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The Returned
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The Returned
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The Returned
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The Returned

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

The New York Times bestselling debut novel from the author of Hell of a Book

‘Tragic and humorous and terrifying’ Eowyn Ivey, Author of The Snow Child

‘Fantastically readable’ The Times

Lucille Hargrave’s son Jacob has been dead for over forty years. Now he’s standing on her doorstep, still eight years old. Still looking for her to welcome him with open arms.

All over the world people’s loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows how or why, whether it’s a miracle or a sign of the end.

But as chaos erupts around the globe, the newly reunited family finds itself at the center of a community on the brink of collapse, forced to navigate a terrifying new reality.

Their lives will never be the same again.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 1, 2013
ISBN9781472010803
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The Returned
Author

Jason Mott

Jason Mott holds a BA in fiction and an MFA in poetry and is the author of two poetry collections. His writing has appeared in numerous literary journals, and he was nominated for the 2009 Pushcart Prize. Jason lives in North Carolina.

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Reviews for The Returned

Rating: 3.3587256808864265 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

361 ratings78 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm going to begin my review with an announcement, a caveat, a warning. The Returned isn't a zombie book. The Returned isn't even about what happens when one dies, nor is it particularly interested in why the dead are Returning to life. It is a literary novel looking into the deepest, darkest corners of human nature, and as such, is far more concerned with the living than it ever is with the Returned.The haunting premise of The Returned pulled me in the moment I first heard about it at a Harlequin event. Gorgeously written and realised, this book explores humanity in a way that I've never seen before: it explores what happens when the one certainty in life, death, suddenly becomes a lot less certain. How would you, as an individual, deal with it? How would your community, your country, the whole world, deal with the Returned?Jason Mott tackles the issue on a variety of levels: firstly with Harold and Lucille, and then with their small-town community of Arcadia, and finally with the whole of America and the rest of the world. The same confusion, desperation and fear are examined at these different levels, and one of the most interesting things the author proposes is that, while people are nice on an individual-by-individual basic, there is some number, some critical mass, after which we group together and discriminate against what's different.I love how the author examines this through Arcadia. This is one of those towns where everyone says sir and ma'am, where there's one major road and two traffic lights, where the same families have lived for generations, where there are no secrets. When the Returned first appear, the people predictably turn to their pastor for guidance and support, and they stay calm because he preaches acceptance and patience. But the longer they go without answers, the more agitated the townspeople become, and the Return of the Wilsons, a family who was murdered in the past, unearths deep prejudices, fears and secrets and threatens to tear the community apart.Mott uses a cast of relatable, dimensional characters to tell this story, including a FBI agent stationed in Arcadia and other inhabitants of the small town. Peppered throughout are short glimpses of what's going on in other areas of the country and other parts of the world. Taken together with the emotional story of the newly reunited Hargrave family, they paint a picture of a world struggling to accept the new reality it finds itself in.I love the story-telling style that the author has chosen, it's vivid and lyrical and enthralled me easily. The book is carefully and simply told, and one gets the feeling that every word, every sentence, is carefully measured and thought out. I think The Returned is exceptionally well told - it's a literary novel, and aside from the premise, there's not an iota of speculative fiction within it, which I really enjoyed because it made me think very hard about the things I've taken for granted for my whole life.A beautifully told, richly imagined novel, The Returned isn't the book to turn to if you're looking for an apocalypse, for a fight for survival against zombies in horrendous conditions, for guns and blood and hunger and desperation. However if you're interested in a deep but gentle exposition that looks into human nature, with the most interesting premise I have ever had the pleasure to read about, then The Returned is perfect for you!A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A few months ago, I met up with Leah @ Books Speak Volumes and Shannon @ River City Reading. And not only was I happy to meet up with them and explore the Fountain Bookstore, Leah surprised Shannon & I with a bookish gift!Leah passed on The Returned by Jason Mott, and after hearing so much about it, I just had to read it.One of the first things I noticed about The Returned was how familiar it felt. Why was it familiar? I googled it, and while it’s being made into a TV show and there have been other TV shows about it, there’s nothing I connected with. Until a fabulous Twitter user mentioned that Stephen King had written a story called Sometimes They Come Back, which is in one of his short story anthologies (Night Shift).For the full review, visit Love at First Book
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In its way this is a sad tale. What would happen if loved ones, who had passed away, suddenly came back. The way they were before their death. What would you tell them? What would you do to keep them with you? For me the Returned acted as though they had unfinished business to complete. The difference being they are “alive” instead of being spirits. They have all the weaknesses of regular living people. They can die “again”. Worth reading. Just don’t be expecting answers or reasons for any of the happenings.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    So, the concept of The Returned is really interesting. It's actually the reason I chose to read this book in the first place. Imagine if the dead came back. Not as zombies, but as living, breathing people. Just the same as the way they were when they died. As the dead come back, what happens to the lives of the people who lost them? That's what The Returned tackles, just not quite the way I expected.

