An old book request that got lost in my first attempt to use NetGalley when I didn’t understand or appreciate how the system worked.

Reading it reminds me a little of what Marvel tried to show us lately with their shows about life after the Avengers fixed what Thanos did. I know how it sounds, but please bear with me for a moment. I’m not a very cultured person, so this is the closest reference I could think of.

In The Returned, people come back to life, but not in a dramatic way as you might expect from movies. Instead, they simply appear—randomly, in different places, long after their deaths. But as I said, there’s no dramatic reason, no heart-stopping action scenes. They just do, and we don’t know why.

So The Returned is more about the logistical and moral side of how we react as a society. Think The Falcon and the Winter Soldier TV show (I know, please don’t hate me), if you’ve watched it. If we take out the supernatural horror of the dead coming back to life, what do we get? That’s what The Returned explores—it reflects on belief, acceptance, and the hope of a loved one returning when they don’t.

Sadly, the pacing of the book wasn’t perfect for me. Since I mentioned Marvel as a reference, I’ll admit that books like this can sometimes go over my simple, basic brain. I did enjoy it, though, and I can see myself recommending it.

Oddly enough reading the book makes me want to watch the TV Show. I think where the book didn't work for me, the show will.

This book has left an indelible mark on me. The stories of its fictional characters resonated deeply, prompting introspection and self-discovery. Rarely have I felt such a profound connection, stirring raw emotions that left my heart both shattered and whole.

In this remarkable novel, a mysterious phenomenon unfolds: the dead return, unaged and bewildered. Instead of following a single narrative, we're immersed in a rich tapestry of interconnected lives. We witness how individuals respond to the reappearance of loved ones, grappling with complex emotions and lessons learned.

At its core, the story revolves around Harold and Lucille Hargrave, reunited with their 8-year-old son Jacob, who drowned 50 years prior. Their journey is a poignant exploration of love, forgiveness, and letting go.

While some may find the world-building and plot details imperfect, I found the ambiguity captivating. Sometimes, mysteries are best left unexplained, inviting faith and hope. This book prompted me to reflect on my life, relationships, and the meaning of existence.

The author's masterful prose and authentic characters evoke powerful emotions. Human nature, in all its complexity, shines through. I'm still moved to tears thinking about this book.

I won't spoil the experience for you; read it and uncover your own insights. This poignant, thought-provoking novel has changed me in ways I'm still discovering. Thank you, Mr. Mott, for this unforgettable masterpiece."

Did not receive/read in time due to technical error on kindle/tablet. Not having left feedback has due to error has impacted my shelves. Leaving 4 stars.

The Returned introduces a question that most of us probably wouldn’t want to answer — how would we feel if our loved ones returned from the dead? Adding to the indecision is the uncertainty of what these people are – just a copy of their living selves? Or something else? What’s interesting to me is how Lucille and Harold deal with Jacob’s return in such different ways, not only due to their differences in religious belief but how they perceive Jacob’s existence. I also enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of other Returned, how they handled their fates as well as how they’re received by their families.

The biggest thing you need to know is that this? This is a DEBUT novel. So often an author has their debut and while it's good- it's not mind blowing. Some authors never write a book this good their entire lives but here you have Jason Mott hitting it out of park on his first try.
Secondly, this book will pull you in because of the story, the characters, and the implications on your own life if this were real. It's about the Hargraves mainly, who after 50 years are reunited with their song Jacob who died on his 8th birthday. Harold and Lucille had been watching the news of the "returned", the name given to the many people who have been dead for years but are coming back unchanged to their former lives for no rhyme or reason. So one day, Jacob is at the door with Agent Bellamy and while Lucille originally proclaimed the Returned are the work of the devil, faced with her own son she declares it a miracle from God. Harold is a bit more skeptical. He seems to know something isn't quite right but seeing Lucille's joy holds him back from turning Jacob away.
But Jacob isn't the only one. Dispersed through the novel are snippets from other Returned families and how not everyone has gotten an open armed welcome back.
What drives the entire book is the fear of the unknown. Nobody knows what to think of these people or is it a sign of the end times? But it also asks the question- what would you do differently? Would you love that person more? Would you have tried harder to be a better person in their lives? Would you have watched them better? And how will you grieve differently? So often you see parents who suffer through the tragic loss of a child- they will sometimes come together and grieve as a unit, or other times they grieve separately and go on living life with a vacant hole in them and just decide that's the best it'll ever get. I suppose what scares people the most is confronting their failures and the things they are ashamed they did or didn't do. It's uncomfortable and scary.
I so badly want to tell you how the book ends because it's perfect. It's a perfect kind of explanation, I suppose? It's like the Returned had a job they didn't know they had- it's like righting the wrongs, but not really. It's hard to really explain it without giving away the ending but I absolutely loved it. And I really had a soft spot for Harold. He reminds me of a Grandpa- that stern Grandpa you had that you know has a sentimental soft spot in there somewhere but times have hardened that, made it harder to recognize.

