Return Policy [Paperback]

Michael Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2009

In his second book, novelist Michael Snyder introduces us to three very unusual and distinct voices all torn by tragedy: Willy Finneran, washed-up genre novelist with an espresso maker that just won't die and a habit of avoiding conflict even if it means putting the truth on a sliding scale. Ozena Webb, single mother and Javatek's top customer service representative. She spends every evening playing board games with her twelve-year-old son who is mentally crippled from an early childhood accident. Shaq, a small and scraggy homeless man with trauma-induced blank spots on his memory, trying to piece together the story of his life while assisting Father Joe at the Mercy Mission. As their stories intersect, the narrative vacillates between hope and naivete, comic relief and postmodern ennui. Startling in its authenticity, this unforgettable novel reveals that no matter how far one has strayed from hope, there is always a way to return.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Return Policy is a compelling, comic, and heartbreaking story that's full of hope. Michael Snyder's writing leaps off the page as he explores three tragic stories that lead to redemption in the most unlikely of places. His characters are human, his prose is refreshing, and honestly I couldn't help but smile as I read from one page to the next. -- Rob Stennett, author of The End Is Now

From the Back Cover

In his second book, novelist Michael Snyder introduces us to three very unusual and distinct voices all torn by tragedy: Willy Finneran, washed-up genre novelist with an espresso maker that just won't die and a habit of avoiding conflict even if it means putting the truth on a sliding scale. Ozena Webb, single mother and Javatek's top customer service representative. She spends every evening playing board games with her twelve-year-old son who is mentally crippled from an early childhood accident. Shaq, a small and scraggy homeless man with trauma-induced blank spots on his memory, trying to piece together the story of his life while assisting Father Joe at the Mercy Mission. As their stories intersect, the narrative vacillates between hope and naivete, comic relief and postmodern ennui. Startling in its authenticity, this unforgettable novel reveals that no matter how far one has strayed from hope, there is always a way to return. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Original edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310277280
• ISBN-13: 978-0310277286
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Snyder lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his lovely wife, four amazing kids, and three iffy dogs. He studied music in college and played guitar professionally for many years. Please check out his novels...My Name Is Russell Fink and Return Policy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Novel Confirms That I am a Snyder Fan..., June 22, 2009

By 

Kelly Klepfer (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Return Policy (Paperback)

I was a little hesitant to read Return Policy. I loved Russell Fink and the characters Michael Snyder created so much that I was a little afraid that he couldn't quite do it again.

Return Policy is a very different book. Same unique lad-lit voice, similar deeply flawed and broken characters, same creative and capable wordsmithing, but very different. This time Snyder uses three first person points of view to tell a series of separate stories that end up connecting in a somewhat unbelievable spider web. I saw a few connections unfolding early on, but a couple snuck up on me right before the t's were crossed and the i's dotted.

Snyder's strengths are in excellent characterization. I grew to care about these people and kept reading to find out what would happen to them, hoping they would find good things at the end of the book. Snyder also manages to write almost heartbreakingly poignant scenes that scream with the unfairness of life and the tragedies that seem to wait around the corner ready to pounce on the unsuspecting and innocent. Gifted with a bizarrely charming sense of humor, Snyder laces his prose with quirky thoughts and situations. The spiritual skeleton in Return Policy is buried under the subtle layering of muscle and skin and becomes the frame on which the story is hung. Bottom line, someone not looking for a religious read may not even notice that Jesus has entered the story.

Not everyone who reads Return Policy is going to love it. Fans of action packed page turning novels will likely get frustrated with the introspection and pace of this novel. Those who read only G-rated and scripture laced fiction may have issues with some of the situations, a few words and the fact that there are no conversions in this story. Discussions, yes, but. Toward the end the pace hurried a bit, and the final strings were tied very neatly, maybe a bit too neatly. I didn't have any trouble following the changing POV, the sections and scenes are marked.

Overall, I'm a solid Michael Snyder fan and look forward to his next novel which I hope is in the works.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Positive Review for Return Policy, July 22, 2009

By 

Carrie L. Lewis "Horse Painter" (Newton, Kansas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Return Policy (Paperback)

When I read for pleasure, I judge the success of the book on several things. My personal criteria are: How well does the book challenge me to do better in my own life? How well do the characters and their story move me spiritually and emotionally? Am I challenged to look at situations or questions I might otherwise find uncomfortable (something Geroge MacDonald and C.S. Lewis do very well). Do I end the book feeling like I am a better human being for having read it?

Generally, I'm happy if I get one or two of those things in a book. The really good ones fire on all those cylinders.

Return Policy is such a book. Although it took a few pages to get my mind set to the unique and interesting way Michael Snyder has chosen to have his characters tell their own stories, it was well worth the effort.

Return Policy is a great addition to the library of anyone who likes interesting characters, unique settings and a great ending that ties up all the loose ends.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved Every Minute, June 24, 2009

By 

K.M. Weiland, Author of Historical and Specul... (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Return Policy (Paperback)

Strong characters, hard questions, and superbly detailed settings all contribute to the sometimes heartrending, sometimes thought-provoking, and always amusing tale of a wanna-be writer with a bad heart, who's just waiting out his life. Strong narrative voices, firm plot arc, and a stunning finale. This is the author's strongest offering yet.