Parents' Guide to

Where Things Come Back

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Unsettling tale of teen's small-town life is good but dark.

Book John Corey Whaley Coming of Age 2011
Where Things Come Back Poster Image

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What's the Story?

Normal dull life in Lily, AR, is thrown into chaos by the alleged sighting of a long-extinct woodpecker, bringing hordes of media, tourists, and local enterprise. Seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter is dealing with this newfound chaos, a host of adolescent issues, and his ne'er-do-well cousin's death from an overdose when his younger brother inexplicably disappears and his family starts falling apart. Meanwhile, in another time and place, a young missionary has a crisis of faith that will have a fateful impact on these events. Intertwined with all this: Cullen's lively fantasy life, often involving zombies and the woodpecker; also obscure religious texts and song lyrics.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

WHERE THINGS COME BACK is something of a critics' darling -- for good reason, as the quality of writing is well above that of most YA fiction. But it may be overly literary for some teens, who may wish the author would get on with the plot already. Parents may well blanch at the levels of profanity and violence, as well as the overall level of darkness. However, new author Whaley's ability to absolutely nail interesting aspects of human behavior makes it quite memorable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the disappearance of a family member affects everyone else in the family. Do you agree with what Cullen says, that what people most want in that situation is to be treated normally?

  • Gabriel's disappearance gets hardly any attention from the police and the media because everyone's hysterical over woodpecker sightings and the influx of tourists into town. Do you think that would happen in real life?

  • Has your town ever had a fad that made it go completely silly?

  • What do you think about small-town life? Dead end, or a safe, comfortable place to be?

Book Details

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