Out There and lives with her husband in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her online at www.katyloutzenhiser.com.
About the Author(s) of If You’re Out There
Katy Loutzenhiser is the author of If You’re Out There
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If You’re Out There Full Details
Narrator | Kate Rudd |
Length | 7 hours 23 minutes |
Author | Katy Loutzenhiser |
Publisher | Balzer + Bray |
Release date | March 05, 2019 |
ISBN | 9780062885647 |
Additional info
The publisher of the If You’re Out There is Balzer + Bray. The imprint is Balzer + Bray. It is supplied by Balzer + Bray. The ISBN-13 is 9780062885647.
Global Availability
This book is only available in the United States.
Goodreads Reviews
emma
November 20, 2019
This was totally not what I expected.Well, that’s not quite accurate. This is exactly what I expected, but I have learned to expect the opposite of my expectations.When I hear “young adult contemporary mystery,” I want to expect exactly what it sounds like - a mystery for young adult readers set in a contemporary time.But I am well-versed in the marketing language of young adult books, and I know I am way more likely to get a YA romance with a lot of high school drama and a little bit of mystery. Maybe.What a pleasant surprise to get what I wanted from this.In all honesty, this was a little slow and spent way more time making everyone doubt the protagonist than on making the eventual Big Reveal seem believable, but it’s fine.I’m just happy that the romance was actually the subplot here. (Although it would’ve been fine with me if it didn’t exist at all. But I won’t be unreasonable.)Bottom line: Yippee.----------it wasn't Where'd You Go, Bernadette.but it was...good??i know. i liked a YA book. it's unbelievable.review to come / 3.5ish stars----------i'm a simple girl. i see a book get compared to Where'd You Go, Bernadette, i read that book
Tucker
May 23, 2020
Edit: I read this in the height of the my depression. If I have the time, I will re read and review it again. ❤INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR: Tucker: 1. How long did it take you to write If You're Out There?Katy: Drafting the book took a little over a year. (I'm a slow writer; I wish I could change that but I can't!) Once I got an agent...[Read more]Doctor: Ma'am. I'm sorry. Tucker didn't make it.Ma'am: What happened?Doctor: I'm afraid... His mind was blown.You guys, this book was so good. It's about a girl named Zan, who's friend moves to California and ten out of nowhere ghosts. The word "ghosting" is relatively new. It came about a little after 2010. It basically refers to when someone stops all online contact with you.When Priya begins to ghost Zan, Zan does what any friend would do. She investigates. And what a wild ride it was. Every page had me hooked and I just wanted to keep reading. By the end, my heart was literally pounding in anticipation. Bottom Line:4/5 StarsAge Recommendation: 13+ (Swearing, some violence, scary themes)Cover: 3.5/5 (It is good but I feel like it could be better. A little more detailed)Plot: 3.5.5 (Occasionally slow at times but usually fast and amazing)Characters: 4/5 (Funny, real and emotional. The characters were all so amazingly written.)| Goodreads | Blog | Pinterest | LinkedIn | YouTube | InstagramThank you to HarperTeen for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy
Gail
October 03, 2018
This is one of the most heartfelt testaments to female friendship I've ever read--it plunged me back to a time when indeed "ladies before mateys" was the way we lived. In Katy Loutzenhiser's YA debut, Zan's best friend Priya ghosts her, but the story of their long and close friendship is told in flashback, with moments of intense sweetness and humor. If you come away with any one lesson from this novel, it's that true friends really do have your back--they don't give up on you *no matter what.* What I loved most: the depictions of shared memories, shared language, and the easy way girls of a certain age have with each other--the feet-in-your-lap confidences, the way they can know things about each other without being told. Remembering how they watched Beaches together at age 12 "huddled up under blankets", Zan says, "We were still getting to know each other then, but it felt like something miraculous was happening. It was easy, and natural, like we already knew how to be friends." Which makes Priya's total disappearance all the more baffling.This book is about love in many forms, love that endures and love that doesn't. New love (Zan's mom is head over heels for her new girlfriend, Zan is getting to know the hunky and loyal Logan), family love (Zan and Logan both have much younger siblings), parental love (missing parents, missing in action parents, hovering parents). Love that gets renewed after a long hiatus. Love that endures even after death.And throughout this tightly woven mystery, the thread of hilarity that had me laughing out loud on nearly every page. Loutzenhiser was trained at Second City in Chicago and it shows--her dialogue snaps, her comic timing is impeccable, and the repartee between Logan and Zan has the feel of great improv. I loved this novel and I know you will too. Highly recommended. [note: I read the ARC provided by the publisher].
