The Returned

A Novel

By: Jason Mott

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

"Jacob was time out of sync, time more perfect than it had been. He was life the way it was supposed to be all those years ago. That's what all the Returned were."

Harold and Lucille Hargrave's lives have been both joyful and sorrowful in the decades since their only son, Jacob, died tragically at his eighth birthday party in 1966. In their old age they've settled comfortably into life without him, their wounds healed through the grace of time.... Until one day Jacob mysteriously appears on their doorstep - flesh and blood, their sweet, precocious child, still eight years old.

All over the world people's loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows how or why this is happening, whether it's a miracle or a sign of the end. Not even Harold and Lucille can agree on whether the boy is real or a wondrous imitation, but one thing they know for sure: he's their son. As chaos erupts around the globe, the newly reunited Hargraves find themselves at the center of a community on the brink of collapse, forced to navigate a mysterious new reality and a conflict that threatens to unravel the very meaning of what it is to be human.

With spare, elegant prose and searing emotional depth, Jason Mott explores timeless questions of faith and morality, love and responsibility. A spellbinding and stunning debut, The Returned is an unforgettable story that marks the arrival of an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

©2013 Jason Mott (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

I wanted to like it but...

What did you like best about The Returned? What did you like least?

I liked the concept and I'm a huge Tom Stechschulte fan. The 3 preview stories grabbed my interest. However, this book fell short. It just didn't go anywhere very exciting and the characters weren't that interesting.

could have been better but great message

I think for me this book left a lot of open questions. I started this with the first 3 prequel books which left me in suspension. I pre-ordered this book with hopes of continuing the story(s) from those short stories and answer a lot of the questions I felt at the time must have been saved for the full title. I was left with a lot more to be desired. Dont get me wrong the book is well written and flows together just fine, its just I wanted more out of it. I felt there could have been more easily added that could have made this book not only good but shine.

The author leaves you with a great message about love, memories and regret which is in itself worth it. I felt the ending was rushed however surprisingly satisfied once it was all said and done.

There is far more going on here than just a bunch of resurrections. This will open your mind to thinking about how you would feel, what you would do, and what you would experience if you had one more chance.

All in all The Returned is definitely worth the read/listen regardless of your belief in God.

WOW...can this ever be true?

I listened to the first 3 previews...they grabbed me. So I bought the book. Not exactly what I had hoped for but a deep thought provoking novel. The narrator was good. He kept me interested in what he was reading.
Good job Jason.

Loved it

Where does The Returned rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Gets you thinking about losses you've have and if you never had them lost again

It Was Okay

I really liked the brief television series based on this book.

Interesting premise and characters with an unexplained supernatural twist.

There are some plot holes that make the reader draw their own conclusions.