The Homecoming

By: Alan Russell

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Seven years ago, young Stella Pierce vanished from the face of the earth. Now her grieving, broken family - along with Detective Orson Cheever, who never stopped working her case - is stunned by her mysterious return.

The now-teenage girl claims to have spent her missing years in the company of Travelers - extraterrestrial nomads - voyaging through space.

Despite her family's effort to keep Stella's incredible tale secret, the story becomes a national sensation. Most people want to discount her story, saying it's the result of trauma; only Detective Cheever seems to want the same thing Stella does: the truth.

The enigmatic Stella finds herself in the eye of the storm while vying forces - some visible and some not - swirl around her. Is it her tale that is incredible, or is it Stella? As new questions surrounding the girl gain terrifying urgency, Cheever learns that there is nothing - and no one - he can trust.

©2017 Alan Russell (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

You will either love or loathe this novel!

There really is little risk of anything other than a strong reaction. Audible classifies The Homecoming as a psychological thriller. It really is not a thriller at all, and the mystery is tied up with the science fiction in the book. I prefer to see it as contemporary teen/YA sci-fi. That it is science fiction is really beyond doubt. In any case, listeners who strongly prefer mystery/thriller novels including psychological thrillers are very unlikely to like The Homecoming.

The Homecoming grabbed me from the first chapter and never let go. Luke Daniels does a great job of narration, but there is a section near the end of this novel that would have benefited from a female co-narrator with a teen voice; Katherine Kellgren or Orlagh Cassidy with their voice range and capability with accents would be ideal.

I recommend The Homecoming ONLY for those who like contemporary sci-fi of the teen/YA type. Lovers of psychological thrillers likely should look elsewhere.

A Weak Offering

Even Luke Daniels' amazing narration can't save the poorly plotted, largely aimless mess that is this novel. There are so many generic and forgettable characters in this story that are more archetypes or cliches than actually realized entities.

This book feels entirely too much like a stream of consciousness offering where the author had an idea but no real methodology for getting from points A to B to C within the narrative. I tend to be pretty liberal with my five star ratings but this one missed the mark by a mile.

Anticlimactic ending

The storyline was engaging. However the plot unraveled toward the end and left me feeling dissatisfied with the conclusion.

Fast Paced Thrill

What did you love best about The Homecoming?

I have read several of Mr. Russell's books and this one is right in line with the rest of his works. The characters are built very well and the story does not lag at any point. This would be a good starting point for readers who are unfamiliar with his other novels.

What did you like best about this story?

There are several twists that kept me engaged. My predictions were way off base and I could not put the book down.

What about Luke Daniels’s performance did you like?

Solid reader for the most part.

Enjoy the mystery

Truly enjoyed this book. The narrator I'm coming to love his voice in several books I've listened to. But the story was truly worth the listen/read. I'm a believer and know that there is the mystery of our universe we cannot comprehend. Good job Mr. Russell.

This Book.....Wonderful

Didn't think I would, but I loved it!! Great book and great narration!
Read This!

Thought provoking!

Excellent read that leaves you hanging. Will make you feel all manner of emotions and wanting to discuss this read with others !

Excellent story

What an intriguing story with wonderful characters and a story that makes you think and yet is inspiring and scary and happy and sad. The full gambit of things. I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone!

Russell hits another homerun with The Homecoming

A compelling and thought-provoking read. This author never disappoints! You will want to listen straight through.

Avoid this one...

What would have made The Homecoming better?

First off, this was an Audible Daily Deal, so I should've known that I was getting what I paid for. However, I also got "It" on sale - and that's one of the best books ever written of all time. So, I figured I would take a chance.

This book starts decent enough with an interesting concept. A girl goes missing, and years later, she returns claiming she was abducted by aliens. This was a novel made up of conflicting genres. It was a poorly executed attempt at alien science fiction, young adult, and a political/special ops thriller.

The author had a poor grasp on how teenagers interact and focused poorly on minutiae about teenage life.

He attempted to create a political intrigue subplot, with "Wizard of the Oz" references that got abandoned at the end without any explanation. They were pointless characters that served no end.

The culmination of the science fiction/alien angle was executed poorly and ultimately made no sense.

There were pointless plot holes and plot threads that lead nowhere and were abandoned without care.

All in all, the book was sloppy and wasn't enjoyable.

What could Alan Russell have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More focus. Better writing.

What didn’t you like about Luke Daniels’s performance?

He was bland.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

Seriously, save yourself some time. I'm all about genre mashups that are unique and different. This one was a bunch of different plots and characters and genres thrown into a blender...and he couldn't even make them work together.

A Captivating Story.

One of the best books I have listened to so far this year! A very unpredictable storyline that captivates from the first chapter.
As usual, excellently narrated by Luke Daniels - one of my favourites from the US.
A story suitable for old grannies (like me) to teenagers.