Jananie (thisstoryaintover)
June 25, 2019
wow I really enjoyed this! way more than I thought I would. loved the friendship and the romance SO much.
Shannon (It Starts At Midnight)
March 15, 2019
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight This was such a fun, yet heartfelt book! I'll admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect going in. The premise was great, but I could also see how it could get cheesy? Well, good news friends! It was unequivocally not cheesy, and instead full of fabulous! We meet Zan, who has a real case of the sads cause her best friend Priya has moved away. And that is not a fun situation, as I am sure most of us have experienced. Only instead of the long phone calls and non-stop texts and emails Zan assumed would be coming from Priya, there's radio silence. And Zan just knows deep down that Priya wouldn't just quit their friendship.There are a lot of pros to this one, so let us start with all the stuff that made me happy! The Things I Liked: •Female friendship rep was phenomenal. Because look, these two were just lifelong buds, there were no two ways about it. They trusted each other with everything, and while I don't want to get into spoiler territory, you'll really see how much Priya means to Zan. •The plot was really quite entertaining! So it's a contemporary, so obviously I wasn't expecting non-stop action, but it was completely engaging! And I truly didn't know how things were going to turn out for Zan or Priya. Was it going to be something sad? Sinister? Mundane? Miscommunication? Otherworldly? Supernatural? Occult? Who knows! I mean, okay, I do, but I am not telling you. •Friend/love interest Logan is so endearing. I ship it. He's just a really fun person to be reading about, and I was so incredibly glad that Zan found someone who would help her, and wouldn't just dismiss her love for her friend like so many other people in her life tried to. •I laughed a lot. I really enjoyed the sense of humor of both Zan and Logan, and their banter was phenomenal. Really, all the characters had such personality, it made for a story that it was easy to be invested in. The Things I Didn't: •The only thing I kind of wasn't sure about was some suspension of disbelief, though it definitely wasn't enough to outweigh all the good. Not even close, tbh. Bottom Line: Completely charming and entertaining, this book that highlights the strength of friendship shouldn't be missed!
Samantha (WLABB)
March 07, 2019
Zan was beside herself, when her best friend, Priya, moved to California, but they promised to keep in touch, write, text, Skype, and visit on breaks. That was the plan, but then Priya ghosted her. Zan's texts, emails, and phone calls went unanswered. She couldn't believe Priya would do that to her, but she was going to give up on her.• Pro: Fierce female friendship for the win. Yes! I loved that Pryia and Zan were a bestie-second-generation (their mom's were best friends), and they knew and understood each other on such a deep level, which was obvious throughout the story. • Pro: Zan might have been feeling slighted by her friends, but she was seriously loved. Her family and her work-family were wonderful! It was great how hands on her mom was, and I also liked the way Loutzenhiser explored Zan's relationship with her dad. • Pro: The book's progression was rather interesting. It was fairly light and fun and gradually got more serious. The beginning came across as a standard contemporary and then questions started arising concerning Pryia, and from there, a little bit of a mystery, with some drama, began to unfold. • Pro: And, then there was Logan. I liked him a lot and adored the way he became part of Zan's world. He was also very complicated with a super sticky backstory, but his darkness was contained, and he was also gifted with a fantastic sister and aunt to support him. • Pro: Logan + Zan = 😍 I was all about these two making a love connection. They had the chemistry and the banter, and when everyone else more or less dismissed her, Logan believe that there was more to the Priya situation than met the eye. A fantastic coupling! • Pro: Though I wish I got a little bit more at the end, I will say I loved all the things Loutznhiser did for the characters. Everyone's near future was shared with us, and the developments made me warm and fuzzy. I especially liked where Zan ended up, because it fit with what I had learned about her over the course of the story, but it was also surprising. Overall: An ode to friendship, family, and finding yourself infused with humor, romance, and a little mystery.*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Naomi
September 20, 2018
This is a must-read for anyone who likes: rom-coms; mysteries; adorable little siblings; compelling and tremendously sympathetic MCs; and just plain old-fashioned (yet contemporary) storytelling. Just clear your calendar, because you won't wan to put it down!
