The Returned

A Novel

De: Jason Mott

Narrado por: 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.

Written for believers to understand the departed

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

Top 10

What did you like best about this story?

The way it was presented

What about Tom Stechschulte’s performance did you like?

His voice is enthralling

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes. The author's notes at the end.

Any additional comments?

I read the book with no emotions and wondering why the author had taken the time to write it and wondering if I should return it for credit. At the very end I was in tears as I realized that this same situation happened to my departed mother. This book made me understand why, as a child, I had felt unloved by my mother. My brother drowned when I was six months old and my mother first blamed my older brother then must have blamed all her children as she seemed unable to love us. I can now forgive her for this although she has been gone for some years. I love you Mom and can now forgive you.

Was sucked in immediately

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended this book to friends and I will continue to do so. This book is not only a captivating book to listen to, it opens your mind to so many other possibilities about life, death and the human condition.

What other book might you compare The Returned to and why?

I have never read or listened to another book like tis one. It is a very unique story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't think that I could choose any one part of this book to be my favorite. Every chapeter brought something new and something honest and deep with it.

Who was the most memorable character of The Returned and why?

The father I believe was the most memorable in my mind. The way he said one thing yet his actions were a complete contrast to that.

Interesting Story

I got a copy of this book from the author/publisher at BEA13. Yes I know! That was one month shy of a year ago and I am just now getting to it. Well the audiobook at least.
The story of all stories starts with a little boy found in the rice paddies of China being returned to his family in the states. The story twist, the OMG of it all is that this boy has been not missing but dead for 40 years and he is the same age as when he died. Eight year old Jacob remembers nothing of the time he has been gone, only waking up in China. To him no time has passed and nothing unusual has happened. Jacob is not the only one. There are hundreds of people just waking up in the most random places with no memory of what has happened to them. They all say they just woke up. The dead or coming back and they all are trying to get back to their loved one.
I love this story idea. I have said it before I am a sucker for an original story idea. This is not a "Night of the Living Dead" book at all. It is more like people just reconnecting with the ones they love(d). There are several storylines and families in this book but Jacob's parents -Harold and Lucille are the main focus. I love the way their love and reconnection of their family builds and grows as Jacob's life touches them both in completely different ways. No absent YA parents here. They have been married forever.
Could you image seeing your son after he has been dead and buried for more than 40 years? You have worked as much as you could through the grieving process. You have moved forward with your life and WHAM!! He's back and looks the same as when you saw him last.
I really like this book but it was not a solid like until I got to the author's notes at the end. The book does not give a explanation as to why this is happening all over the world. The reactions of the population I can see really happening but I needed a bit more. The author's notes give the reader an answer to the why? But the question is ...What made him write this novel? What a touching answer.
Please read the prequels before jumping into this novel. The prequels are great.

Wow

Not the biggest fan of the format of each chapter telling a story and then putting someone else’s story on the very end of it but it was so gripping nonetheless. This was such an amazing and unique story… it made me wish I had the opportunity to say goodbye to my loved ones. The prologue was so beautiful. Read this book.

Interesting Premise

This was one of those books that I needed to finish in order to appreciate the entire story. I had read the several free prequels and thought the book would explore all of those stories in more detail. This was not the case, and initially I was put off by that. As the story developed, I found I liked it. I particularly liked to read it in the context of how fear of people who are different than the majority are treated. There were many parallels to civil rights issues in today's society. Not sure I will need to follow the tv series however, but I imagine it will translate well to that medium.