Just when 17-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. Tinged wi...
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reviews
Jan 26, 2012
karen
rated it: 
what an unexpectedly delightful book.
i was given an ARC of this and i looked at it and said "gak - biiirrrddss!" and figured i would read it when i got around to it. after some awfully gentle prodding, i got around to it and i read the damn thing in one day, tearassing through it with great glee and awe.
this book is a sad and unpredictable gem.
but with plenty of moments of humor.
it opens with a death-by-overdose and a million instances o More...
40 comments
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(61 people liked it)
May 05, 2011
Lyndsey
rated it: 
Oh, Cullen Witter, would one please stop talking about oneself in third person?
Where Things Come Back is told mostly from the first person perspective of the young man, Cullen Witter (well, except for when he often talks about himself in the third person) whose fifteen year old brother disappears. Cullen lives in a small town town that just happens to be obsessed with woodpeckers, specifically the long-presumed extinct Lazarus Woodpecker. Both the town and Cullen Witter develop a str More...
Where Things Come Back is told mostly from the first person perspective of the young man, Cullen Witter (well, except for when he often talks about himself in the third person) whose fifteen year old brother disappears. Cullen lives in a small town town that just happens to be obsessed with woodpeckers, specifically the long-presumed extinct Lazarus Woodpecker. Both the town and Cullen Witter develop a str More...
19 comments
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(21 people liked it)
Apr 28, 2011
Joel
rated it:
I won a book! I won a book on First Reads!
Where Things Come Back is a YA debut novel about a disgruntled teen in small town Arkansas (is there any other kind?). 17-year-old Cullen Witter would be an emo teen if Lily was big enough to support fringe subcultures. But he's got all the attributes: over-sensitive, journal-writing, picked on by jocks (every town has those), unlucky in love (until, of course, he becomes extremely lucky in love, a twist integral to the plot, but whatever). More...
Where Things Come Back is a YA debut novel about a disgruntled teen in small town Arkansas (is there any other kind?). 17-year-old Cullen Witter would be an emo teen if Lily was big enough to support fringe subcultures. But he's got all the attributes: over-sensitive, journal-writing, picked on by jocks (every town has those), unlucky in love (until, of course, he becomes extremely lucky in love, a twist integral to the plot, but whatever). More...
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(17 people liked it)
May 01, 2011
Isamlq
rated it:
I'll keep this short: I needed this. After a series of really shitty not so good reads over the past couple of days, Where Things Come Back reassures me that there are stories worth the effort of not sleeping.
My one complaint though is that it’s cover does not give what’s inside justice. That aside, I really enjoyed this book, the characters and how things came together.
On one hand there’s Cullen, and on the other there’s Benton: two people not connected at all, but thr More...
My one complaint though is that it’s cover does not give what’s inside justice. That aside, I really enjoyed this book, the characters and how things came together.
On one hand there’s Cullen, and on the other there’s Benton: two people not connected at all, but thr More...
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(9 people liked it)
Jan 09, 2012
Maggie
rated it:
Five Things About WHERE THINGS COME BACK
1. So. This book takes place in Lily, Arkansas, but it could take place in Nowhere, Virginia, as well, a place I am well acquainted with. It takes place in a small town the same way that my life took place in a small town — not in a surface way, not in a Hollywood way, but in a way that touches every bit of your life. Not good or bad, really, just . . . grit and dust and gross gas stations and lots of church. I appreciate that it feels effortle More...
1. So. This book takes place in Lily, Arkansas, but it could take place in Nowhere, Virginia, as well, a place I am well acquainted with. It takes place in a small town the same way that my life took place in a small town — not in a surface way, not in a Hollywood way, but in a way that touches every bit of your life. Not good or bad, really, just . . . grit and dust and gross gas stations and lots of church. I appreciate that it feels effortle More...
6 comments
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(19 people liked it)
Apr 05, 2011
Tatiana
rated it:
3.5 stars.
Where Things Come Back is a pretty good debut effort (and not so good choice of cover). A little hard to describe though.
