The Returned

A Novel

By: Jason Mott

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

"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.

really wanted to like it

Is there anything you would change about this book?

the story was okay but it began to feel like the author was trying to teach me a lesson and i wanted entertainment.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

this could have been a series and taken many different turns, but it didnt and after awhile it was depressing.

Have you listened to any of Tom Stechschulte’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no, he wasnt bad but I think the story was my main problem

Was The Returned worth the listening time?

not really, i did not even finish listening, it became a drag to listen to

Thought Provoking

I didn’t want this book to end, it made me think of all my family who have passed away. My grandmother was 1 of 13 children and my mother was 1of 7 so we have a very large family. The only downside with having 50 plus cousins is at some point people start dying. Accidents, disease and falling into the wrong crowd happen and with that comes death. For fifteen years we lost on average one family member per year. For the most part, it was due to old age and disease.

When I read this book I thought about seeing some of my family again as the characters in the book. They only returned for a short time, just long enough for their families to visit with them for a few days or so and say goodbye. For some, it was a few weeks at the most I guess but at some point, they all left again. There was nothing different about the ones who returned, they weren’t evil they’d just returned. Some people were afraid of them and thought they were demons because they didn’t stay dead. The returned didn’t have a memory of dying or any knowledge of where they were for the time they were gone.  This book was thought-provoking and a real conversation piece and I really enjoyed it. 

You'd Want to Return It

Positive reviews in Entertainment Weekly magazine always spark my interest to listen to said book on Audible. Usually spot on, not so for this one. The overall idea of the dead coming back at the same age, suspended in time, yet in the future is intriguing. If you watched "The 4400" on the USA Network in years past, you won't be surprised by the idea, but the two cannot compare. I cared about those characters and wanted to walk away from the farmer, his wife, and Jacob, but stayed for a visit waiting for some dramatic or even mildly interesting explanation that never came to pass.

Plodding along, "The Returned" introduces a newish idea and causes us to question our prejudices along with how society treats those who are different from the norm. I did enjoy the repartee between the farmer and man from the bureau. Mott is a good writer; story just sluggish and unsatisfying. Save your credit for another book.

I kept waiting for it to get going

What was most disappointing about Jason Mott’s story?

It seemed to drag on and was rather anti-climactic. I found myself getting excited for the next turn of events, only to be disappointed by the story losing it's momentum.

Which character – as performed by Tom Stechschulte – was your favorite?

Harold

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. I was intrigued at the beginning as it reminded me of a Stephen King novel, but fell short of my expectations.

Never went anywhere.

Would you try another book from Jason Mott and/or Tom Stechschulte?

I kept waiting for a proper answer, or a conclusion, but it never came.

MEANT FOR THERAPY - not sci-fi enough

POSSIBLE SPOILER: Its not aliens... Its not demonic... Its not magic... Its not time travel... Its not the end times... Its not even addressed! Why are dead people returning? WE NEVER FIND OUT! This has a really cool premise and could have really been fun to explore, yet the authors note at the end explains the purpose of the book: THERAPY. So, after 10 hours of hoping, I reached the end with not one shred of venture into why all this happened. It was a complete let down. In my mind, a real SCI-FI novel plunges into the questions with explanations... however unrealistic and sometimes corny they might be. Nothing here. The most interesting thing was the ramifications of thousands upon thousands of additional people thrust on small town population. Pass on this one. I hope this helps. Later.

Boring

Cool idea, poorly executed. There was opportunity to explore interesting themes but the author fell disappointingly short. It just wasn't believable and I found myself disconnected and not caring about the story or the characters. The story took time to tell little side stories about various returned but managed to stay surface level with everything. Very anticlimactic and boring. Too bad.

Not My Cup of Tea, But Okay

This was an okay story...it never really grabbed me to truly care about the characters. While I don't mind some sci-fi...again, it never really made me a believer because it was hard to care about or really empathize with the characters.

The TV series is so much better than this book

Would you try another book from Jason Mott and/or Tom Stechschulte?

No I will not try another book from Jason Mott

Has The Returned turned you off from other books in this genre?

No I still like this genre

Would you listen to another book narrated by Tom Stechschulte?

sure

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

this is only the 2nd time that I have thought the movie/tv series is better than the book. I like the TV series so I wanted to read the book. I assumed I would like the book but did not. Do not waste your time with this book. Its not that the book and the TV series does not match its that the book doesn't have much of a story.

Great premise that doesn't payoff

I love the concept of this but didn't like the direction it went. I did like the protagonist couple. Their loving bickering reminded me of my grandparents.