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Return Addresses
by
“This ain't your world. You don’t have any friends out here. Not real ones. No one out here cares about nothin' but where their next drink or fix is comin' from. That, or they were born too messed up in the head to even understand what friendship is. Remember that. You can't trust nobody. You can't rely on no one but yourself.”
Fourteen-year-old Sean Pennington never t ...more
Fourteen-year-old Sean Pennington never t ...more
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The blog tour for Return Addresses begins today! While you’re there, enter for a chance to win a $20 dollar Amazon gift card! https://readrantrockandroll.com/2020/...
Michael McLellan’s new book Return Addresses is a story about a young teen (Sean) who is dealing with grief and loss after losing both his parents. Sean is quickly thrust into protective services which places him in a problematic group home. Now he’s left to navigate all the turmoil that goes with it before deciding to take matters ...more
Michael McLellan’s new book Return Addresses is a story about a young teen (Sean) who is dealing with grief and loss after losing both his parents. Sean is quickly thrust into protective services which places him in a problematic group home. Now he’s left to navigate all the turmoil that goes with it before deciding to take matters ...more
I think my favourite thing about Michael McLellan's books is that they're so deeply, deeply unpredictable. Both here and in his earlier work, 'In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree', I was never, at any point, able to guess what was going to happen beyond the next chapter. Reading McLellan's work is the literary equivalent of taking a ride on a crazy rollercoaster, blindfolded, a hundred times without stopping. It will leave you exhilarated, shaky, and gasping for more.
...more
“Return Addresses”, was a train wreck that I couldn’t pull away from....
until I could!
Around the 50% mark, it became so disturbing for me....
I was done.....ANGRY
- DISGUSTED...and DONE....
But damn......
I returned to it....
Against my better ( personal well being), judgement.
I think most readers will grip this book - hold their breath - and read it in one sitting.
The writing is seamless—flowing effortlessly—-
But it was such an unpleasant experience for me—
I hated it in the end!
There were moment ...more
until I could!
Around the 50% mark, it became so disturbing for me....
I was done.....ANGRY
- DISGUSTED...and DONE....
But damn......
I returned to it....
Against my better ( personal well being), judgement.
I think most readers will grip this book - hold their breath - and read it in one sitting.
The writing is seamless—flowing effortlessly—-
But it was such an unpleasant experience for me—
I hated it in the end!
There were moment ...more
”’What’s fly a sign mean?’ Sean asked.
Andrea bent down, unzipped the top of her pack, and removed a battered square of cardboard. She held it up for Sean. Written in large block letters with a black maker was:
‘We hold these up and wait for people to give us money. It’s how we survive.’
Sean felt stupid for not making the connection himself. ‘Is that what spange means too?’
‘Yep. Same thing. Spare change...spange.’”
Bad things happen to good people. We’ve all seen it, and ma ...more
Andrea bent down, unzipped the top of her pack, and removed a battered square of cardboard. She held it up for Sean. Written in large block letters with a black maker was:
Travelling
Anything helps
‘We hold these up and wait for people to give us money. It’s how we survive.’
Sean felt stupid for not making the connection himself. ‘Is that what spange means too?’
‘Yep. Same thing. Spare change...spange.’”
Bad things happen to good people. We’ve all seen it, and ma ...more
This was well worth waiting for; an emotional heartbreaking story entirely unpredictable. Astounding realism filled with vivid real life characters not soon forgotten. Accurate to the degree that it could be considered non-fiction. I really enjoyed this and could hardly put it aside. The ending was most appropriate and, like I said, unpredictable.
**Update** 4-27-20
I've finally received paperbacks!! Preorders and review copies will be going out starting tomorrow so watch your mailbox. Thanks everyone and best wishes.
4-11-20
Due mainly to Covid 19's far reaching influence, Return Addresses' June 1st release date has been scrapped and the book is now available. See links below.
Preorders and review copies will be shipping over the next two weeks. Thank you everyone. Stay safe out there. I sincerely appreciate the support I've received from t ...more
I've finally received paperbacks!! Preorders and review copies will be going out starting tomorrow so watch your mailbox. Thanks everyone and best wishes.
