Gone (Dream Catcher Series Book 3) by Lisa McMann

Gone is the third and final installment of the Dream Catcher Series.  Janie is facing a huge decision.  Dream Catching is what left Miss Stubin blind and paralyzed in her hands.   Janie could avoid that fate by avoiding dreams.  The more she falls into the dreams the faster she'll lose her eyesight.  It's already started.  Will Cabel still love her when she's blind with gnarled hands in her twenties?  She knows he will even if his secret fears come out in his nightmares.  But does he really deserve that life?  Should he have to take care of her when he could go out into the real world and be someone?  Have a family?  No.  She needs to leave, to isolate herself from dreams and keep herself from ruining Cabel's life.  But then a mystery man throws her plan into chaos.  Who is he and what does he need from Janie?  More importantly, what can Janie learn from him?

This final book was really gripping.  It was hard to see Janie and Cabel struggling with each other.  Each is trying to do the right thing and put the other's needs first but the hard decisions take their toll and they end up saying things they regret.  Is there a best solution?  Not really.  It's a catch 22.  But Janie does learn things about her parents and how they became the people they are and why.  She also learns about all that she would be missing if she isolates.  In the end, Janie makes the best choice of two not so great choices and she comes out of the story a much better person.  I really enjoyed this, even if it had less mystery to it than the previous books.  It's a journey of self knowledge.  The book is still best suited for older teens and adults due to swearing, sexual shenanigans and the fact that Ms. Hannagan is a raging alcoholic.

Gone gets 4 Fairies for a great story that is both sad and hopeful.

Be sure to check out Lisa McMann's website to learn more and you can also read Cabel's Story, a short story about Cabel's viewpoint on the school trip from earlier in the series.