Return to Me

Apr 15, 2013 Teri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Return To Me is a poignant tale of the hardships of everyday life. Imbued with disappointment, doubt and betrayal, this novel gives a view of life through the eyes of young adult, Rebecca Muir just as she is about to leave for college. The women in Rebecca’s family have a secret that they try to hide, they have a sense of premonition, but what these women see, is not for the faint of heart; their truths are in the faults of life normally, and Rebecca, or Rebel, has a sense she is desperately try...more Return To Me is a poignant tale of the hardships of everyday life. Imbued with disappointment, doubt and betrayal, this novel gives a view of life through the eyes of young adult, Rebecca Muir just as she is about to leave for college. The women in Rebecca’s family have a secret that they try to hide, they have a sense of premonition, but what these women see, is not for the faint of heart; their truths are in the faults of life normally, and Rebecca, or Rebel, has a sense she is desperately trying to hide from. Something life changing will be happening and her move to New York, to college she feels may be the very thing beginning this vision.

Rebel has the perfect boyfriend, but long distance relationships hardly work out. Rebel will soon find that this truth is a hard thing to bear as her plans for college are turning upside down. Reb wanted to end her relationship with her boyfriend Jackson before leaving, but she did not. Reb wanted to go to college on her own terms, but now her family is moving with her, although a screaming vision haunts her, Reb just doesn’t know the shock she is in for yet.

Growing up is hard, life is challenging, and full of doubt and disappointment, but something there are people in your life you want constant to rely upon; like family. What happens soon in Return To Me is the terrible accumulation of lifes as her father uproots his family, only to soon inform them in this new home that he is done; that he has been with someone new. Ripped from home, family torn apart, future up in the air, Reb does not know who to turn to. The bitter betrayal of her father and the decline of her future prospects and in her family have left Reb conflicted and questioning her boyfriend Jackson. If someone like her father could do this to her, so could Jackson? The dominating emotions throughout the book are doubt and loss, as everything Reb has known is turned upside down. The truths she though she knew in the world are becoming muddled and lost, leaving Reb trying to sort out the future of her mother and brother, while at the same time dealing with emotions of herself.

Author Justina Chen has created a story around a modern day dilemma of the preconceive notions of basically, forever. Nothing is ever planned or delivered as we may well want it, and the challenges that we face may be daunting and heartwrenching but there is some lesson to learn through everything and that is a lesson of the heart. While your plans and world may seem crumbling, your love and passion can drive you to rise above the darkness and doubt that may surround you at times. There can be a future but it is one to be had, and worked for. Return To Me is a story filled with love and the quest for what happens next. When times seem down, there may be something that comes your way; not what you always wanted or expected, but it may be just what you need at just the right time.

Reb’s premonition may have been lost to her in the beginning, but she knows now to trust in herself and see what things may come, because just that you plan something, does not truly make it to. The future has ups and downs, and getting up can be the hardest thing yet you need to do.
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Feb 26, 2013 Lyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, reviewed

Rebecca Muir can't believe her family is moving with her when she goes to Columbia University in New York City. Her dad has taken a highly paid executive job there and has already bought a house for the family in New Jersey. Even though Rebecca will be in a college dorm, her mom will be right there, organizing her life just like she's always done. Unfortunately, there's not much Rebecca can do about it.

Rebecca adores her dad. It's always been the two of them against her organized, practical moth...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Cindy Hudson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reb, short for Rebecca, is looking forward to trading her home on remote Lewis Island in Washington State for the bustle of college life at Columbia. She can’t wait to escape from her stifling mother and live her own life. But that life takes a few twists and turns: first her parents announce that the family is moving to New Jersey for her dad’s new job, then after everyone moves across the country, Reb’s dad says he’s leaving to be with another woman.

Reeling from the changes, Reb suddenly start...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullies, death, families, friendship, names, self-esteem, travel, word-lovers, writing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'd give this one 4.5 stars if I could. Like her earlier titles, Girl Overboard and North of Beautiful, the author has crafted another book with a strong female protagonist struggling to find her way. Newly graduated Rebecca Muir is ready to begin college in New York City, fulfilling her dreams of studying architecture and working for a large firm. But wait! Are those her dreams or those of her father? As she dithers over her college plans and breaking up with Jackson, her boyfriend, her beloved...more I'd give this one 4.5 stars if I could. Like her earlier titles, Girl Overboard and North of Beautiful, the author has crafted another book with a strong female protagonist struggling to find her way. Newly graduated Rebecca Muir is ready to begin college in New York City, fulfilling her dreams of studying architecture and working for a large firm. But wait! Are those her dreams or those of her father? As she dithers over her college plans and breaking up with Jackson, her boyfriend, her beloved father drops a bombshell on his family. Although he just moved the family across country from their home on Puget Sound to a mansion in New Jersey, he is in love with another woman, and plans to leave Reb's mother. Shaken by his betrayal, Reb decides not to take the chance on a long distance relationship with Jackson. When her maternal grandfather provides tickets to Hawaii, she and her family begin to heal and in the case of Reb and her mother, both of them begin to return to themselves. Despite the strong bond she has always had with her father and her life-long annoyance at her mother, Reb realizes that she has become the version of herself that he wanted her to be, and not the person she actually is. While some readers may be put off by Reb's psychic abilities and the world of priviledge in which she has grown up, most will celebrate her strength and reliance on herself for solutions rather than her dependence on her romantic interest. Several of the passages are beautiful, evoking a sense of place and establishing Reb as a protagonist who actually DOES something. I also enjoyed all the journal writing and story writing the various family members seemed to relish with her brother Reid channeling his pain and confusion into a book. My own disappointment came in the epilogue describing what happens next. I'd rather have left that to my own imagination. Still, this book is an excellent reading choice for many teens today, so dependent on their boyfriends or girlfriends for their own identities. (less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2012

More like a 1.5.

