Customer Reviews

Returners

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Will Hodge doesn't have many happy days, especially since his mother died and his father's political involvement has grown more and more radical. In addition to stress at home, Will's friends don't really talk to him anymore, he starts losing short blocks of time, and strange people start following him around claiming to know him.

Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is losing his mind, but soon explains away the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.

Eventually, he can't avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are "people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past." When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.

Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?

As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading THE RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners storyline, as most of the book deals with Will's denial of his connection to the strange people following him.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

It took me exactly one month to get through the first 150 pages of this book. It was just... so... slow... Nothing happened! Oh sure, there was a lot of talk about things that might happen, but nothing actually happened.

After the first 150 pages, the story definitely picked up again and really made you think. However, there was still something that really bothered me.

It was pretty clear that this author had an agenda. Throughout the book, the author is CONSTANTLY talking about being prejudiced, racist, and discriminatory. And eventually, the book doesn't end up being about a boy who's lived through history, but rather about overcoming racist thoughts and feelings.

Usually, I'd be fine with that, but it really just felt like the author was just beating your over the head with it. Eventually I just started to go "Ugh. I get it!" I don't mind if an author has an agenda, I just mind if they let the plot suffer to get that agenda across. Does that make sense?

I've liked Gemma Malley's past books, but this one falls a bit short.

The Returners was very different from what I was expecting. When I read the description, I had this idea of what The Returners would be, and it was not the same at all. Though, this doesn't mean I wasn't happy with how The Returners ended up, as I did enjoy it.

The plot of The Returners was fairly simple and rather intriguing. The first part of the book was slower and focused more around building story. This was interesting, but I do wish the plot had picked up a bit faster. The whle concept of these "Returners" was completely original and caught my attention. I almost wish Gemma Malley had played up the idea of Returners a bit more. They were this fantastic idea, and what she did with them was great, but I feel it could've been that much more.

Malley does a wonderful job with the characters in The Returners. Will was an artfully crafted character. You did sympathize with him, but I did find myself confused sometimes at his actions. I could not stand Will's father. He was just so... ugh! I think that was Gemma Malley's intention though. Patrick just gave me the creeps.

I wasn't fully satisfied with the ending. I would have liked to hear just a bit more of the story, and then it would have seemed a bit more complete. But overall, I would definately suggest this one! It's an enjoyable read set in a alternate future in the year 2016.

The Returners, as well written as it is, was far more muted and understated in tone than I was imagining it would be. While there were clear strengths to the story I found them to be mired by a few larger weaknesses which in turn left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the story as a whole.

Where I struggled quite a bit was with the extended focus on racial and political undertones. The point of their inclusion was made early on so lengthening the attention paid made the element monotonous and repetitive. Moreover, this ended up taking away time from learning more about the Returners and Will's relationship to them. I got the point that was being made, the elements were a mechanism to exemplify the evil side of being a Returner as well as a tool for Will's desire and ability to change. But, despite both being admirable aspects of the story to explore for me the amount of time ultimately focused on each individually was unnecessary. I would much rather have spent those pages delving into the history of the Returners and delving into the relationships between Will and those who have known him in his past lives.

Another opportunity lost was the potential for Will to explore his own sanity as part of the journey to recognition. What readers ended up seeing was the same scene (Will being followed, Will worrying he's losing his mind) over and over again. It wasn't just repetitive it was off putting. I ultimately ended up skimming some passages as I already read what was said and done in scenes prior.

When we finally did get to the meat of the story, the struggle between good and evil, it was an interesting addition and frankly the biggest strength of the story. Will's determination to not be the person he'd been so many times in so many lives before was palpable. It made him emotional and vulnerable, it made him accessible to the reader, it humanized him. In my estimation this is extremely important in a dystopian novel as the reader is already displaced by time and place. Having something or someone they can relate to in the story keeps them invested so kudos to Malley for making that connection with Will so strong.

In being fair and honest I have to say that this review is likely more a reflection of my expectations of dystopian literature than it is of the book being "bad". Because, when all is said and done, The Returners isn't a bad book, it was just a bad book for me. In an effort to provide a more well rounded perspective of this book I've included links to reviews that may have a different viewpoint than mine. I encourage you to read these as well before determining whether this book is for you.

Will, a fifteen-year-old boy, lives with his father who is a lawyer with political interests. The story is set in 2016 and there are a few flashbacks to 2008. In that year his mother committed suicide.

Will is a loner. Around the age of ten there was Claire, one of his neighbors. They got along very well. During the nighttime - when his father is asleep and Claire gives a signal with her flashlight - Will visits Claire by climbing up a tree that stands close to the window of her bedroom. They listen to music and play video games. It's the only friendship he knows but it won't last. When he starts talking about his psychological problems, Claire is somewhat freaked out and she refuses to see him.

As Will grows older he begins to think that he's paranoid. All kinds of people approach him telling the boy he's is one of 'them' and that he should 'return'. Will is afraid of losing his mind because he thinks that the encounters with these people are hallucinations. One evening he thinks he sees Claire in the garden, but she becomes another person he doesn't recognize. Is this reality or a hallucination?

He can't remember the people who are following him, at least not at first. And when he does, he doesn't like what he remembers.
Will discovers that he has a past far deeper then most and the struggle to break free of the powerful hold that history has on him may well become a struggle for death over life...