    What I was really hoping for here was a look at the way society can break apart in the face of something so big, and slowly start to deal with it. What I was given, was something a lot more flat than that. Despite everything, I never really felt connected to any of these characters. I think that if I had more knowledge of who the Returned were, why they came back, what their purpose was, I might have been more invested. Instead, everything was so vague. People come back, society tries to deal with them, they go away. End of story.

    I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from this book. It was a quick enough read, but not something that every really grasped me. I think this was at one point a tv show? Or going to be a tv show? Maybe that would be a better medium, with more time to build things from the ground up. As for this book, I wasn't convinced.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Super good anti-zombie book. What would REALLY happen if people started coming back from the dead? The focus on one family w excerpts from news around the world makes this v compelling.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    there are now primary story in this book, no bold content
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I started this book I was not sure if I would like it but on I continued and got into one of the most fascinating books
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one thought provoking novel. Just imagine sitting in your living room and hearing a knock on the door. When you open it you see a government official and your 8 year old son who died 30 years ago. He is one of The Returned - dead people suddenly popping up all over world but no one knows how or why they are Returning. Are they human? If not, what are they?As more and more people Return the government scrambles to handle them and finally makes the decision to intern them "for their safety." But soon there are too many for the camps to hold and some of the living do not behave well. All the while the reader is given snippets of the lives of various Returnees who are just as confused.If you think of what might happen if the dead started coming back just imagine how it could cause consternation; the Returned have their memories so if they were murdered there are people who would now be afraid of discovery. There would be abusers in fear of being called out. Add guilt to the fear of the unknown and you have a world in total confusion. Mix in some Biblical end times and you have a novel that keeps you reading until the very end. Do you get all the answers? No, but you get a ripping good read with characters that are both distant and close, intense and cold. This is a book I'll read again for I suspect it will be a different book at a different time.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I listened to both this book and the three short story prequels that went along with it. The prequels really intrigued me. I loved them and could wait to get more. We got a little bit of that feeling in The Returned but it was drug out a lot more and the story got fleshed out a lot. I thought the characters of Harold and Lucille were well developed. In truth, I think that what The Returned is - a story about characters because there's not a lot of plot. But what characters they are. I enjoyed it a lot.