Rebecca's on the cusp of so many exciting and terrifying things -- she's been accepted to Columbia University and will be moving from her family's home in Seattle to New York City. She's thrilled to get away, but she's sad to leave behind boyfriend Jackson. Except, things fall apart before she gets the chance to pursue her dream of architecture school in the big apple. Her father drops the bomb that he just got a job in New York City and the entire family will be moving to New Je...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book of Justina Chen's that I've read (the other being North of Beautiful, which I absolutely loved) and I was a little nervous and excited starting this one. Have you ever read a book that you loved so much that you get a little nervous starting something by the same author because you think that it can't possibly affect you the same way, that no matter how great it is, it won't be AS great as the book you first read and loved?

(Yes, I fully realize how completely psychotic I...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Sara (LitHacker.com) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I am basing these hacks on an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) I received at ALA conference. The final published version may be different…especially if the publisher takes my advice

Verdict: An honest look at what happens when someone you’ve implicitly trusted betrays your trust and upends your world – and a hopeful look at how endings can actually lead to new beginnings. There’s a lot of emphasis on adult characters, career planning, and New Age-y philosophy, so not sure if actual young a...more Disclaimer: I am basing these hacks on an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) I received at ALA conference. The final published version may be different…especially if the publisher takes my advice

Verdict: An honest look at what happens when someone you’ve implicitly trusted betrays your trust and upends your world – and a hopeful look at how endings can actually lead to new beginnings. There’s a lot of emphasis on adult characters, career planning, and New Age-y philosophy, so not sure if actual young adults will like this one. This could be a really empowering book if the writing and plot were tightened up.

Perfect for: People who like stories about: love, trust, family dynamics; and especially teens who feel that their life has been decided for them by their family. If you are in the right mood, this book could feel like free therapy and motivational advice wrapped into one. Basically, this is the YA fiction version of Eat, Pray, Love.

Summary: Newly graduated Rebecca’s world falls apart when, after moving across the country from Seattle to NJ with her family (and away from her beloved childhood home and her friends and her boyfriend Jackson), her doting dad abruptly reveals that he is leaving to live with another woman. Now Rebecca doesn’t know what to believe and who or what she can trust, including herself: If her dad can so easily betray his family, then is her mom really the controlling harpy that her dad always portrays her as? Does Rebecca still want to go into her dad’s corporate architecture business and attend his alma mater Columbia, or does she have her own heart’s desire? And most difficult of all, should she stay with still-in-high school-boyfriend-Jackson? And if her dad can betray her, how can she trust her heart with a seventeen year old boy? Ultimately the lessons of the book are – and there sure are plenty of Lessons here – that unpleasant endings can beget unforseen opportunities, that one should learn to forgive and be willing to trust, and that you should listen to your inner voice and be willing to take a risk, because if you do, everything will work out the way it should.

Conspiracy Theory: OK, so, this is maybe not relevant, but I noticed that the author’s current name is “Justina Chen”, but that her previously published works were under the name “Justina Chen-Headley” – and she even changed her whole website name from the old to the new. So my conspiracy theory is that the author got a divorce, and then went through a bunch of soul-searching and this book is basically the artistic illustration of that process. If so, I hope Justina feels as liberated and empowered as her character Rebecca does at the end of the novel.

Click here to read my editorial suggestions aka hacks at LitHacker.com! (less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is nothing that upsets me more than a broken family. Coming from one myself, I found this book to be both hopeful and enlightening.

The plot of the book faces a broken down family. Reb is torn between her parents and their divorce. She thought she knew her father and the image she has of him image shattered before her. It moves quickly between shock to hurt to hope. Each chapter the broken family faces a new dynamic that, what you think may tear them apart is actually making them stronger.

R...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Jovon Tucker rated it 5 of 5 stars

"What assurance did I have? None at all. It was wedding time."

With Justina Chen's latest novel, Return to Me, I can honestly and excitedly say that I have a new favorite author and top 5 book too!

Return to Me is inspirational, it's raw emotions, and it's powerful! It's more than just reading a book. It's living in the story, being Rebecca!

As Rebecca Muir prepares for Columbia University to begin her life as a fledgling architect, bomb #1 drops. Reb's mom says the one thing that would make any co...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

If there is one thing I have found out about myself during my months as a book blogger it’s that I am a sucker for a contemporary. I love a good issue book and a cover, such as the one for Return To Me, always sucks me in. This results in me getting bitten in the butt quite a bit. I was quick to request Return To Me and it was quick to bite me in the butt. The only way I can think to review this book is to take my notes (yep I actually took notes...more You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.

