The Returners
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Review
`A challenging, compelling and flawless stand-alone novel from an emerging talent . . . Metaphysical teenage fiction at its best'
--The Bookseller
`Gemma Malley's challenging novel obliges readers to consider how an individual's choices can affect not just their fate, but also society as a whole'
--The (Glasgow) Herald
'Both compelling and challenging - another powerful novel from a critically acclaimed author' --Bookfest
--The Bookseller
`Gemma Malley's challenging novel obliges readers to consider how an individual's choices can affect not just their fate, but also society as a whole'
--The (Glasgow) Herald
'Both compelling and challenging - another powerful novel from a critically acclaimed author' --Bookfest
Product Description
Will Hodges' life is a mess! His mother is dead, he has no friends and he thinks he is being followed by a strange group of people who tell him they know him. But Will can't remember them ...at first. And when he does, he doesn't like what he can remember. While Will is struggling with unsettling memories, he learns that his past is a lot deeper than many people's, and he has to find out if he is strong enough to break links with the powerful hold that history has on him. This compelling novel, set in an alternate future, challenges readers to consider the role we all have to play in making our society, and asks how much we are prepared to stand up for what's right.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Will, a fifteen-year-old boy, lives with his father who is a lawyer with political interests. The story is set in 2016 and there are a few flashbacks to 2008. In that year his mother committed suicide.
Will is a loner. Around the age of ten there was Claire, one of his neighbors. They got along very well. During the nighttime - when his father is asleep and Claire gives a signal with her flashlight - Will visits Claire by climbing up a tree that stands close to the window of her bedroom. They listen to music and play video games. It's the only friendship he knows but it won't last. When he starts talking about his psychological problems, Claire is somewhat freaked out and she refuses to see him.
As Will grows older he begins to think that he's paranoid. All kinds of people approach him telling the boy he's is one of 'them' and that he should 'return'. Will is afraid of losing his mind because he thinks that the encounters with these people are hallucinations. One evening he thinks he sees Claire in the garden, but she becomes another person he doesn't recognize. Is this reality or a hallucination?
He can't remember the people who are following him, at least not at first. And when he does, he doesn't like what he remembers.
Will discovers that he has a past far deeper then most and the struggle to break free of the powerful hold that history has on him may well become a struggle for death over life...
Will is a loner. Around the age of ten there was Claire, one of his neighbors. They got along very well. During the nighttime - when his father is asleep and Claire gives a signal with her flashlight - Will visits Claire by climbing up a tree that stands close to the window of her bedroom. They listen to music and play video games. It's the only friendship he knows but it won't last. When he starts talking about his psychological problems, Claire is somewhat freaked out and she refuses to see him.
As Will grows older he begins to think that he's paranoid. All kinds of people approach him telling the boy he's is one of 'them' and that he should 'return'. Will is afraid of losing his mind because he thinks that the encounters with these people are hallucinations. One evening he thinks he sees Claire in the garden, but she becomes another person he doesn't recognize. Is this reality or a hallucination?
He can't remember the people who are following him, at least not at first. And when he does, he doesn't like what he remembers.
Will discovers that he has a past far deeper then most and the struggle to break free of the powerful hold that history has on him may well become a struggle for death over life...
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Will Hodges' life is a mess! His mother is dead, he has no friends and he thinks he is being followed by a strange group of people who tell him they know him. But Will can't remember them ...at first. And when he does he doesn't like what he can remember. While Will is struggling with unsettling memories, he learns that his past is a lot deeper than many people's, and he has to find out if he is strong enough to break links with the powerful hold that history has on him. This compelling novel, set in alternate future, challenges readers to consider the role we all have to play in making our society, and asks how much we are prepared to stand up for what's right."
This is another book I really enjoyed reading, it reminds me of Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. Malley has set the book in 2016, however it's easy to forget it, especially as it's not so different from present day. With this in mind, it's startling to realise that the 2016 portrayed in The Returners could be a reality in six years.
One message contained in the book is the one that history repeats itself. More than once I found myself wanting to read up on certain historical events after them being referred to. There is an argument as to whether the future is mapped out or can be changed, with both sides putting across very convincing points. It made a very intelligent read and I found it quite educational.
One thing that made me love this book even more was the amazing twist near the end - all I can say is wow. I did not see it coming at all and once again I was reading late into the night to find out what happened next.
Though a little sleep deprived after reading this, I can't praise The Returners enough. I'd recommend it to readers who like a book that addresses political issues and makes you think after reading. Well written, it's another book that will linger in your mind after reading the last page.
This is another book I really enjoyed reading, it reminds me of Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. Malley has set the book in 2016, however it's easy to forget it, especially as it's not so different from present day. With this in mind, it's startling to realise that the 2016 portrayed in The Returners could be a reality in six years.
One message contained in the book is the one that history repeats itself. More than once I found myself wanting to read up on certain historical events after them being referred to. There is an argument as to whether the future is mapped out or can be changed, with both sides putting across very convincing points. It made a very intelligent read and I found it quite educational.
One thing that made me love this book even more was the amazing twist near the end - all I can say is wow. I did not see it coming at all and once again I was reading late into the night to find out what happened next.
Though a little sleep deprived after reading this, I can't praise The Returners enough. I'd recommend it to readers who like a book that addresses political issues and makes you think after reading. Well written, it's another book that will linger in your mind after reading the last page.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Will Hodge doesn't have many happy days, especially since his mother died and his father's political involvement has grown more and more radical. In addition to stress at home, Will's friends don't really talk to him anymore, he starts losing short blocks of time, and strange people start following him around claiming to know him.
Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is losing his mind, but soon explains away the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.
Eventually, he can't avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are "people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past." When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.
Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?
As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading THE RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners storyline, as most of the book deals with Will's denial of his connection to the strange people following him.
Reviewed by: Karin Librarian
Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is losing his mind, but soon explains away the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.
Eventually, he can't avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are "people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past." When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.
Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?
As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading THE RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners storyline, as most of the book deals with Will's denial of his connection to the strange people following him.
Reviewed by: Karin Librarian
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
You can't escape your past
'The Returners' is the story of William 'Will' Hodge, a teenager who has become more and more isolated since the death of his mother. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Weave
Excellent history resource
I will admit straight off that I did not finish this book and I found it a real struggle to read. Not that it isn't a great book; it just was too far out of my comfort zone. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Book Angel Emma
Thought provoking YA novel that mixes reincarnation with racial...
Set in 2016, Will Hodge is a troubled teenage boy who has never really come to terms with his mother's suicide - an event that took place in front of him. Read more
Published 23 months ago by quippe
Saved because of Gemma Malley's writing
When I received this in the post, I was really excited. I have read Gemma Malley's other books, The Resistance and The Declaration, and I really, really enjoyed them! Read more
Published 23 months ago by Ms. J. Oberlander
Thought provoking
Do you want a book to make you think? One that plays with the premise of mankind is doomed to repeat its mistakes? Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2010 by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
The Returners
The Returners has now put Gemma Malley in my list of favourite UK authors. The premise is original, unusual and utterly fantastic, and her writing is compelling to say the least. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2010 by Jenny, Wondrous Reads
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