Monday, April 12, 2010

The Returners by Gemma Malley

Fifteen year old Will Hodges is different from the other kids in his school. His mom committed suicide which he witnessed when he was eight, his old shrink thinks he's paranoid when Will says "freaks" are following him around everywhere he goes, he's a witness to a murder and he has weird nightmares about people getting killed. One day one of the "freaks" tells him he's a Returner and for some reason he doesn't remember things he is apparently supposed to. As Will struggles to decide whether the Returners are real, Britain is starting to feel that the immigrants that come into the country are making the country a worse place. Will's destiny is realized as Will becomes more absorbed into who the Returners are.

The beginning of the book was a little different. It takes place in 2016 in Britain. If you don't understand some British talk it could be a little bit confusing. Also during the first few chapters you realize how loner-ish and depressing sounding the kid is. But after the Returners are introduced the plot gets better. Another thing that’s mildly annoying is the characters of Patrick and Will's dad who are in the party who don't like the immigrants that are in Britain. The ending of the book was pretty good because Will realizes things about his destiny and past lives that are interesting. All and all the book was good it wasn't an epic page turner but it was worth reading.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois United States