Book Review for WHERE THINGS COME BACK (Genre 6)

**Please note: The following book review has been completed as part of coursework at Texas Woman's University.



1. Bibliography
Whaley, John Corey. 2011. Where Things Come Back. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

2. Plot Summary
The story follows 17-year-old Cullen Witter's summer in small-town Lily, Arkansas.  Cullen and his friend, Lucas, are fed up with the town's fascination of and renewed hope in the supposed return of the thought-to-be-extinct Lazarus woodpecker.  Everything seems to return to Lily even if it tries to escape.  When Cullen's 15-year-old brother goes missing, Cullen is left to examine his life, his town, and his future.    

3. Critical Analysis
The characters are everyday teenagers who struggle with life like all teenagers do.  When Gabriel goes missing, Cullen struggles with how to live life without his brother, and he searches for the meaning of life amidst all the misfortune.  Lucas, too, finds himself with an inner struggle of having to deal with not only the loss of his brother a few years earlier, but the loss of Gabriel as well.  Through their friendship, the boys deal with Gabriel's disappearance and the town's ridiculous excitement of the Lazarus woodpecker while also struggling with teenage issues such as dating and parents.  Likewise, the sometimes crude and obscenity-filled language reflects the way teenagers think and speak.  The plot is highly engaging and contains unexpected twists and turns with the incorporation of a subplot.  The subplot is creatively woven into the text to provide background information for characters who eventually become a part of the main story.  Thankfully, the conclusion leaves the reader feeling content in knowing that things sometimes do come back to us.  The setting is contemporary and timeless with the story having universal themes that could take place anywhere.  Themes such as loss, hope, rebirth, and faith emerge naturally from the story.  Teenaged readers will easily identify with the story's themes and the main character's struggles.  The point of view of the main story is from Cullen's perspective which allows readers to truly understand his challenges as a teenager.  The author's voice is revealed through this perspective and adds a witty quality to the writing.  The people in the story are real, not stereotyped, and have real problems.  Overall, the novel is an excellent model of contemporary realistic fiction.

4. Review Excerpts
2012 Michael L. Printz Award winner
2012 William C. Morris Award winner

Publisher's Weekly, Starred review: “In this darkly humorous debut, Whaley weaves two stories into a taut and well-constructed thriller.”
Kirkus: A “multilayered debut for sophisticated readers. Unexpected, thought-provoking storytelling.”
Booklist: “An intriguing, memorable offering teens will want to discuss.”
School Library Journal: “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.”


5. Connections 
Readers might enjoy reading more excellent young adult literature which have won the Michael L. Printz award:
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. ISBN 0375831002

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. ISBN 0142402516

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. ISBN 014131088X



Fans of the novel will be excitedly anticipating Whaley's second novel, Noggin, due out in April 2014.