If there is one thing I have found out about myself during my months as a book blogger it’s that I am a sucker for a contemporary. I love a good issue book and a cover, such as the one for Return To Me, always sucks me in. This results in me getting bitten in the butt quite a bit. I was quick to request Return To Me and it was quick to bite me in the butt. The only way I can think to review this book is to take my notes (yep I actually took notes for this one folks) and separate them into a like/didn’t like type post, so that’s what I am going to do.

First I’ll talk about what I liked about his novel. The writing is very pretty and I really enjoyed the rich descriptions that painted a very clear picture in my head. It may have been bordering on a little too flowery at some points but I didn’t find that the prose crossed that line at any point and just stayed within the realm of gorgeous. Another wonderful part of this novel was its focus on family values. While the family started off in a definite bout of turbulence and had their issues with one another, the book was really about their journey to understanding one another. I really enjoyed how the trip to Hawaii to visit with Rebecca’s grandfather opened their eyes to how much a person can change and got them on the road to acceptance of one another.

Now for what I disliked. Oh boy. I didn’t find that there were any redeeming characters in this book. Rebecca’s father was a terrible person and the flippant way in which he handled his abandonment of his family really made me sick to my stomach. I hated him, I hated the smug look he always had on his face and if I could have kicked him in the junk, I would have. He was just an all around terrible person, which was too bad because I had high hopes for him in the beginning of the novel. Rebecca’s mom didn’t merit any emotion from me and her brother, Reid was almost non existent except for his few outbursts and him just being around and writing in his journal. I guess if I had to pick one character as the star for me it would be the Grandpa. He was a person that had everyone in his life give up on him for his waywardness and he came around, got his life together and started something truly beautiful with his resort.

Now I have to talk about Rebecca. This girl drove me up the wall. She came across as delusional and a little crazy at a lot of points in the novel. What really ruined her for me was her drastic distancing of herself from her boyfriend, Jackson. This boy had done absolutely nothing wrong and she projected what her father had done onto him and shut him out like child. Now, I can see how what her father had done would frighten her and make her more cautious in the relationship for sure, but I just couldn’t understand her reactions to anything. What was worse was that after she shut Jackson out, we had to suffer through her thinking about what a good guy he is and how much she missed him almost every other page! I think those parts were supposed to earn sympathy and understanding from the reader but I found myself rolling my eyes every time she said she missed him simply because she was acting completely irrationally.

In the end this book didn’t work for me on so many levels. I found it hard not to resort to skimming for the last quarter and the only thing that kept me from doing so was watching Rebecca and her mother’s relationship flourish. I lost interest in her crappy father and her wanting but refusing to be with Jackson very early on in the novel. I can’t recommend this one but if you are looking for one that, in the end, stresses the importance of family, then this one could be for you.(less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-summer-must-reads, 2012-ya-standalone-challenge, around-the-world-arc-tours, june-2012

Return To Me is one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. This is the first book I have read from Justina and it won't be the last. I am thankful to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read and review this book. This is a book every girl should read.

In Return to Me Rebecca is in her senior year of high school and she is planning on her future and where she will go to college. She has been accepted into a college and her plans are set for her future and where she wi...more Return To Me is one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. This is the first book I have read from Justina and it won't be the last. I am thankful to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read and review this book. This is a book every girl should read.

In Return to Me Rebecca is in her senior year of high school and she is planning on her future and where she will go to college. She has been accepted into a college and her plans are set for her future and where she will go from there. Then a few monkey bars come into the picture. Rebecca never ever thought she would fall in love and start dating someone in her senior year but she does. She falls head over heels for Jackson and it scares her because she will be leaving her home town to go to college and Jackson still has one more year of school left.

As if that is not hard enough her mother springs it on her that the entire family is moving with her to the college town. Rebecca is mortified and can't think straight because she had her whole life mapped out and now her mother is telling them they are all moving together and she is floored. What is a girl to do when she wants to get away from her family and spread her wings and fly solo? Then she realizes something is wrong when they all move from her home town and her father starts acting weird.

It doesn't take long for Rebecca to find out why her father is acting weird when he sits them down and springs the news on the family that he is leaving the family to pursue his needs and his likes. The family is devastated and Rebecca is left to pick up the pieces of her mothers broken heart. As Rebecca starts to help her family through this ordeal she will learn about true love and sacrificing. She will learn to open up to her mother and let go of her close relationship with her father. She has always been daddies little girl and when he leaves the family she is crushed but with a little bit of faith and a lot of help she and her family will over come this tragedy that hits them. In the end love conquers all.

This is a SUMMER MUST READ! Justina has done such a great job at story telling you will be enthralled with this book and will not be able to put it down. Happy Reading on the beach!(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 AnQi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-review, book-club-books, chick-literature, realistic-fiction, romance-romance-romance, young-adult, paranormal, adult

Okay, so I went in not thinking a lot about it. My expectation hovered somewhere around a frou-frou chick lit of the Sarah Dessen variation with a positive message and an inspirational coming of age story. (Mind, those kinds of books aren't bad, but I'm not usually a fan.) But Return To Me was kind of unusual, and not exactly in a good way.

