where things come back by john corey whaley


It's the summer before his senior year, and Cullen Witter is bored to death in a painfully dull Arkansas town. Things get exciting when a Lazarus Woodpecker, supposedly extinct, is spotted in a copse of trees near town. The buzz of this discovery serves as the back drop for two deaths (a close cousin overdoses, a young man jumps to his death) and the inexplicable disappearance of Cullen's beloved younger brother, Gabriel. As Cullen and his parents move through the early phases of grief, alternating between dispair and hope, Benton Sage, a young missionary in Africa, has a crisis of faith, and his suicide is the catalyst that spurs his college roommate into a series of actions that bring the story back to Gabriel's disappearance. At first, it is hard to imagine the two stories intersecting, but JW brings all the disparate pieces together in a satisfying and surprising ending. Cullen is a loveable character with a refined sense of humor, and readers who enjoy complex male leads (a la John Green) will not be disappointed. Give this to fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Spectacular Now, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Click here for John Corey Whaley's website and the book trailer. Grade 8+

Popular posts from this blog

the game of love and death by martha brockenbrough

Image
A brilliant, beguiling and beautiful book set in Depression-era Seattle in the 1930s, TGOLAD tells the at once heartbreaking and hopeful love story of African American chanteuse Flora Saudade and adopted wealthy white boy Henry Bishop. Forever foes Love and Death are playing a game: Flora and Henry are their unknowing pawns. A pitch-perfect Seattle setting, an indelible ensemble cast of characters, and a hefty dose of high-stakes legerdemain all come together in a mesmerizing cacophony that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Ms. Brockenbrough read at the Washington State Book Awards; the notes of her voice floating through the air were every bit as gorgeous as her words on the page. Not to be missed! Click here for a trailer and here for a full review . Grade 8+
Read more

my friend dahmer by derf backderf

Image
A haunting look at what happens when a kid slips through the cracks (which happened to be gaping wide throughout the ubiquitous 'hands-off-I'm-too-busy-having-a-breakdown/affair/addiction/vision" parenting style of the 70s and 80s). Most of us remember Jeffrey Dahmer as the guy who ate people, but Derf Backderf knew him as the guy who entertained his classmates with an ongoing and entertaining schtick (imitating his mother's seizures), the guy who didn't quite fit in yet maintained a bizarre celebrity status (including his own club), and, eventually, the guy who could finish a six-pack in mere seconds and always had a bottle at the ready to drown out the darkness at home and in his head. Backderf masterfully crafts a thoroughly researched cautionary and poignant tale of a lost young man without glossing over details or over sympathizing. Don't miss it - and pair it with Jeff Jensen's Green River Killer for more graphic serial killer memoir. Click here fo
Read more

Hold Still by Nina Lacour

Image
Nina Lacour has created a haunting, beautiful, and ultimately realistic depiction of what it's like to live through a best friend's suicide. Caitlin is angry, sad, and guilty after her closest friend Ingrid kills herself. Finding Ingrid's journal under her bed gives her a glimpse of what Ingrid was going through, allows her to move past self-blame and, in the end, let go of Ingrid. The Bay Area setting, well-developed supporting characters, and Mia Nolting's illustrations make this a special book. Check out the trailer on Lacour's website . Give it to fans of Garret Freyman-Weyr and John Green. Grade 8+
Read more