    Tom Stechschulte is a great narrator. I don't recall ever listening to any of his work before but I think he was terrific here and he will be a definite selling point on future audiobooks.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the decades since their 8-year-old son’s tragic drowning, Harold and Lucille Hargrave have learned to cope with their pain. Although the death of their only child created an unfillable hole in their marriage, they have moved on and settled into a mostly comfortable life. However, old wounds are reopened when Jacob, their son, turns up on their doorstep looking exactly as he did on the day he died.Such occurrences have been happening all over the world. People who had died are returning to life, popping up in unexpected places. It’s clear that they are not zombies, but no one can agree what exactly they are or what should be done with them. This phenomenon becomes so common that an organization called The International Bureau of the Returned is formed to handle the formerly dead.When a man from the Bureau returns Jacob to his parents, who are now in their 70s, they are conflicted about their feelings. Lucille sees his second chance at life as a miracle and is thrilled to have her son restored to her, but Harold is unnerved by Jacob’s sudden appearance. The boy’s been dead for nearly 50 years; surely the child standing before Harold with all of Jacob’s memories can’t really be his son?The small, rural Southern town where the Hargraves live becomes somewhat of a hotspot for the Returned, and their presence causes a host of problems. Old tensions resurface as the town is confronted with the reminder of an unsolved mystery, and residents are divided by their convictions about what should be done with the Returned.The concept behind this novel is a fascinating one; we often wish lost loved ones could be returned to us, but how would we feel if they actually were? What would the greater ramifications be if dead people began coming back to life? However, I thought the execution was lacking. I was left with far too many questions for this novel to really be satisfying. I don’t need to know why the dead returned (because I think that if this really happened, we would have no idea), but I wanted to know more about their experiences. What’s the last thing the remember before returning? How do they feel about being returned? Do they see everything as it was before, or how do they so easily accept the massive changes that have occurred since their deaths? What do they want from their second shot at life? Not enough questions were answered.That said, Mott does a great job of evoking the setting of the close-knit town of Arcadia, and I liked the way he builds characters. I would have liked to know more about Harold and Lucille’s life since Jacob died, but I loved the way Mott slowly spins backstories that make some of his secondary characters come to life.I also really enjoyed how the main story is interspersed with short vignettes written from the point of view of different Returned people. Many of them were touching, sad, or warm, and I loved being able to read about the experiences of the Returned.All in all, this book has a great concept, but it left me with a lot of unanswered questions. It’s an easy book to become quickly absorbed in, and I would recommend it to readers who enjoyed The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker and The Leftovers by Tom Perotta.Read the full review at Books Speak Volumes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Touching, enrapturing, but a little long. What happens after death? What would happen if your loved ones returned? Would it be good if they did?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The dead are returning. They're not ghosts, not zombies, just our departed loved ones -- or perhaps reasonable copies thereof? -- suddenly reappearing, all over the world. One of the Returned is Jacob, an eight-year-old boy who died fifty years ago and is suddenly once again part of the lives of his now-elderly parents, who'd thought they'd lost him forever.It's a fantastic premise for a novel, and I was eagerly looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, the execution disappointed me greatly. There were, perhaps, tiny hints here and there of the book it could have been -- something subtle and deeply emotionally complicated and full of a sense of the mysteries of life and death and love -- but it just never quite got there for me, and I found that terribly frustrating.I think a big part of the problem is that I just never found any of the characters emotionally convincing. For example, the boy's mother, Lucille, is deeply religious and starts off the novel ranting about how the Returned are tools of Satan and a sign of the End Times, only to immediately do a one-eighty and declare her no-longer-dead child a miracle sent by God when he shows up on her doorstep. Now, that's not a change of heart that's hard to believe in, but the problem is that we're never given any sense of what's going on in her mind as that happens, or how she justifies it to herself (or fails to), or how it feels in any really deep way. Even though we spend a lot of time in that character's head throughout the course of the novel. And she's not the only one I felt that way about, either.And then there's the child himself. I think my sense of unease about this story really started when he shows up after having been dead for fifty years and immediately throws himself at his parents yelling "Mommy!' and "Daddy!", with absolutely no acknowledgment that they've aged so much they should be nearly unrecognizable to him. He's like that through the entire book, too. A hollow, depthless, plot device of a character. Which actually could have worked really well, if there were a sense that we were supposed to find him disturbing and uncanny, or if we were used really, really well as a mirror to reflect his parents' emotions. But if that's what Mott is going for, he doesn't exactly pull it off.Mostly, what the story ends up focusing on is a program put