For starters, Rebecca Muir, also known as Reb, is a daddy's girl who is nineteen, fresh out of high school, and awaiting an architect internship in New York...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Lilysbookblog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

I obtained an ARC of this book because of my love for the author’s previous book North of Beautiful, which just blew me away. I was hoping for Return to Me to be a quick and emotionally engaging book with a bit of culture. I felt that I really did like this book but I didn’t love it like I wanted too.

Rebecca Muir or Reb as her friends and family call her (or Rebel as her boyfriend calls her) is about to move with her family to New Jersey for the summer before heading off to Columbia in New York...more I obtained an ARC of this book because of my love for the author’s previous book North of Beautiful, which just blew me away. I was hoping for Return to Me to be a quick and emotionally engaging book with a bit of culture. I felt that I really did like this book but I didn’t love it like I wanted too.

Rebecca Muir or Reb as her friends and family call her (or Rebel as her boyfriend calls her) is about to move with her family to New Jersey for the summer before heading off to Columbia in New York City to begin University. Reb is a bit irritated that her family is joining her along for the move, and at the fact that she’s going to be leaving her boyfriend Jackson behind who is still in his last year of High School. Immediately after moving into their new home, everything goes to complete and utter chaos. Reb’s dad, who she admires and tries to please endlessly, tells them he is leaving them and Reb begins to question her own relationship with her boyfriend, Jackson. Having their world turned upside down, the Muir family must now pick up the pieces of their broken family and their shattered beliefs.

Rebecca is probably the definition of character development in this book. She tries to keep her family together after the split and figuring out her future. She begins to question if her perfect laid out future is really the life she wants for herself or the life her father wanted for her. After her dad leaves them Rebecca, her brother and their mom hop on a plan and visit the grandparents they haven’t seen in years over in Hawaii. It is only then, all of them begin to grow, let out their anger and reconnect with themselves. Decisions are made, and ideas are formed, a little time away might just have been what the family needed.

When the characters went to Hawaii I was pretty excited. I loved how they got a much needed change of scenery and embarked on this journey of coming to terms with who they all were. What I really wished though was that the Hawaii part of the book hadn’t been so quick and vague on its explanations on the scenery. The time they spent in Hawaii was short, and I wished it could have only been a bit longer.
While I did like Reb, and how she finally accepted who she was and got to expand her ideas on her collage choices I couldn’t help but feel annoyed at her during most of her conversations with Jackson. I felt her nonexistent trust in him was unfair; Reb shouldn’t have been so hard on Jackson and definitely shouldn’t have jumped on him for the little things.

Overall I’m happy with the way things ended in the book. During the middle of it I was getting a bit antsy and was considering putting it down for a while but I ended up sticking in there. The epilogue was probably my favorite part of the book. I liked how all the characters grew and lived out their fantasies in the end, in a timely believable manner. I liked the plot and the overall characterization of the characters (except maybe the dad) but would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and easy read.
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Jan 17, 2013 Vernieda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, new-adult

I'm so torn. I loved Justina Chen Headley's previous books so much so reading this, after looking forward to it for so long, was disappointing. I still think my initial impression was correct: the magic of her previous books is a shadow of itself. It tried but never quite reached the emotional heights her previous work had.

The book is strongest when it focuses on the relationships between mothers and daughters. That is Chen's strength. It's awesome when it talks about creativity and embracing yo...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: girly-books, young-adult

Probably closer to 3.5 but I'm just not ready to award it a 4. I appreciated the way the author handled the emotions of the main character - they felt very hot/cold confused/confident which I think it probably pretty accurate whenever anyone goes through an experience of heartbreak. The story of how Reb learns to understand her parents and herself better flows well and truthfully.

My problem was some of the dialog and I just couldn't feel Reb at times. I also thought her friends were a bit periph...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, qp, own, signed-not-personalised

This book was emotional for me. It reminded me of how thankful I have been since I was young that my parents are in fact, still married. Growing up, I remember my brother and I realizing that most of our friends parents were not together, that it could happen to us too. I even remember the discussion we had of where we wanted to live, and later telling our parents. This might seem like over-sharing but I loved the farm, the place my parents still live. It is my home and haven.

Rebecca or 'Rebel'...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found in the beginning I liked the potential of the character, Reb, but as the book continues, I find that she began to irritate me. I felt as though it took a while for her to realize that everything in life isn't nice and neat. However, I did like that even when one aspect of the family falls apart, a new relationship with her family develops. That was closer to the truth.

