Center for Teaching & Learning

To be funny is one thing and to be brilliant is another, but to be funny and brilliant is genius.  This is how I would describe Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.  From the first sentence, I was hooked.  I could also say that this novel is smart, thoughtful, in some ways terrifying, and even beautiful, but I think “genius” sums it up.  This is a story about love and loss, life and death, and the promise of a new beginning.  It’s one that you will love as much as I did.
Cullen Witter and his family live in the small town of Lily, Arkansas.  At first a reader might think that they are just like any other family, but soon unexplainable things begin to happen.  Lily becomes an extreme tourist attraction when the Lazarus Woodpecker, which is supposed to be extinct, is sighted and causes a division of the townspeople. Chaos takes over the Witter residence when Cullen’s younger brother, Gabriel, goes missing, and to make it worse, there are no leads, no witnesses, and no suspects. 
Meanwhile, as confusion engulfs Cullen’s life, eighteen-year-old Benton Sage has become a missionary for his church and begins his college years with his new roommate, Cabot Searcy.  But when Benton commits suicide, Cabot takes over the narrative.  Meanwhile again, in Savannah, a woman named Alma Ember has moved to live with her grandmother, where something happens that will explain everything.  Before you know it, in the most surprising and brilliant way, Cullen’s, Cabot’s, and Alma’s crazy, mixed- up lives will all collide.
Naturally, I love a story that makes me turn pages as fast as I can, but Where Things Come Back was a first for me.  Never have I wanted so badly to know how it was all going to end.  Was Cullen’s mother going to be all right?  What was going on with Alma?  And most importantly, was Gabriel the runaway everyone thinks he is, or has something far more sinister happened?
I read this book in just a couple of days.  I couldn’t put it down, literally.  The realistic characters, amazing dialogue, and fantastic visuals convinced me to rate it a perfect ten out of ten.  Although I can’t say that I’ve ever had a little brother disappear, I was able to put myself in Cullen’s shoes and understand where he was coming from.  Whaley made me a part of his life; I could feel his anger and frustration and his longing for Gabriel.  In one part, Cullen picks up his notebook and writes: “If I had a gun, I would shoot the Lazarus Woodpecker in the face.”
The narrative voice in Cullen’s sections is first person, whereas it turns to third for Cabot and Alma.  This way, the reader can know that the main focus is always supposed to be on Cullen.
Whaley created what was possibly the most vivid movie ever inside my head.  I won’t hesitate to read this novel again.  In my opinion, the ending is the best part of the book.  From the first page, I laughed and cried along with the characters that I so quickly grew to love. This is a beautiful story with beautiful characters.  If you read Where Things Come Back, I guarantee, you will love it just as I did.
Lilly