17-year old Cullen Witter is passing his time in a tiny Arkansas town. There is nothing interesting or exciting going on. Cullen is simply waiting for his final high school year to be over and to move on to a life less dull. Everything changes when Cullen's younger brother Gabriel suddenly disappears. If Cullen thought his life was bad before, More...
Where Things Come Back is a pretty good debut effort (and not so good choice of cover). A little hard to describe though.
17-year old Cullen Witter is passing his time in a tiny Arkansas town. There is nothing interesting or exciting going on. Cullen is simply waiting for his final high school year to be over and to move on to a life less dull. Everything changes when Cullen's younger brother Gabriel suddenly disappears. If Cullen thought his life was bad before, More...
8 comments
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(18 people liked it)
Nov 21, 2011
tim
rated it: 
Not bad for my first first-reads win. Somehow I overlooked the YA designation when entering the contest. Regardless, I was mostly able to get over myself regarding the intended readership and enjoy this anyway. I do have some minor qualms with the book, but I don't feel like focusing on them because overall this is a fine story. I haven't read any other YA books to compare this with, but it stands up pretty well to, and reminded me at times of some very good adult fiction I've recently read and
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 20, 2011
Amy
rated it: 
This is an entirely different novel from what I thought I was picking up, and I am so very glad. Where Things Come Back has a mystery in it, but the focus on the characters--particularly, the coming of age of Cullen, who tells the story--drives the reader to truly care about what happens. It's not the "who dunnit" that matters here at all, which is both surprising and refreshing. Rarely do I feel so entirely connected to characters, and more rare is a novel that makes me believe, even
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 23, 2012
Klee
rated it:
Interesting to read at the same time as Okay for Now - boys and birds, who knew they went so well together?
Every part of this book rings true; adolescent diaglouge, variety of believable family relationships; the struggle of a teen boy to deal with vitally emotional issues instead of turning typical teen drama into high drama. The point at which the readers realizes ,i<how,i> events and characters collided only intensifies the desire to know the outcome. The author's use of l More...
Every part of this book rings true; adolescent diaglouge, variety of believable family relationships; the struggle of a teen boy to deal with vitally emotional issues instead of turning typical teen drama into high drama. The point at which the readers realizes ,i<how,i> events and characters collided only intensifies the desire to know the outcome. The author's use of l More...
Jan 24, 2012
So I'll start this review by saying that the book has been getting a lot of buzz. It recieved a starred review from Publisher's Weekly ; the book was nominated for a William C. Morris Debut Award; the author was named a 20 Under 30 author by NPR; and the author was a Flying Start Author (again from PW ). I'm sure there have been more reviews/buzz/etc, but those are the ones I can think of off of the top of my mind. Award books usually make me interested, not only because of the connotation tha
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 23, 2011
Alethea
rated it:
OH MY GOSH. I want to interview this man. Fantastic book.
I disagree about the cover. I just love Grady McFerrin's artwork. It's definitely not a mainstream choice for YA. More like R.A. Nelson, Natalie Standiford, or Beth Ann Bauman. His other YA book cover is the little-known The Book of the Maidservant. The cover also reminds me of
Full review forthcoming. More...
I disagree about the cover. I just love Grady McFerrin's artwork. It's definitely not a mainstream choice for YA. More like R.A. Nelson, Natalie Standiford, or Beth Ann Bauman. His other YA book cover is the little-known The Book of the Maidservant. The cover also reminds me of
Full review forthcoming. More...
Jun 13, 2011
Heather
rated it:
I loved this book! (not sure the cover will be appealing to teens)
Things have begun to disappear in Cullen's life: his brother, his family, his sanity, and his sense of direction. And amongst all of these things disappearing, the once-thought extinct Lazarus Woodpecker bird reappears in his small town, giving everyone hope at a second chance.
I immediately fell in love with the characters: Cullen, Gabriel, Lucas, Meena, etc. Cullen reminds me of a more lovable and hopeful Holden Caulfield. More...
Things have begun to disappear in Cullen's life: his brother, his family, his sanity, and his sense of direction. And amongst all of these things disappearing, the once-thought extinct Lazarus Woodpecker bird reappears in his small town, giving everyone hope at a second chance.