The worst part of this book was the epilogue. Ugh. There was so much left unsaid, and it felt like it was a "hurry up an...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Lonna Pierce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rebecca (Rebel)comes from a long line of women with a sixth sense. She has denied it, to her peril, and the breakup of her parents' marriage shatters everything she had heretofore believed. Actually a "coming into one's own" novel for three generations of women, this is a perfect book to recommend for anyone unsure about their future or crushed by life's circumstances. Against an inspirational backdrop of a tree house sanctuary in Hawaii,let the healing begin! Pairing passion with talent brings...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Alice rated it 1 of 5 stars

I found myself skimming for dialogue about halfway through the book. The main character's emotions seemed to be felt in real time, not book time. I was not fond of the writing style or touchy-feely long explanatory nonsense. I did feel that the special gifts of the women were interesting and that the descriptions of the architectural creations were intriguing However, the main character was just not likable to me. Perhaps it is that the author gets the YA thing down, and teens like a character s...more

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May 10, 2013 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Justina Chen’s Return to Me takes a look at a time when most teens are excited about looking towards the future and live on their own. For Rebecca “Reb” Muir, things seemed to be going into the right direction. Although she’ll be apart from her boyfriend Jackson, she’s put plenty of miles between her and her family for her college life in New York’s Columbia University. But as soon as she arrives, her dad, whom she adores so much, tells the family he’s taken a highly paid executive job in nearby...more Justina Chen’s Return to Me takes a look at a time when most teens are excited about looking towards the future and live on their own. For Rebecca “Reb” Muir, things seemed to be going into the right direction. Although she’ll be apart from her boyfriend Jackson, she’s put plenty of miles between her and her family for her college life in New York’s Columbia University. But as soon as she arrives, her dad, whom she adores so much, tells the family he’s taken a highly paid executive job in nearby New Jersey and already bought a home there for the family to move into. Although Reb will be in her college dorm, she can’t help but think of her nearby mom trying to control and organize her life, the one thing that she tried to escape from initially. Soon after her dad is off on a business trip, things turn to the worse when her dad tells her mother he is seeing another woman and decided to leave the family for her. Now Reb must pick up the shattered pieces of her former life and desperately tries to heal it. A chapter of her life that she has been waiting for a long time takes a drastic halt and now she must reassess it to discover what she really wants.

Rebecca’s journey is one that most can relate to. This aspect of the story truly made this book engrossing and moving. Author Justina manages to capture all of the deep emotions Reb goes through with each expected and unexpected turn of events. I enjoyed that she provided a touch of paranormal as the women in Reb’s family get premonitions and visions about the future. With no hints of this book encompassing this, I was thoroughly surprised and entertained. Although the main character is a teenager who is trying to figure out her life, the storyline had more of an adult feel. The voice for Reb is mature for YA with her life transformations being more established than what is expected from a teenager. Even in the state of feeling betrayed, by someone who she really loves, these life-changing events cause her to learn a lot from forgiveness. The way she handles these trying times in her life were done in a very mature way. Justina’s writing style will captivate readers and directly place them into Reb’s shoes where each drop of emotion is felt. Return to Me is an amazing story about pain, understanding, and discovery.(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-revels

Original review posted on Book Revels

Rebecca Muir wants nothing more than to be an architect. She’s on her way to realizing her dreams at Columbia, a school three thousand miles away from her overbearing mother. Unfortunately, it’s also on the opposite coast from her boyfriend, Jackson. She’s shocked when her parents announce that the whole family will be moving to the East Coast for her dad’s job. She’s even more shocked when her father delivers devastating, world-shattering news. How can she m...more Original review posted on Book Revels

Rebecca Muir wants nothing more than to be an architect. She’s on her way to realizing her dreams at Columbia, a school three thousand miles away from her overbearing mother. Unfortunately, it’s also on the opposite coast from her boyfriend, Jackson. She’s shocked when her parents announce that the whole family will be moving to the East Coast for her dad’s job. She’s even more shocked when her father delivers devastating, world-shattering news. How can she move past such hurt and betrayal? How can her family heal? Rebecca has to discover what it is she really wants for her life.

I was surprised by how moving and engrossing I found this novel to be. Rebecca’s journey is one that I think anyone can relate to: figuring out where your life is headed and what you want to do. Rebecca has a rather unconventional dream: she wants to be an architect who designs and builds treehouses. What I admire so much about Reb is that when she finally realizes what her dream is, she doesn’t focus on all of the improbabilities that stand in the way of her dream. Instead, she takes her future into her own hands and pursues opportunities that will set her on the right path. She goes from being a passive girl who lets others’ expectations, especially those of her parents, guide her decisions to a girl who actively stands up for what she knows is right for her life.

Perhaps most surprising about this novel is that there’s a touch of the paranormal. The women in her family get premonitions and visions about the future. I wasn’t expecting this at all from the blurb, which made it sound like this novel was just a contemporary. I would say this is more of a magical realism book. I don’t think this addition made the emotions and the traumatic situations any less real.

This is not a usual YA book; it actually has more of an adult feel. Rebecca has a very mature voice (though, she is about to leave for college, so technically she’s an adult) for YA, and her transformation is much more mature than I would expect a teenager to go through. She learns a lot about forgiveness even in the face of extreme betrayal. She also handles her actions towards her parents in a very mature way.