Jess
June 29, 2019
My review for If You’re Out There is up on my blog now!https://bookreviewsfromanovelnerd.wor...
Bridget
September 18, 2018
Once upon a time I read THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTOON approximately 753 times and this book makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside for those days of fun and addictive teen thrillers. Fresh, funny, emotional, and compulsively readable. You won't be sorry you picked this one up.
Katie
August 09, 2018
I just finished this amazing book in the span of one day, and wow. World, look out. Katy is such a fresh voice in contemporary YA. There are so many things to love about this book - the mystery and intrigue, the diverse cast, the hilarious and gritty voice, the adorable love interest, and more!!! I could seriously go on and on forever. I'm not kidding when I say that some of the lines in this book had me laughing out loud so hard that I choked on my water! I also love that the heart of the story is about a girl who wants to find her friend, who believes in the strength of friendship to the end, and never gives up on Priya. I love that although there is romance, it's a backseat to a strong friendship story - the kind of friendship I experienced in my teen years and didn't see as much reflected in YA contemporary. Give me more books like Katy's! Give me the books with girls who lift each other up and whose friendship rises above all.If you're a fan of Becky Albertalli's works, I honestly think you're going to adore IF YOU'RE OUT THERE. If you're a fan of heartwarming, hilarious, thought-provoking, and suspenseful and fast-paced books - then boy are you going to devour this. I feel so lucky to have met the author and read an early copy, and I can't wait for this book to debut in 2019 and make a splash in YA contemporary. :)
Marie
October 03, 2022
Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[abandonment, divorce, grief, loss of a loved one (parent), misogyny, reference to drug abuse. (hide spoiler)]I loved this one so much! It was so entertaining, I loved the main character, the female friendships, the little bit of romance. 200% recommending this.Full review coming soon on the blog! :)My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
Kitkat
March 13, 2019
I really loved this book! It had amazing characters and a fantastic story. I loved how cute Logan and Zan was. AHHH so cute! I'll give a review soon.
Jenny
April 29, 2019
Oh my gosh, nice one Katy
Andi (Andi's ABCs)
March 06, 2019
This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I’m a sucker for a book with a good friendship aspect. I under the draw of writing the frienemy, but I love a good female friendship that has its ups and downs but still can withstand the test of time. And I love a story that deals with the possibility of losing that friendship and how that affects one or both parties. If You’re Out There is a book that explores but with a twist and it was done remarkably well.In If You’re Out There Zan is starting the year off without her best friend, Priya, who just moved to California. As if that isn’t bad enough Priya appears to have ghosted her, only showing up on social media to post pictures of how wonderful her new life is. While trying to figure out how to navigate her Priya-less world, Zan meets the new guy at school, Logan. He isn’t anything Zan is looking for, but he is there for her when she needs him, especially after she starts to notice something strange in Priya’s photos that makes her think…maybe she wasn’t ghosted after all. Maybe Priya is actually in trouble.What I loved most about If You’re Out There was the focus on how friendships are hard and tricky. Like all relationships they take work and when one person isn’t there the work feel harder and not worth it. It showed how easy it is to let go of a friendship if you don’t fight for it when there is something to fight for. Zan refused to believe that her friend would just ghost her. She knew her better than anyone else and she fought for that feeling, even when she seemed crazy to everyone around her and felt crazy to herself. She fought and fought for her friendship because she believed her friend would fight for it too if she could. To me that showed what true friendship is about and why I loved the book.I also really loved the mystery aspect of the story. Was Priya really ghosting Zan or was she in trouble? I was never really certain to be honest. I never knew which way the story was going to go because both options seemed plausible. I also liked that Logan was there to listen to Zan when no one else would. That was another huge highlight. Also helped that he was adorable.All in all I highly recommend this debut by Katy Loutzenhiser. It hits all the right notes and will keep you reading until the end. Definitely a need to read book to add to your TBR.
