Where Things Come Back - Softcover

Whaley, John Corey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1471125335 ISBN 13: 9781471125331

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK, 2015

Synopsis

A quirky coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of John Green, David Levithan and Stephen Chbosky.

Cullen Witter's fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared. Angry and looking for answers, Cullen must navigate his way through a summer of finding and losing love while holding his fragile family together.

Meanwhile a young missionary in Africa is searching for meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as they seem, these stories are thoughtfully woven together, before a surprising and harrowing climax.

Complex but truly extraordinary, tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity; Where Things Come Backis about finding wonder in the ordinary and the dream of second chances.

About this title

Product Description

Where Things Come Back

Review

"Every now and then a book rises to the top. "Where Things Come Back" soars. Keep your eye on author Corey Whaley. That is, if you can see the stratosphere."--Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of the Crank Trilogy

In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller Vulnerability balances Cullen's arch sarcasm, and the maelstrom of media attention lavished on the woodpecker offers an element of the absurd, especially when juxtaposed against the mystery of Gabriel's disappearance. The portentous tone and flat affect of Whaley's writing is well-suited to the story's religious themes and symbolism as Whaley gradually brings the story's many threads together in a disturbing, heartbreaking finale that retains a touch of hope.
--Publishers Weekly, April 11, 2011, *STAR"

In a build-up that explores the process of grief, second chances and even the meaning of life, Cullen s and Cabot s worlds slowly intersect and solve the mystery of Gabriel s disappearance in this multilayered debut for sophisticated readers. Unexpected, thought-provoking storytelling.
--Kirkus, April 15, 2011"

The characters reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel s return. Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator the ending is worth the wait.
--School Library Journal, July 2011"

"The author has managed to capture his characters feelings of loss and despair with both compassion and empathy. The plot is extremely well thought out and encompasses the tangle of teenage relationships, friendships, and life experiences using humor and thoughtful language...authentic, small-town teenagers; and the main protagonist, Cullen, is well-developed and convincing. An unexpected ending brings about a moving close to the novel."
--VOYA, June 2011"

What will hold readers most is the moving story of Cullen s beloved younger brother, who suddenly goes missing, leading to mystery, heartbreak, and an astonishing resolution on the very last page An intriguing, memorable offering teens will want to discuss.
--Booklist, May 2011"

[A] smart, darkly funny, and multilayered debut . Whaley weaves numerous story lines and themes together with the confidence of a seasoned writer, resulting in a thought-provoking story about media, faith, and family.
--Publishers Weekly, November 7, 2011, a "Best Books of 2011" selection"

"In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller...Vulnerability balances Cullen's arch sarcasm, and the maelstrom of media attention lavished on the woodpecker offers an element of the absurd, especially when juxtaposed against the mystery of Gabriel's disappearance. The portentous tone and flat affect of Whaley's writing is well-suited to the story's religious themes and symbolism... as Whaley gradually brings the story's many threads together in a disturbing, heartbreaking finale that retains a touch of hope."

--Publishers Weekly, April 11, 2011, *STAR

"In a build-up that explores the process of grief, second chances and even the meaning of life, Cullen's and Cabot's worlds slowly intersect and solve the mystery of Gabriel's disappearance in this multilayered debut for sophisticated readers. Unexpected, thought-provoking storytelling."

--Kirkus, April 15, 2011

"The characters' reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel's return. Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator...the ending is worth the wait."

--School Library Journal, July 2011

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1471125335
• ISBN 13: 9781471125331
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272