in place by the government to round up the Returned in camps, in part because so many people fear and resent them. But, while we're told about this fear and resentment, the reasons for it never felt particularly well-grounded. And, as social commentary, this storyline feels kind of shallow and over-familiar. I couldn't help thinking, the entire way through, how much better the TV show In the Flesh handled similar themes with actual zombies as the returned-from-the-dead characters.The writing didn't exactly thrill me, either. We'd get paragraphs or pages of slightly artificial-sounding dialog and okay but uninspired prose, then it'd seem like the author would suddenly realize he was supposed to be a "literary" writer and would throw in some odd, fancy turn of phrase or metaphor that, often as not, just would not work. (My favorite: "'Colonel Willis!' Lucille said, calling the man's name like shouting for a tax auditor." I mean... what?)Sigh.Rating: 2.5/5. And, OK, I feel kind of bad about that. It's not an awful book, I guess. I'm probably punishing it simply for not being the book I wanted to read. But, man, it was really, really not the book I wanted to read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    More like a 3.5. It kind of reads like a personal journal fictionalized and wrapped into a different story to find a broader audience. Not perfectly told and not wholly satisfyingly, but worth a read and interesting to think about.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Returned by Jason Mott is a 2013 Harlequin MIRA publication. Usually when I pick up a Harlequin MIRA novel, it's more on the side of contemporary romance or women's fiction. But, I saw this book while thumbing through the Overdrive library books, and will confess I misunderstood what the book was about when I checked it out. I was thinking the story was centered on the return of a missing child who was presumed dead, but this book is nothing at all like that. As the story opens, the reader learns that the dead are returning to earth. Not as ghost or zombies, but seemingly as real people. The catch is that they are the age they were when they died. So, when Jason shows up at his parent's home, he is still just a child, the same age he was when he died. Naturally, people are freaking out over this phenomenon, thinking it indicates the world is about to end, or suspicious about the returned, thinking they can't possibly be the actual person who died. In the midst of this fear and panic, people respond as they often do by taking extreme measures to ensure their sense of safety. But, as we shall see, the story is about more than the commentary on human nature, it's also about the fantasy of having a loved one return to us, giving us a chance to recapture what was stolen from us, by their death. The writing style was a bit different and took me some time to adjust to, but once I got accustomed to it, the story seemed to flow nicely with steady pacing and interesting dialogue. It's a very thought provoking and often moving story and I give the author kudos for having such vivid imagination and giving the reader a realistic conclusion to the story that didn't insult my intelligence. Although I can't say this book was my cup of tea, and is not the sort of story I usually go for, it was, I believe written with a sentimental and sweet intention, even if it did leave me feeling a little melancholy at times. It does end on an up swing though, even though we aren't given all the answers to the questions, I think it's more about taking a leap faith and having hope, about grabbing the opportunities you have right now, and holding on to whatever you are given, even if you experience some doubts, and about being thankful for that chance, and making the best of it. Be warned, if you are looking for the usual Harlequin fare, this isn't it, but it was certainly an interesting concept and a fascinating read. I recommend this one to readers of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. 3.5 stars
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    More like a 3.5. It kind of reads like a personal journal fictionalized and wrapped into a different story to find a broader audience. Not perfectly told and not wholly satisfyingly, but worth a read and interesting to think about.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this book very thought provoking; undoubtedly this was due, in part, to the death of my husband two years ago. I kept wondering what I would do if, like the Hargraves, I was I met my husband at the door. Would I want him to return, even for a short time; would I believe it was in fact him? The premise of the story was fascinating but often in the story I was frustrated by the lack of input from the "returned." Do they remember anything at all of the in-between-time? Was Mott simply telling the story from the point of view of those who lost loved ones? I also pondered the theological implications of this event. All in all this was a somewhat disturbing yet captivating book. I thought about the characters and my reaction to the story for many days after finishing. Maybe in the end that is a true sign of a great book. (I was also intrigued by the issue of race in the story; it was subtle but there)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is something like what you'd get if you took a Stephen King book and removed all the gory and scary parts: an interesting if implausible story about a large handful of memorable characters, many of them very faith-driven, being driven to the extremes of their characters by something they don't understand. It's missing something (possibly those gory and scary parts, though I can't be sure), but I enjoyed it well enough. I'd recommend it to people who want Stephen King lite, or who like books like Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The Returned are dead people, back from the grave. They are not scary lurching zombies; as one character puts it, they are more like photocopies. While the phenomena is happening all over the world, the novel's action takes place in a small southern town where officials, threatened by the ever-increasing number of the Returned, round them up into concentration camps.The book didn't click for me, and I'm not sure why. It wasn't eerie enough for my taste. The Returned were mostly bland nonentities, which was obviously part of the point, but made the reading less fun. It could have been a close examination of the emotional crisis of a returning child, except it really wasn't. It could have been a rip-roaring apocalyptic suspense tale, except it really wasn't. It was perhaps too careful? And - for me - a little dull.