Where Things Come Back: Book Discussion
By Omar Ateyah
Creative Writer
In my last article, I made a particular vow: a vow that must, quite unfortunately really, be delayed. It was concerning the Mathematics and Science as Literature; this aforementioned task requires deep cerebration of the kind I have not yet had the chance to commit myself to. Therefore, in order to give you the best experience possible, I will delay it, but trust me; once we do get started with that you will not be disappointed in the slightest! After all, why wouldn’t you trust a junior journalist whom you’ve never met?
With that said, I thought I would offer a review of a particular young adult novel that I recently read. The novels in the YA genre have become a bit of a “thing” in recent years, to use a colloquial adolescent term. Therefore, without further ado, I offer you Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.
Where Things Come Back introduces itself with innocent simplicity; a young man in the summer between his junior and senior year of high school, Cullen Witter, has grown quite bored of his small and somnolent town of Lily, Arkansas (which, for the record, is fictional). Mounted with the usual teenage angst, Cullen Witter detests the fact that he may never be able to leave his hometown and pursue something greater. This is so because, as Cullen laments, people have grown and attempted to leave the town as dream-chasers, but they somehow always found their way back.
Thus, no adventures of wizard schools, sparkly vampires, or teenage-murderer-arenas seemed underway for Cullen; however, tragedy strikes when his younger brother, Gabriel, who is smart, gentle, and thoughtful goes missing without trace or any viable clues to explain his departure, or possible abduction. Now, Cullen must deal with this sudden disaster as he, his friends, and family slowly succumb to the clutches of grief. During this time, the allegedly extinct Lazarus Woodpecker makes an apparent appearance in Lily causing unwanted excitement in the town folk; this is so because, as previously stated, this was a town where nothing seemed to happen so the citizens are simply teeming with a desire for meaning. Cullen believes the town is overreacting over insignificance; he does not even believe that the bird actually made an appearance.
While all this madness is finding home in Lily, another story about a very different young man is taking place; his name is Benton Sage and he is on a quest to discover his faith. Benton attempts to find God’s mission for him, a position that he believes has been allotted for him by the Almighty. As Benton’s path intertwines with that of yet another young man named Cabot Searcy, a search for divine mission becomes a journey to rediscover the human being’s full potential…a quest that becomes less noble and more absurd.
In a cunning twist and masterful storytelling, the story of Benton and Cabot merges with the narrative of Cullen Witter; this climax will steal the breath of even the most reluctant readers as two stories dazzlingly become one.
The author of this novel has stated that a major theme in this book is about second chances. However, there is a certain complexity in that aspect because second chances cannot be limited to regained opportunities of solitary individuals; they could be viewed in the general sense of milestones for the human species. This is definitely the case in Where Things Come Back.
For example, if one views the Lazarus Woodpecker from a symbolic standpoint, it is metaphoric for a second chance, because, and this is the third time I mention this, the people of Lily feel dejected. They need a motivational factor that good things are coming; and, despite the absurdity and insignificance of the idea, the Lazarus offers that for the people of Lily, simply due to the fact that it’s interesting.
However, the more complex second chance of the novel, takes part in the alternate narrative of Cabot Searcy. After a certain tragedy takes place in his life, Cabot becomes obsessed with the idea of reclaiming the true breadth of human potential that he believes God has stunted when he destroyed the Grigori (it’s far too complex to explain, so I would recommend reading the novel in order to earn a better understanding). A fairly accurate explanation, albeit a brief one, would be that the Grigori were, according to the Book of Enoch, angels that descended to Earth to teach the human beings art and things of that nature. According to the Book of Enoch, God punished the Grigori by throwing them in Hell Fire and then killing their giant children, the Nephilim, due to the fact that the Grigori taught the humans a bit too much. Cabot’s plan to re-earn man’s true greatness, in his eyes at least, draws a connection to the more complex version of second chances.
Another great element of this novel is the interpretation of love. Very often in this genre, authors seem convinced that romantic love is the most sincere kind. However, Whaley tries to convey the importance of fraternal love, paternal love, and the love of God (see discussion guide in the back of Where Things Come Back).
To conclude, I would definitely recommend this book. However, that recommendation is strictly for the right audience; this is a young adult novel meaning that some of the content, including language and other questionable material, will not be suitable for people younger than the adolescent age.
Have you read the book? If so, what’s your opinion? How did you interpret the symbolism? Do you have any book recommendations?
NOTE: The comment section below is a spoiler-free zone. Therefore, please respect your fellow reading community and do not reveal any major plot elements of any book that is likely to corrupt one’s enjoyment of his or her reading experience.