Overall impression:
Return to Me is a relatable story about pain, forgiveness, and discovery.(less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Jenia. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, contemporary, fantasy, drama, family, realistic, 2013-sarc, 2013-ya-contemp-challenge, library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Return To Me was a second book that I read by Justina Chen , though it wasn’t as good, like North Of Beautiful was, it was a book that I didn’t want to put down. Even if it started a little slow, but that didn’t last long because it picked up fast. It wasn’t long when I was observed in the story, with the characters, wanting to see what happens with them next. Return To Me is filled with adventure, discovery, and quite bit romance. A book worth checking out.

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Nothing is goin...more Return To Me was a second book that I read by Justina Chen , though it wasn’t as good, like North Of Beautiful was, it was a book that I didn’t want to put down. Even if it started a little slow, but that didn’t last long because it picked up fast. It wasn’t long when I was observed in the story, with the characters, wanting to see what happens with them next. Return To Me is filled with adventure, discovery, and quite bit romance. A book worth checking out.

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Nothing is going as planned for Rebecca Muir. She's weeks away from starting college--at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb and her parents. But her dad's last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! And then there's the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast.

And if that isn't enough to deal with, mere days after moving cross-country, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. With her mother and brother overwhelmed and confused, Reb is left alone to pick up the pieces of her former life. But how can she do that when everything can change in an instant? How can she trust her "perfect" boyfriend when her own dad let her down? Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?

Justina Chen, the acclaimed author of North of Beautiful, has created a moving and powerful novel about the struggles that arise from betrayal, the uncertainty of life after high school, and the joy that ultimately comes from discovering what's truly in your heart.

What I love about Justine’s novel, fact that all of them are realistic, you can see it actually happening in real life. It feels like I’m living the story with the character. That was how I felt when I was reading about Rebecca, about all the struggles that she faced within the book. Those feelings got me to connect with character. Justina brought the book to life, and it made me imagine that I was actually there, in Rebecca’s shoes. It was one of most realistic books that I have read this year. The descriptions, the emotions and struggles that Rebecca went through, can happen anywhere in real life. The situation in the book is what makes it so easy to get observed in the story, because you want to know what happens with the characters next, how it will all come to end.

Jackson: Loved him from the start. He’s kind of guy that every girl wants in a boyfriend, he’s type of guy I would love to meet. Despite what Reb did, how she pushed him away, he was always there and he didn’t push her or give up. That’s what I loved about him. I knew right from start that he loved her; sometimes I had feeling that he loved Reb more than she loved him. I don’t think that no guy would put up with what he put up with, unless they were in love. I wanted to talk some sense into Reb when she broke up with Jackson, but at same time I could see why she did it, especially after everything that happened with her father. All through the book, I was rooting for them to get back together, it seemed that Jackson was one person who made her happy.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about Reb’s father at first. Part of me hated him, for what he did to family, especially to his wife, way he was the reason that his family was struggling. Another part of me, was bit glad because he left, that actually seemed to bring Reb and her mother closer together. I saw way their relationship changed through the book, turning from almost non existing to closure. I was glad that they connected again, because she needed someone. I saw how someone’s action can bring family closer together. Not only did it bring mother and daughter together, it also brought their absent grandmother back, bringing entire family close together. It made me smile, how they all came together and were there for each other, through this difficult time.

Return To Me was an inspirational book, a type of novel that should be read by everyone. It’s a one book that you won’t be able to forget.
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Feb 05, 2013 B. Rose rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary, wish-i-hadn-t-finished

Note: I'm about to get REAL spoilerific. Id' say don't read if you don't want spoilers, but this book is so blatantly obvious about EVERYTHING that I doubt I'd be ruining much of any of the experience for you.
Further note: Prepare for much RANTY RANT RANTS.

Dear Justina Chen Headley:

Can I call you JCH? I feel like we've been in a sad, sad relationship, the kind where you start off all butterfly-y and glowy and just completely in love and then SUDDENLY, without any warning, one of us just goes ba...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Britta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-sarc

Return to Me is an emotional insight into the life of a college bound female who has accepted - and embraced - the idea of her life changing, only to find that the alterations that are coming at her are unexpected and unwanted. Laced with intriguing aspects of magic realism, this character driven story shows us how quickly plans can fall apart, and how unexpectedly amazing picking up the pieces can be.

Rebecca Muir is getting ready to start her freshman year at Columbia, just about as far away...more Return to Me is an emotional insight into the life of a college bound female who has accepted - and embraced - the idea of her life changing, only to find that the alterations that are coming at her are unexpected and unwanted. Laced with intriguing aspects of magic realism, this character driven story shows us how quickly plans can fall apart, and how unexpectedly amazing picking up the pieces can be.

Rebecca Muir is getting ready to start her freshman year at Columbia, just about as far away from home possible while staying in the continental U.S.. Her parents' announcement that they are moving with her (to New Jersey) is just the beginning of the destruction of her carefully thought out plans. In addition, Reb has spent most of her life suppressing a part of her that could have saved her from the emotional roller coaster of her move, but knowing this fact doesn't make embracing it any easier.

I had some ups and downs with this one. I was immediately interested, as I can relate to the getting ready to spend freshman year at a NYC school. However, some of the middle lost me here and there. I kept looking for that aspect that made the book different from any other contemporary story dealing with the same issues. I did find it, but it took me a little while.

