Module 5: Where Things Come Back

SLIS 5420/ Module 5/ February 11-17
Where Things Come Back
By John Corey Whaley

Bibliography: Whaley, J. C. (2011). Where things come back. New York, NY: Atheneum Books For Young Readers.

Summary:
Where Things Come Back takes place in the small town of Lily, Arkansas. Cullen Witter is a stereotypical teenager, bored and pessimistic about just about everything. The only people he can stand to put up with are his only friend Lucas Cader and his younger brother Gabriel. Like many teenage boys he dreams about the girl, Ada Taylor, that he thinks he can never get. But when his brother disappears without a trace during the summer his life  is changed drastically. This event also coincides with the appearance in Lily of a long thought extinct woodpecker. While bird enthusiasts flood to Lily and the town embraces its newest attraction Cullen just wants everything to go back to normal. At the same time the sad stories of Benton the missionary who has lost his faith and Cabot Searcy his roommate are woven into the fabric of the narrative. Transforming what could have been a simple kidnapping tale into a heady book about destiny, love, hope, and transformation.

Impressions:
I was surprised by how much I was affected by this book. The disappearance of Gabriel Witter seems like something out of an episode of Dateline and the reader despairs along with Cullen of ever finding news of his brother Gabriel. I enjoyed the quirk of Cullen's character in which he constantly thinks of book titles and writes them in a notebook, while at the same time never actually turning any of them into a book. Each chapter is named after one of his books and really sets the stage for what is to come. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of the town of Lily's overwhelming enthusiasm for a never seen woodpecker against Cullen's own personal tragedy and the complete implosion of his family. The ending of the book is open to interpretation which could frustrate some younger readers looking for more resolution. But the overall reading experience is rewarding.

Review:
Booklist
An answer to complaints about simplistic YA problem fiction, this debut novel, set in Lily, Arkansas, takes on the whole small town with alternating viewpoints, beginning with the first-person narrative of Cullen, 17, and moving on to a huge cast of friends, enemies, family members, lovers, and neighbors. In a parallel plotline, Benton, 18, fails as a missionary in Ethiopia ( passing out food, water, and Christ ) and, after returning to college in the U.S., commits suicide, setting off a chain of interconnected, unexpected events. 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. Whaley's numerous themes range from religion to Internet technology to the environment, and a wry subplot about the so-called sighting of a long-extinct Lazarus woodpecker brings levity, as Lily's residents try to capitalize on the new tourist trade with creations such as th. Lazarus burger. An intriguing, memorable offering teens will want to discuss.--Rochman, Haze. Copyright 2010 Booklist
 Library Setting:
I can see this book being used in a classroom library setting. It would do well as a discussion book for small groups to read together in a reading class or English class. The themes of growing up, hope, despair, and transformation have the potential for an interesting discussion. The readers could discuss how the different narrators stories are woven together and whether the ending brings enough closure to Cullen Witter's story.

Review Reference: R.R. Bowker LLC. (2012). Books in print: Where things come back. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:4442/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|31604362|31021800&mc=USA
Image: http://www.granitemedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/wherethingscomeback.jpg