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Definitely worth the read though I wish it had been longer. the characters were endearing, the plot thought provoking but it didn't seem to go into the details as far as I thought it should. All in all it was a good book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Returned is one of those "what if" stories. What if our long dead friends and family Returned? No, not as zombies but almost exact copies of who they were when they died. Almost. Just imagine...I love this kind of story that leaves you thinking even after then end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An interesting think piece novel. What would happen if the dead started coming back again? While many would be welcomed at first, over time they would begin to crowd out the current living. It reminds people that death allows for new people to come into the world, and if the dead came back, the resources would be stretched. Also, is it murder to kill someone who was already dead? Are they real people, or just photocopies of real people? An interesting premise, and I look forward to other books in what could be an enjoyable series.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    The Returned After watching that awesomely creepy book trailer for The Returned, I knew I had to read this! Unfortunately, for me, the book didn't quite live up to the promise of the trailer. The story is kind of strange, as you would expect from a story about people returning from the dead, but it had the potential to be so much more than it was. The story reminds me of that show from some years back called The 4400 where people that had disappeared and were assumed dead began reappearing the same age they were when they left. This is exactly what happens in The Returned except those returning were definitely dead and buried, yet somehow they are back. Each chapter began with snippets of events throughout the world which highlighted the rising panic, mistrust of the returned, and the worldwide population problem this situation would present. I would have enjoyed seeing this explored further. However, most of the story's focus was on one small town where government authority, anti-government militia, and average citizen on both sides of the problem all come together. It took me over a week to plod through The Returned. One of the things didn't work for me is the same thing that always makes me lose interest in the story, a lack of connection to the characters. The premise was interesting enough, but I needed more than one dimensional characters to pull me into the story and make me feel any kind of way about it. Instead, I felt like I had read a news article discussing what happened with a few quotes from witnesses. I think that if there would have been more "showing" than telling, I could have enjoyed it more. As it was, the delivery was a bit flat, I didn't care about the characters, and so The Returned just didn't work for me. I have heard this was very quickly optioned for a TV series and I am interested to see how that pans out. I think this will translate much better to TV because the actors will be able to breathe life and personality into these characters on screen. Perhaps the right music and dramatic dialog will also add some nuance to what was, for me, a rather colorless story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I like the idea of the book; departed loved ones reappearing. This is not a Zombie/return from the dead novel. I just wish the novel was as exciting as the idea. I didn't really care about any of the characters, and the plot was a bit thin. I will be interested in seeing the new television series that is being made.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Where I got the book: passed on to me by a friend. Well, it was offered at a book club meeting and I POUNCED.In his Author's Note, Jason Mott tells us that the genesis of this novel was a dream in which his deceased mother was sitting at the table waiting for him when he got home--as if she'd never been gone--and they simply talked together about what had happened since her death. I too have had dreams where I engage in quite ordinary activities with long-dead relatives, and I welcome them; it's nice to have a chance to see them again.But supposing they all started coming back?The Returned takes this premise and underplays it beautifully. The focus of the story is Harold and Lucille Hargrave, an elderly couple so far moved on from the death of their son Jacob in 1966, when he was eight years old, that Harold momentarily forgets Jacob's name when he turns up on his doorstep in the company of an agent from the Bureau of the Returned. Their little Southern town of Arcadia becomes a hotspot in the government's attempts to contained the tide of new-again humanity.The Returned come back exactly as they left, with no memory of the space between their death and their new life. The phenomenon is never explained. For some of the True Living, as the never-been-dead come to be known, the return offers healing, reconciliation or the chance to settle unanswered questions about what a relationship really meant. For the rest of the True Living the Returned present a threat as they turn up in ever-increasing numbers, putting pressure on land and resources that the living regard as theirs.How could I resist this premise? And I loved the way Mott handled the story; completely believable, never predictable. Harold, Lucille and Jacob are beautifully drawn and the writing is superb and at times very moving. Lucille is religious but Harold is not--not since Jacob's death--allowing the author to explore different sides of the mystery of death. I loved both characters with their cantankerous old-people opinions overlaying the people they were before Jacob's death; that sense of an older person's body somehow containing the younger you was rendered very poignantly.Often I'll start a book with a great premise only to have the author disappoint me by the end, but it didn't happen here. I've been looking forward to reading this since I first heard about it and it was worth the wait.