I immediately fell in love with the characters: Cullen, Gabriel, Lucas, Meena, etc. Cullen reminds me of a more lovable and hopeful Holden Caulfield. More...
Feb 20, 2012
Ellen
rated it:
"Where Things Come Back" is a book that is written in such a way that the reader is forced to reflect on many things, including life, death, family, dreams, and community. The cohesion of these things is what makes its writing unique and captivating.
As the book opens with the concept of death, a tone is set that carries throughout the rest of the book. Cullen, who is surrounded by the concept of death, is still forced to hold on to the vague hope of life. As he hold the hope More...
As the book opens with the concept of death, a tone is set that carries throughout the rest of the book. Cullen, who is surrounded by the concept of death, is still forced to hold on to the vague hope of life. As he hold the hope More...
Feb 20, 2012
Ben
rated it:
When I first began reading Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, I was shocked by how honest his writing was. Many other authors would back away from or only subtly hint at the use of profanity and the discussion of sexual intercourse, but not Whaley. He writes this story with a world view that many of his readers probably hold. I definitely do not agree with this world view, but the honesty that he uses in these areas helps the story to be perceived as believable and it effectively s
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Feb 20, 2012
Annie
rated it:
John Corey Whaley wrote a book that is called Where Things Come Back and you should read it. You should read it because it will make you feel things (go and hide when the psychic starts digging), and you should read it because you will learn a hell of a lot about love (how to beat up an ornithologist), and you should read it because it is a ridiculously beautiful story (like the story of Lazarus, who was a zombie).
It’s a story about Cullen Witter. Cullen Witter’s just this guy, you kno More...
It’s a story about Cullen Witter. Cullen Witter’s just this guy, you kno More...
Feb 19, 2012
Angela
rated it:
"Where Things Come Back" used many great tactics for readers. John Corey Whaley had two different plots that came together at the end of the story. The Lazarus Woodpecker was a lost bird that no one could find, and Gabriel Witter was a lost teenager no one could find who was fascinated by this bird. Cullen Witter, the protagonist who narrates this story from his point-of-view, discovers that life is not easy when his cousin dies, the girl (Ada Taylor) he loves loves someone else, hi
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Feb 18, 2012
Marissa
rated it:
John Corey Whaley's novel Where Things Come Back echoes another classic novel of teenage angst and cynicism: J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Many of Holden Caulfield's struggles, like loneliness and self-alienation, are replicated within Whaley's novel with protagonist Cullen Witter. Like Caulfield, Cullen is on a search for meaning in a seemingly "phony" world filled with things such as the Lazarus Bird -- a fake creation that only inspires false hope. Cullen and Caulfield
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Feb 13, 2012
Courtney
rated it:
Now here's a book that I'm still thinking about over a week after reading it.
Cullen lives in Lily, Arkansas. It's a really small town, about four thousand people. Cullen is used to the drudgery of small-town life. Then a couple of things happen that turn both Cullen's life and the town itself upside-down. First, a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct may have been spotted in town. The Lazarus woodpecker becomes the town's rallying point as ornithologists and tourists crowd in More...
Cullen lives in Lily, Arkansas. It's a really small town, about four thousand people. Cullen is used to the drudgery of small-town life. Then a couple of things happen that turn both Cullen's life and the town itself upside-down. First, a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct may have been spotted in town. The Lazarus woodpecker becomes the town's rallying point as ornithologists and tourists crowd in More...
