The Returned (The Returned, #1)

by Jason Mott

[Lianne]

The Returned was a very interesting novel and raises some fascinating questions about what would you do if your loved ones came back. The questions that the people raised were very natural ones–are they real? if not, what are they?–and the reactions that different groups of people had felt very realistic, from the personal to the societal. I appreciated how the reader sees how the Returned affects people at the individual level through Harold and Lucille.

I enjoyed the author’s writing, it provided a wonderful sense of presence, like the reader is right there with the characters and experiencing what they’re going through, what they’re feeling.

The Returned is a meditation on death and the loss of our loved ones, the sense of pain, regret and emptiness that follows losing them but also one of love, about the time we had with those loved ones long gone. I highly recommend this novel, it was a fascinating read.

My complete review of the title was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/08/19/review-the-returned/