“We let them help because they needed it, not us. We didn’t let them help us because we needed it, we let them help us because inside of humans is this thing, this unnamed need to feel as if we are useful in the world. To feel as if we have something significant to contribute.”
- John
Corey Whaley, Where Things Come Back
Reviewed by
Dylana
Synopsis:
“I was getting tired of my parents hugging me every night. I was getting tired of Lucas Cader sleeping on my floor. I was tired of Aunt Julia’s crying every single day whether I saw it in person or heard it through the phone. Mostly, though, I was getting sick and damn tired of hearing and reading … about that damn woodpecker. And sitting up one night in my bed as Lucas flipped through channels on my TV, I wrote down in my book, the same one I keep my titles in: If I had a gun, I would shoot the Lazarus woodpecker in the face.”
“I was getting tired of my parents hugging me every night. I was getting tired of Lucas Cader sleeping on my floor. I was tired of Aunt Julia’s crying every single day whether I saw it in person or heard it through the phone. Mostly, though, I was getting sick and damn tired of hearing and reading … about that damn woodpecker. And sitting up one night in my bed as Lucas flipped through channels on my TV, I wrote down in my book, the same one I keep my titles in: If I had a gun, I would shoot the Lazarus woodpecker in the face.”
General Review:
Wow. Can
just “wow” be my general review? No? Fine. This book was so freaking amazing. I
mean, I knew this book was going to be good because my copy has both the Printz
and the William C. Morris stickers on the cover, but still. Wow.
At first, though, I didn’t think I was going to like it. It starts out kind of slow, which is scary, considering that this book is only 228 pages long. But then, all of a sudden, it’s just … amazing. It’s just amazing. I know this is starting to be a mantra of sorts for me, but it was so real. The story takes place in a small town in Arkansas and everyone in this town becomes utterly obsessed with this woodpecker and completely ignores the fact that a kid from this town has gone missing. I’m from a small town in Texas and I could totally see this happening there. I was just so blown away by this book. Really. I can’t think of one single thing I didn’t like about it. And that’s huge coming from me.
Plot:
The plot was
kind of subtle. This book seemed to be mostly character driven and it was
totally awesome. There seemed to be a lot more driving action with the
secondary storyline than with Cullen’s plot. Cullen’s plot revolves around
trying to deal with his brother’s disappearance and hating John Barling (who is
deliciously detestable).
Characters:
The
characters in this book are some of the most complex, compelling, and
beautifully written I’ve ever read. First of all, Lucas Cader. Lucas drops
everything in his life to be there for Cullen and even appears to be more upset
over Gabriel’s disappearance than Cullen is. However, this doesn’t make Lucas a
saint. He’s still funny and mean and pushy and annoying at times. But
everything he does is so raw and honest. He was my favorite character. Cullen
is the only character who doesn’t really change that much throughout the novel.
I’m not saying he’s boring, because he’s not, he just remains level headed. He
is not easily excitable or overly emotional like everyone else. Cullen’s
parents again are just so believable. I’m not a crier (because I’m a heartless
bitch, just ask Chase), but when Cullen’s mom starts talking about school
supplies, I just about lost it. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see how anyone
could read that part without becoming a hot, crying, tranny train wreck. (Seriously
though, please read this book and tell me how much you wanted to just die at
that part.) Then there are the secondary characters who are just as intriguing
as the main bunch. Though I could tell where Cabot Searcy was coming from, he
was unlikeable but very interesting. I felt so sorry for him but at the same
time wanted to shake him.
Final Thoughts:
This is now
one of my all-time favorite books. It was wonderful from start to finish. I
read every single word in this book, including the copyright information and
the acknowledgements. As soon as I finished, I immediately started to read it
again before I realized I had other books I needed to read and review. I
absolutely love this book and can’t wait for John Corey Whaley to write
something else. Where Things Come Back is beautiful and I love it. I love it. I
love it. I love it. 5 stars.
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