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    For me the story fell apart when the Returned were collected into camps. It was a little too reminiscent of the Holocaust to me. I liked the beginning of the story and found myself thinking of many questions that I wanted the answers to. You won't find those answers here. Much of the story is left open to your own interpretation. It is clear that Mott is a good writer and his work is dripping with emotion. I just didn't like where the story went toward the center of the book. I didn't really like the ending. I did appreciate that the author added notes at the end that helped explain his motivation for writing the story. Sadly I still didn't like the story. The Returned characters were all interesting, but there wasn't enough about any of them to actually flesh out their stories. I was left feeling disappointed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this book for it's intriguing plot and the characters. Imagine how people would react if the dead began returning to their life just as they were before they died. It was a bit frustrating as I was reading to see the reactions and how the general populous handled "The Returned." I was hoping that in reality people would not be that cold and suspicious towards each other.This book does a lot of exploring of our emotions and how we handle the unknown. Many of those returned were welcomed home, but no one was ever sure if they were really "real."The book does not give us answers to why and how this event occured. Instead we are introduced to a group of interesting characters and how they handle the return of their son and how some townspeople and the government deal with it, as well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A truly intriguing book, a lot to think about. I was able to remain emotionally distant right up to the end. It was the author's note at the end when the tears finally flowed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is one thought provoking novel. Just imagine sitting in your living room and hearing a knock on the door. When you open it you see a government official and your 8 year old son who died 30 years ago. He is one of The Returned - dead people suddenly popping up all over world but no one knows how or why they are Returning. Are they human? If not, what are they?As more and more people Return the government scrambles to handle them and finally makes the decision to intern them "for their safety." But soon there are too many for the camps to hold and some of the living do not behave well. All the while the reader is given snippets of the lives of various Returnees who are just as confused.If you think of what might happen if the dead started coming back just imagine how it could cause consternation; the Returned have their memories so if they were murdered there are people who would now be afraid of discovery. There would be abusers in fear of being called out. Add guilt to the fear of the unknown and you have a world in total confusion. Mix in some Biblical end times and you have a novel that keeps you reading until the very end. Do you get all the answers? No, but you get a ripping good read with characters that are both distant and close, intense and cold. This is a book I'll read again for I suspect it will be a different book at a different time.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    So many unanswered questions and loose ends flail around in Mott's book, it is an exercise in frustration. How can one tell just by looking at them that certain people are Returned? How did they Return, and why did what started to happen at the middle/end happen? And so on and so on. If only Mott had taken the time to give us some answers instead of leaving TOO MUCH to the imagination, this could have been a fine piece of science fiction literature, which is rare these days. Mott is an excellent craftsman, but the resulting piece lacked crucial elements to make it a working and plausible piece.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not the French television series, Les Revenants, which I originally thought, but an American version along the same lines. In Arcadia, North Carolina, Harold and Lucille's son Jacob is returned to them - fifty years after he drowned in the river near their home. And he's not alone - soon Arcadia is teeming with the 'Returned', to the point where the town is commandeered by the military as a 'death camp'.I liked the idea of Jason Mott's novel - a second chance with lost loved ones, against the consequences of the dead returning to 'life' - but the plotting was a bit vague. Are the Returned zombies, risen from the grave, or corporeal ghosts? Why have they come back? Also, apart from a shootout between the Returned, with Harold and Lucille defending their son, and the local rednecks, nothing much happens. To quote: 'More Returned were returning. No one knew how or why'. Mott is great at character introspection, from the gruff Harold, god-fearing Lucille and troubled government man Martin Bellamy, but not so great at moving the action along. The open ending is both fitting and frustrating - I was left thinking, 'Huh?'Some great dialogue ('If there's one thing America will always lead the world in, it's assholes with guns'), thought-provoking questions and equally provoking lack of answers, annoying spelling mistakes, and nothing at all to do with the television series.