Where Things Come Back
Written by John Corey Whaley
About Cullen Witter
Cullen Witter was just a lonely, outcasted 17 year-old, from the small town of Lily, Arkansas, that didn't really have much in his life other than his family and his one 'friend', Lucas Cader. Lucas was the kid that everyone liked, but he never seemed to care. He was just the perfect guy for Cullen to walk around the halls with without getting the feeling that someone might knock over his books or beat him up. Cullen also didnt have to be the tough, older brother to his younger brother, Gabriel, because Lucas had that all covered as well. Lucas was more of a security guard to Cullen than his actual friend, but that was merely just an act for school and other public places. Cullen wasn't all that shy around Lucas outside of school, they were practically best friends, all three of them actually. But this trio had been suddenly split when one of the three had been kidnapped and one thing led to another and something so unexpected happens that no one could've ever imagined...
Don't we all deserve a second chance?
In this book, "second chances" was one of the main themes that I had noticed. This theme connects to many parts of this book, including the rare Lazarus Woodpecker. Although this particular bird doesn't individually mean much in the book, but what it symbolizes and the timing that it appeared in the lives of people living in Lily. I think that the woodpecker is symbolizing hope for a change in the town of Lily. Since this small town is so unknown, this extinct woodpecker would've brought Lily so many new tourists and other citizens to live in the area. Except, the bird had been a completely different species of birds, which then created even more dismay and a lack of hope for their lives to change in any way. Which leads to another half of the story consisting of a woman named Alma Ember and her Husband Cabot Searcy. Cabot has been trying to rekindle things between the two of them by traveling to Lily to find Alma, but he finds himself commiting a crime that wasn't even supposed to happen. It seems to me that once you go to Lily, you never leave without a fight. So with this being said, Lily is where you go for second chances, but never realize what this town may have in store for you.
Recommendation? I think so!
"Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley, is definetely a book that I would pick up and read again. I love how almost every part leaves you at a mysterious cliff hanger, and just leaves wanting to read more and more. This book really requires someone who can stick to a book with a slow beginning. The book really comes together as a whole when the two stories merge into one another. I love Whaley's writing style, how he had completely different characters in different stories, but in the end it all made sense when their lives collided. I also liked his use of different literary elements such as imagery, figurative language, and foreshadowing. One main part of when he used foreshadowing was how Cullen and Cabot's lives met. The entire story was practically foreshadowing up to the moment when their lives came together. I would absolutely recommend this book to other people because it's a very great read and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I would recommend this book to people who just plain and simply love to read and have patience while reading since this book gets very interesting towards the mid-section of the book. Overall, "Where Things Come Back" is a book that any teenager or adult would like, no, LOVE to experience.