readertingz
August 06, 2021
*4.5 stars*this book is VERY underrated, but i really loved it
Kristi Housman
February 11, 2019
I really hope that my best friends are like Zan and never give up on me.Zan and Priya were best friends. Their moms were friends until Priya's mom died. They did everything together. Zan had other people she would talk to, but not a real friend like Priya. So it was killing her that not only did Priya move to California, but she also stopped talking to her. Priya left with her step-dad, Ben. Zan stayed behind in Chicago, living with her mom, her mom's girlfriend, and her little brother. She worked a lot all summer, but now school has started and she can't stop thinking about Priya.Logan is the new kid at school. He lives with his aunt and younger sister. There are a lot of rumors that Logan was a criminal and was trying to start over in Chicago. He starts talking to Priya and for some reason, she tells him the story of Priya. How her intagram stories don't sound like her. How she would never stop talking to Zan. How her photos don't show her. She also starts replying back to people in a strange way.Logan and Zan start looking into every clue they can find. They visit Priya's boyfriend at college. Zan talks to Priya's dad. They go to her house. All they find are more questions. During this time, we see Zan suffering a lot with her loss. She goes back and forth between sadness and anger. It starts to affect her family and school. Logan is dealing with his own issues from his past in Indiana. But they grow closer as they spend more and more time together.This was a great mystery, but it was also a wonderful story of true friendship. How you know your best friend so well and you would have to know when something isn't right. Zan never gives up, even when everyone tells her to just let it go.I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for my copy for review.Warnings for addiction, family issues, and grief. There is more I should warn about, but I don't want to ruin the story. Just know that this is a mystery, so everything isn't sweet.
yaybooks
August 27, 2021
*Spoilers*4.5I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! I really did. ~Likes~- Not too much drama, yaya. Not too many overwhelming emotions explained horribly 🤔- Very interesting booc- The love interest, thank you for being the subplot :D~Dislikes 😔~- The characters all felt kind of...same. Lol. Everyone had the same amount of snarkiness and everyone was snarky. But I really loved Whit though. Go Whit.- I do understand that Zan didn't have that much going on, but I would have liked to see if she did find some happiness before finally reuniting with Priya. (Logan doesn't count. Because I said so.)- The love interest...not unlike anything I have already read before :(Overall: :DDDDDD
Kat
December 23, 2018
Thank you to HCC Frenzy for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!ACTUAL: 4.5/5 starsThis contemporary with a suspenseful flair was much better than expected! The characters, especially Zan, were relatable, and easy to connect with. I loved the concept of the story, and the social media use was a clever touch in this novel. The writing style was simple to read and despite starting slow, the story picked up quickly.Logan was probably my favourite character in this one, the way he interacted with is family and Zan was heartwarming. I liked his story line, in terms of his past, and his personality. Zan's family was also enjoyable to read about, and the diverse elements were well written. The mystery solving elements I liked most, it kept the story engaging. The ending was intense and wrapped up nicely. Overall, it was much better than I expected, and for fans of bold contemporary novels, I recommend this one!
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