I loved this book. The subject drew me in and with all the tv shows out there about this subject, nothing has satisfied me more than Jason Mott's novels.

This book didn’t work for me. I did not finsih read this one so I will not be rating or reviewing this title. Thank you for the opportunity.

The story was fairly intriguing in that unanswered questions kept me interested until the end. However the important questions never got answered and the ending was terrible. Throughout, I had hoped to learn where the returned had been, and what they'd been doing, while dead. In the end, when they all started dying again, why? Where did they go? When I heard this would become a TV series, I thought, "Good luck with that." I watched one episode and, not surprisingly, there wasn't much to it.

The dead are coming back to life. Not as zombies or ghosts or any other form of 'undead' supernatural creatures, but as themselves, just as they were when they left their mortal coil. It is an interesting concept. As much as we miss those who have passed away, and as hard as it is to come to grips with someone leaving our lives so permanently, we <em>do</em> come to terms with it. A 'returned' then is an interruption. It is an unnatural, often un-welcomed reminder of what was missed.

Take, for example, Harold and Lucille Hargrave in this book. Their son died at age eight in 1966. Now they are in their golden years when Jacob returns, still eight, on their doorstep. All over the world similar stories are suddenly happening. The obvious questions are: are they real? Are these really the same individuals, returned for some inexplicable, miraculous reason? And of course "How"" and "Why?"

But author Jason Mott's book is not about the fantasy aspects of the dead returned to life, but about individuals and their reactions to such an unexpected phenomenon. From the individual, moralistic (sometimes religious, sometimes not) point of view to the political, governmental approach to dealing with the unexpected.

It is, as I write, an interesting concept and attempt to explore, and it doesn't bother me at all that we don't get solid answers to the obvious questions. But for an experiment of this sort to really work we need to sympathize with someone. We need to buy in to the shock and the fear of the unknown or the lack of understanding of the characters filling the book. And we don't.

Mott keeps the reader at bay - allowing us to observe but not to feel along with the central characters. This is surprising, given that Mott is a celebrated poet and poetry is all about the feelings. But the sparseness of language in poetry that evokes images and mood, doesn't do the same thing for character and even the Goodreads description of the book mentions "spare, eloquent prose."

The emotion does come through near the end of the book, and I was truly moved by what was happening, but it was a little too late to have me actually caring. The ending would have served better earlier in the book as a catalyst to character action.

Looking for a good book? <em>The Returned</em> by Jason Mott has an interesting sci-fi concept but there's too little character development, coming too late, to make it a worthwhile read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

“Let the boy stay a miracle,” Harold managed.

The blurb of this story may sound unbelievable, or that it’s one of the zombie stories so popular right now. Neither is true. Everything about this book seems perfectly believable, as long as you believe in miracles.

This is a story about love, life, and death, and what people really mean to us. All around the world people who died are returning, inexplicably, and appearing as they were when they passed on. In the case of the MCs an elderly couple finds themselves confronted with the 8-year-old son they lost to a drowning accident decades ago. As life goes on we find that not all of The Returned are welcome, although Harold and Lucille do welcome Jacob back into their lives, Lucille maybe more than Harold.

Their community is not as welcoming, with suspicions that Jacob is not human being the chief concern. Everyone’s faith is called into question and personalities are changed, not always for the better.

I enjoyed this unique and interesting tale of life beyond the grave and the meaning of death. I was disappointed that I kept looking for why these people were returned and the answer is not definitely there. However, isn’t that the truth of miracles? They are presented from grace, not with answers to questions, but just as they are.