Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
Will Hodge doesn't have many happy days, especially since his mother died and his father's political involvement has grown more and more radical. In addition to stress at home, Will's friends don't really talk to him anymore, he starts losing short blocks of time, and strange people start following him around claiming to know him.
Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is losing his mind, but soon explains away the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.
Eventually, he can't avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are "people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past." When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.
Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?
As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading THE RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners storyline, as most of the book deals with Will's denial of his connection to the strange people following him.
Will Hodge doesn't have many happy days, especially since his mother died and his father's political involvement has grown more and more radical. In addition to stress at home, Will's friends don't really talk to him anymore, he starts losing short blocks of time, and strange people start following him around claiming to know him.
Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is losing his mind, but soon explains away the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.
Eventually, he can't avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are "people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past." When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.
Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?
As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading THE RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners storyline, as most of the book deals with Will's denial of his connection to the strange people following him.
Young Adult literature by Gemma Malley. Will Hodges is a troubled teen-ager, whose mother had died, and who doesn't fit in with any group. He has black-outs, nightmares, and he believes strange people are staring at him. He learns that the freaks - the people following him are "returners." Their role in humanity is to bear witness to human cruelty, and atrocities. Then he learns that he is also a returner, and has a very specific role. Will, and the rest of us have to consider these questions: Is our destiny set in stone? Do we want it to be? Do we have the courage to change? This is an interesting book, well written. I gave it only three stars, because I found it a little too dark. It is throught provoking. Unlike anything I ever read as a young adult.