Feb 11, 2012
Martha
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Feb 08, 2012
Joella
rated it:
Cullen has had one awful summer. First of all his cousin dies and he has to identify the body. Then this stranger claims to have seen a Lazarus woodpecker which was last seen decades ago. Then his brother disappears. And to top it all off, he is stuck in the small town of Lily, Arkansas where nothing happens yet nobody leaves. Also interspersed throughout the novel is a story that starts with Benton Sage who wants to be a missionary. The two stories twist around themselves until suddenly at the
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Feb 06, 2012
Reading
rated it:
So...when I first started to read this book, my thought was that I had been given another strange little story to read. And I was right. However, it also turned out to be a story that pulled me in and held my interest to the very last page. It is curious that the author can put together a small Arkansas town, a large woodpecker that hasn't been seen for 60 years, a high school girl whose boyfriends have a habit of dying, a missionary to Ethiopia, zombies and two teenage brothers, and form a stor
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Feb 03, 2012
Penny
rated it:
I had the happy opportunity of meeting awestruck John Corey Whaley (he goes by Corey) in Dallas right after the announcement that he had received both the Morris and the Printz award! He is a wonderful young man who is so grateful for librarians who recognize his work. (The Morris award is for a debut author, and the Printz award is for the excellence in young adult literature. It is the first time that the same author has received both awards in one year.)
I loved this book! I fou More...
I loved this book! I fou More...
Feb 01, 2012
Emily
rated it: 
Folks, I didn't like it. It reminded me a bit of When I Reach You, which I didn't love, either, but with less tight writing and structure (especially in the non-Cullen chapters, which seemed to veer out of control, or to have no direction, like someone was making them up on the spot as opposed to planning them). I had problems with characterization: Whaley would give us lots of details about a character, for ex. Gabriel, without ever fully creating the character--the details didn't hang together
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Jan 10, 2012
Miz Lizzie
rated it:
An odd book with a quirky literary style that had the odd bright moment but did not work as a synthetic whole for me. Part of the problem is that all of the blurbs on the book make it sound like the book focuses on one main storyline. Instead, it is told in alternating storylines (in different timelines as it turns out -- a confusion that may be deliberate). The connection between the storylines becomes only vaguely apparent two-thirds of the way through the novel. This is very much a literar
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Dec 21, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Lily, Arkansas is all a-twitter (ha ha) with news of a sighting of the Lazarus Woodpecker, a species long thought to have been extinct. But Cullen Witter couldn't care less. Just weeks after the reported signing, Cullens' brother Gabriel went missing. With no news, and no leads, Cullen looses hope of ever seeing his brother again. While bird-watching enthusiasts and reporters flood to Lily to celebrate the return of the lost bird, Cullen grieves for the loss of his beloved little brother.
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Dec 10, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Based purely on literary merit, I have to give this 5 stars. Based on my experience with the book and the experience I assume teen readers will have with it . . . I’m not sure what I want to rate it. I’m not sure yet--just after finishing it--what I think about it. It’s meaty and substantive with much to think about, is well constructed and paced, has an excellently voiced narrator, and has tangible, sympathetic characters. I think I really like it. But I didn’t have the emotional engagemen
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Nov 28, 2011
The small, sleepy southern town of Lily, Arkansas goes into a frenzy when a birdwatcher thinks he spots a Lazarus Woodpecker, a species thought to be extinct. (“Lily is the kind of place you’d like to move to some short time before you die. If at any other time in your life you think you need the peace and quiet of Lily, Arkansas, then you should either see a therapist or stay there for a week and try to find anything half-entertaining to do.”) The town of Lily is, in some ways, reminiscent of T
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Sep 24, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
I love when two seemingly separate stories with absolutely no possible connection turn out to have much in common and end up intersecting. That's the case in this book by a brand-new novelist. It's summertime in Lily, Arkansas, and Cullen Witter spends the time working, looking for love, and trying to find his brother who inexplicably goes missing one night while Cullen is on a double date. The residents of the tiny town are more caught up in spotting the Lazarus bird, a woodpecker supposedly sp
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Aug 20, 2011
Jane
rated it:
I loved this book. Although it is labeled YA, it can certainly be enjoyed by adults (and I'm sure by tweens as well). I initially picked it up because it is marginally about the discovery of a woodpecker long thought extinct - not the real ivory-billed woodpecker but the fictional Lazarus woodpecker. I am a bird lover so the premise intrigued me.
The author's characters are dead on. The book is mostly narrated by a 17-year-old boy, and he, his best friend, his best friend's girlfriend More...
The author's characters are dead on. The book is mostly narrated by a 17-year-old boy, and he, his best friend, his best friend's girlfriend More...
