Where things come back

Zusatztext “[A] smart! darkly funny! and multilayered debut…. Whaley weaves numerous story lines and themes together with the confidence of a seasoned writer! resulting in a thought-provoking story about media! faith! and family.” -- Publishers Weekly! November 7! 2011! a "Best Books of 2011" selection Informationen zum Autor John Corey Whaley grew up in Louisiana. His debut novel, Where Things Come Back, was the 2012 winner of the Michael L. Printz and the William C. Morris Awards. You can learn more about him at JohnCoreyWhaley.com and follow him on Twitter: @Corey_Whaley. Klappentext Winner of the 2012 Michael L. Printz and William C. Morris Awards, this poignant and hilarious story of loss and redemption “explores the process of grief, second chances, and even the meaning of life” ( Kirkus Reviews ).In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter’s senior year of high school, he is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.Meanwhile, the crisis of faith spawned by a young missionary’s disillusion in Africa prompts a frantic search for meaning that has far-reaching consequences. As distant as the two stories initially seem, they are woven together through masterful plotting and merge in a surprising and harrowing climax.This extraordinary tale from a rare literary voice finds wonder in the ordinary and illuminates the hope of second chances.Where Things Come Back C HAPTER O NE All the Idealism in the World Couldn’t Shake This Feeling            I was seventeen years old when I saw my first dead body. It wasn’t my cousin Oslo’s. It was a woman who looked to have been around fifty or at least in her late forties. She didn’t have any visible bullet holes or scratches, cuts, or bruises, so I assumed that she had just died of some disease or something; her body barely hidden by the thin white sheet as it awaited its placement in the lockers. The second dead body I ever saw was my cousin Oslo’s. I recognized his dirty brown shoes immediately as the woman wearing the bright white coat grasped the metallic handle and yanked hard to slide the body out from the silvery wall. “That’s him,” I said to her. “You sure?” “Positive.” His eyes were closed. His lips purple. His arms had bruises and track marks. Nothing was hidden from view, as he had died in a sleeveless white T-shirt, one of the same he had worn nearly every day of his life. There was something white in the corners of his mouth, but I didn’t ask what it might be. I didn’t really say much after that. The woman waited there for me to cry or say “I’m done,” or something. But I didn’t do a thing. I just stared at him. And I’m not sure if I was thinking anything at that moment either. I wasn’t thinking about missing him or pitying him or even about how angry I was at him. I was just standing there like some ass-hat, mouth half-open and eyes glued to one spot. Eventually the white coat woman broke the silence. “Do you need any more time?” she asked. “No thanks. I’m good.” My mother cried on the way home. My little brother, Gabriel, looked anxious, but he kept his headphones on and didn’t say much for the duration of our trip. I drove, but I didn’t want to because I thought it might rain. I hate driving in the rain. I’d wanted my dad to come along so I wouldn’t have to play man for the evening by driving th...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: John Corey Whaley
• Editore: Atheneum Publishing
• Lingue: Inglese
• Raccomandazione d'eta': 14 a 17 anni
• Formato: Copertina rigida
• Pubblicazione: 03.05.2011
• EAN: 9781442413337
• ISBN: 978-1-4424-1333-7
• Dimensioni: 145 mm x 218 mm x 25 mm
• Categorie: Guide e manuali > Salute; Libri per bambini e per ragazzi