That aspect I am referring to is a slight interweaving of magical realism. Reb comments a few times that the women in her family are "cursed" to spend their lives alone. While this could just be a figure of speech, is it really? Throughout the novel Reb hears this wailing noise and she is not quite sure of what to make of it. She also knows there is a part of her that her mother has taught her to suppress, a part that her grandmother (who they stopped hearing from) has embraced. I liked watching this almost magical part of Reb emerge and learning more about it as she stops trying to detach it from herself.

There are two other facets that add a unique spin to this story. I really enjoyed how Reb is into architecture, especially that of tree houses and fairy villages. There are so many job descriptions that can be tied to a certain character from YA, but this aspiration seems entirely her own, which was refreshing to read. I will not spoil anything, but I also loved how this book puts a positive spin on a post high school option that not many americans take seriously.

On aspect that I really did not like was her boyfriend from home. He seems very perfect and with an absence of real character flaws. He always says the "right" thing (with one exception), yet, I am never convinced by his words or actions. Reb has a deep attachment to him, but again, it never feels real. I really wish he was just taken out of the plot entirely.

All in all, Return to Me is a nice read. The ending really pulled the book up a few notches for me.
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Jan 07, 2013 Sara (sarabara081) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: january

You can find more of my reviews at Forever 17 Books.

3.5 stars!

Return to Me is a beautiful story about coming together as a family and discovering who you are.

Reb, short for Rebecca, thinks she has everything sorted out. She is going to college at Columbia to study to become an architect and plans to break up with her boyfriend to avoid a long distance relationship she is convinced wouldn't work. Her family is also making the move across the country, due to her father's new job in NYC. She is a c...more You can find more of my reviews at Forever 17 Books.

3.5 stars!

Return to Me is a beautiful story about coming together as a family and discovering who you are.

Reb, short for Rebecca, thinks she has everything sorted out. She is going to college at Columbia to study to become an architect and plans to break up with her boyfriend to avoid a long distance relationship she is convinced wouldn't work. Her family is also making the move across the country, due to her father's new job in NYC. She is a complete daddy's girl and often writes her mom off as just being a controlling dictator who is obsessed with to-do lists. But something happens that changes everything...

When we are first introduced to Reb and her father, they seem to have a great bond. He seems supportive and loving, a great father who wants great things for her. But as soon as the entire family moves across country and into their new home, BAM! He drops a bomb that he has been having an affair, and decides to leave his wife. This made me RAGE. I mean, what was the point of having them all move then?? They hadn't even unpacked! Talk about a midlife crisis. But what we see from this situation is Reb really coming together for her family. She starts to realize how amazing her mom is and how much she wants to help and support her to move on and pick up the pieces of their lives. She had mistaken her mom's actions before for controlling when in fact it was always concern. The whole family comes together, Reb, her mom, her brother, and her divorced grandparents. It was so refreshing and beautiful to see a family become so strong after something so terrible.

Besides the events happening to her family, Reb is also discovering her dreams for her future might not have been completely her own, and had been heavily influenced by her father. She has a lot to figure out, but she was such a gracious spirit. And what I perhaps loved the most, was how committed her boyfriend was during this whole ordeal. She had let her fears from her father's decisions and family curses come between them. But, he refused to give up! He was constantly sending texts of love and encouragement, but also stepping back when Reb, or Rebel as he called her, needed. He was so sweet and I almost wish we got even more of him, but this isn't a story of romance. This is a total coming of age novel about a girl and her mother finding themselves.

The only gripe I had with this novel was the addition of Reb and her family's sixth sense and premonitions. I could have done without it BUT it all ties into embracing who they are in certain ways so I get why it was included.

If you love a good coming of age story, then I would definitely recommend you check this one out!
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Jan 23, 2013 Kristilyn (Reading In Winter & Winter Distractions) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, read-in-2013, review-books-completed

Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me a copy of this book for review!

When I read Justina Chen’s past effort, North of Beautiful, I fell in love with her writing. I loved reading the story about Terra and how she had to overcome her own struggles to find out what she wanted in life — it was a moving read and ever since I looked forward to Justina’s next book.

Return to Me was beautiful and moving. The instant I started reading it, I was taken with Justina’s accessible writing and...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmmm. I'm not really sure where to start! I like the premise as I feel that the topic is very relatable and that most readers will be able to empathize with the characters and what they are going through. Heartbreak, betrayal, divorce, and figuring out one's true path in life are things many people will face. But I had a hard time emotionally connecting to the story and the characters and I think that's part of the reason this book stayed firmly in the like, not love, category. There's also anot...more Hmmm. I'm not really sure where to start! I like the premise as I feel that the topic is very relatable and that most readers will be able to empathize with the characters and what they are going through. Heartbreak, betrayal, divorce, and figuring out one's true path in life are things many people will face. But I had a hard time emotionally connecting to the story and the characters and I think that's part of the reason this book stayed firmly in the like, not love, category. There's also another reason, but we'll get to that later!

Return to Me introduces us to Reb, a girl about to embark on a major milestone: Reb is going off to college. The summer before her freshman year begins at Columbia, her family is moving to the East Coast. New Jersey in fact, right outside NYC. Reb leaves behind a devoted boyfriend and some truly amazing friends. She thinks that this move will be the start to great things... little did she know how horribly wrong things would go.

