"PEOPLE DREAMED. PEOPLE LEFT. AND THEY ALL CAME BACK"

This is a long overdue appreciation post to my favourite book; Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. Over the three years I've had my blog, I've lost count of the amount of times I've mentioned this book as being my favourite. I've also lost count of the amount of times I've promised to review this book in detail on my blog and it's time to trade in that promise finally! I guess I've been putting it off because, like many with their favourite book, I feel very protective over it and I'm scared I will hype it up and no one shares my opinion but I think it's time I share my opinions in depth an hopefully get you to give it a try!

If you don't know what this is about, it's set in the summer before Cullen Witter enters into his senior year at high school when his cousin overdoses, an extinct woodpecker supposedly re appears while his 15 year old brother, Gabriel disappears from Lily, Arkansas. Meanwhile a missionary in Africa tries to find out what God's mission for him is. As both stories continue, the two stories collide together.

The way the whole plot is put together is so clever and I think it's one of the biggest reasons I love this book. You have Cullen's story written in first person but sometimes speaking in third person when he daydreams about zombies above all other dreams. Then you've got the story of the missionary written in third person, starting in Africa but quickly moving on. When I first read the book, I was really only interested in Cullen's story but, after rereading it more time than I can count, I've become more drawn to the Missionary's story that covers religion- a view of religion I've never come across before and it really interested me. 

The way John Corey Whaley writes, the story lines and characters he creates are amazing and the way he can make me fall in love with Gabriel in just a few chapters before taking him away is impressive among other words. The underlying message of the book I love and how it's more than a story of angst teenage boy whose brother goes missing. It's a story of growing up, relationships with friends and family. The idea that everything comes back around; Lily, Arkansas is the town where things come back. 

There's something about this book that I just can't get enough of and after numerous re reads I still don't get sick of it. I am scared that one day I'll pick it and have fallen out of love with it, but so far, thankfully that hasn't happened and so I'm going to continue raving about this till everyone I know has given it a try. 

If you're still unsure of reading this, I'd say if you like John Green then it's definitely worth giving it a try because I don't think you'll regret it. There is so much more to this book then what it gives away on the surface and so many underlying themes that I can't cover in just this one post; I think that's one of the reasons I really love it and I hope you do too!

Have you read WTCB or are you going to? What's your favourite book?

Hope you're doing great,

Sarah x