4-11-20
Due mainly to Covid 19's far reaching influence, Return Addresses' June 1st release date has been scrapped and the book is now available. See links below.
Preorders and review copies will be shipping over the next two weeks. Thank you everyone. Stay safe out there. I sincerely appreciate the support I've received from t ...more
Return Addresses is Michael McLellan's fourth book and his second work focusing on contemporary themes. The plot involves the physical and emotional abuse of Sean Pennington, a teenager who loses his father and finds himself tied up in the California social welfare system. A cautionary tale to parents of teens: in the event that your child is left parentless, if you do not designate a legal guardian for your child and have a proper will, you may well be leaving them in a situation like Sean's.
...more
Emotional and definitely heart-wrenching at times, Michael McLellan's Return Addresses is the story of 14 year old Sean Pennington's world being turned upside down and him left scrambling to navigate his way through it.
*unfinished* ...more
*unfinished* ...more
So I was actually pretty excited to read this book. It really captures the readers and never leaves them bored. However I do wish there was a trigger warning about this book so I could've been better prepared for what happened. It was really disturbing and made me pretty angry. But I'm so happy with how the book ended and it ended up being an ending I wasn't expecting.
...more
"Bittersweet, like finishing off a superb bottle of your favorite drink. Sweet as one enjoys a drink from the first sip to the last swallow, and bitter as in the bottle is empty in the end."
Micheal McLellan has done it again. Return address has something for everyone. Although a bit dark at times, I found the valleys in Sean’s life had to be realized to genuinely appreciate the peaks. I hate spoilers, so I will refrain from speaking specifically about the twists and turns of this epic tale. I fo ...more
Micheal McLellan has done it again. Return address has something for everyone. Although a bit dark at times, I found the valleys in Sean’s life had to be realized to genuinely appreciate the peaks. I hate spoilers, so I will refrain from speaking specifically about the twists and turns of this epic tale. I fo ...more
“Return Addresses” by Michael McLellan is a fast-past, highly engaging read with many unexpected twists and turn giving a true depiction of life on the street for an orphaned young teen. . I couldn't put the book down!
The constantly moving plot revolves around a fourteen-year-old boy who loses just about everything he’s ever known. The author has depicted a true-to-life plot which moves swiftly, giving quick, deep glimpses into some of the worst scenarios a kid who has become an orphan can face ...more
The constantly moving plot revolves around a fourteen-year-old boy who loses just about everything he’s ever known. The author has depicted a true-to-life plot which moves swiftly, giving quick, deep glimpses into some of the worst scenarios a kid who has become an orphan can face ...more
You’d better believe that this story is able to pull you into its clutches. McLellan does a fantastic job at introducing the world and its character from the very first word. While I can’t even imagine what Sean goes through in this story, I certainly empathize with his situation. I’m lucky to have had two loving parents while growing up – and continue to – so I can’t even imagine how hard that’s got to be.
Sean goes through a lot once his father’s dead, things he never expected to deal with. For ...more
Sean goes through a lot once his father’s dead, things he never expected to deal with. For ...more
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I am speechless. I don’t think I have read any novel so sad, raw, beautiful and disturbing in one go. This is probably one of the most memorable and haunting books I have read this year.
Sean is character whom I don’t think I will ever forget in the near future. My heart just went out to him in the story. I’ll be honest. I grew up in a sheltered environment with loving parents, and looking back, don’t have any scarring memorie ...more
Just finished I really liked it! Cant wait to see what Michael has for us next keep 'em coming!
...more
Another great book from McLellan! It's hard to talk about this book without giving anything away because one of it's greatest strengths is it's lack of predictability. I found myself immediately attached to the main character, which in spots made for a rough read, because as usual, the author puts our main players through Hell. That is to say, that this isn't the type of book to read with your Sunday tea. Perhaps unless you're as twisted as the author himself. : )
This one grips you from the beg ...more
This one grips you from the beg ...more
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Michael’s love of books began with Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle when he was seven-years-old. Later influenced by the works of John Steinbeck, Harper Lee, Stephen King, James Baldwin, and Cormac McCarthy, Michael developed his style of storytelling. He draws on his experiences and observations to bring relevant and compelling topics to life.
To date, Michael has published four novel ...more
To date, Michael has published four novel ...more
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