Reb's father is leaving them. He's been seeing another woman and wants a divorce. This comes as a shock after the family has moved clear across the country for his career. Now Reb must help her mom pick up the pieces, in addition to figuring out once and for all what career path she herself belongs on. Will the Muir family be able to move on from this betrayal? Can Reb hold on to love when she's unable to truly trust? And will she finally learn the truth about where her passion lies? Buckle up! This ride takes you coast to coast and off the beaten path...

Soooo... yeah. I thought the pacing was a little slow in the beginning but once the news leaked out about Reb's father's affair, things got moving. I did really enjoy the grandparents and the time the characters spent in Hawaii. I thought the author did a really good job of portraying Reb's mother's character as she began to piece back together her world. Reb was a little frustrating at times... mostly because she didn't seem to SEE the things that were so obvious from an outside perspective. She seemed a little slow when it came to realizing some things and I actually wanted to go through the book and shake her a few times! She did, finally, come to see the light though and I was pleased with that.

One thing I was NOT pleased with though is the seemingly ease to which these characters ALL seemed to make ALLLLL their dreams come true. The ending didn't feel real to me because it just seemed a little TOO perfect. Everyone achieves all their dreams and professional contacts just fall out of the sky! And money grows on trees!! But maybe these characters were born into a privilege that I, myself, cannot relate to. And maybe that's why I found it so hard to stomach the ending. But to each their own! Here's hoping you enjoy it more than I did.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Magan (Rather Be Reading) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: jan-2013-releases, little-brown-2013, 2012-reads

[Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading]

For those of you that loved North of Beautiful by Justina Chen, I am so hesitant to write this review. I, too, loved that book and had extremely high expectations of Return to Me. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same deep emotional connection with the characters, nor did I feel as rooted in the story.

My expectations for Return to Me were much different than the story that unfolded in the pages. I assumed Reb would be struggling to put her life back...more [Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading]

For those of you that loved North of Beautiful by Justina Chen, I am so hesitant to write this review. I, too, loved that book and had extremely high expectations of Return to Me. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same deep emotional connection with the characters, nor did I feel as rooted in the story.

My expectations for Return to Me were much different than the story that unfolded in the pages. I assumed Reb would be struggling to put her life back together while maintaining a long distance relationship and college. Much of the story is internal as Reb tries to answer the ”What will I do with my life now?” question. Her father’s deception causes her to second guess every aspect of her life, which was often frustrating because she realizes how many of her decisions were made to make him happy. She begins distrusting Jackson, her boyfriend, as if her father’s affair has flipped a switch in her. She plays a game of cat and mouse with him as she tries to sort through all of her emotions. Reb’s uneasiness made me dislike her character and hate how she was toying with someone else’s life, much like her father had been manipulating hers.

One of my biggest dilemmas with Return to Me was the quick and abrupt decision-making on behalf of Reb, the main character. One moment she’s completely invested in making her relationship work long distance with Jackson, and the next page, she’s withdrawn and has a completely different outlook. Her actions weren’t always easy to understand, weren’t explained well, and were extremely contradictory. I do understand that a girl reeling from her father’s abandonment would be imbalanced and uncertain, but minimizing the amount of back-and-forth action would have made Reb a more relatable character.

There is also a psychic/intuition/sixth sense element that really detached me from the story. Reb had disturbing visions when she thought about her family’s move, as if she knew something terrible was going to happen. Reb and the women in her family have a way of getting glimpses of the future; her negative feelings were a warning for her father’s unfaithfulness. Oftentimes, Reb would have a vision or a back story would be told that had no context to support the story; this element seemed to justify information that wasn’t necessary and, as a reader, I only felt more confused.

Overall, the story could have been more focused. If the sixth sense aspect of the story had been disregarded, the story would have flowed better and negated some of the unnecessary confusion and complexity. The timing and pacing could have benefitted from more fine tuning and made the story more believable. Though I desperately wanted to love another of Chen’s book, Return to Me sadly wasn’t a hit for me and left me feeling like I should not finished it and, instead, moved on to something I would have enjoyed more.(less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Juhina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hbg-canada, 2013, ebook, netgalley, review-books

Justina Chen Headley wrote a very dear novel to my heart, North of Beautiful. I found her writing to be powerful and her characters and plot to portray the lives that many people nowadays go through, so when I found out she had a new novel, I immediately picked it up. However, Return To Me, even with its soul-searching and signature writing of Headley, did not impress me and in the end I passed it as a good, but not great read.

Rebecca Muir's life comes crashing down when she discovers something...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Verna Seal rated it 5 of 5 stars

STARDUST! This book spoke to me in so many ways. Favorite passages:

"As long as you know a person's heart, you know them. Everything else is exploration. And trust me, you want to one who will take a lifetime to explore. Life is long, sweetheart. The last thing you want is to be bored." page 176

"It's a risk, but historically, the lava flows down the other side. Then you think about it, life is a risk. Every day is a risk ... Getting in a car is a risk. Loving is a risk. But, darling, losing it al...more

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