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Community comment are the opinions of contributing users. These comment do not represent the opinions of Strathcona County Library.
Sep 04, 2014
Where Things Come Back is a beautifully bizarre novel filled with first loves, obsessions, and tales of an extinct woodpecker. Cullen Witter, this novel’s protagonist is a seventeen year old boy who can’t wait to get of his small and seemingly uninteresting hometown of Lily, Arkansas. But after his cousin Oslo overdoses, Cullen’s knowledge of his town, family, and himself, disappear completely. The whole town suddenly takes a large interest in the suspected return of an extinct woodpecker, dedicating haircuts and burgers to the creature. This annoyed Cullen, and he would usually seek the words of his abnormally wise younger brother Gabriel to explain all the madness. But devastatingly, his smart sibling had somehow disappeared out of plain sight. This starts Cullen’s process of dealing with a missing sibling, and the uncertainty that comes with it. Meanwhile Benton Sage, a missionary in Africa, sets out on a search for faith in his hardest times. As the novel goes on, Cullen and Benton’s stories intertwine seamlessly to form an unexpected, thrilling, and satisfying ending. John Corey Whaley writes humor, wisdom, angst and sophistication into the voice of a seventeen year old. His poetic style can be compared to no other, and every character’s tale is crafted beautifully. As for the title, I feel like it speaks for itself. A reappearing woodpecker, the hope for a returned boy, and many returned loves and feelings. This novel, a surprising masterpiece from start to finish, features a town full of those things that can only be known as one thing: the town where things come back.