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gillianw's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed for Just Love
4 stars
Compelling and atmospheric, Back To You is the kind of mystery that unfolds slowly but still manages to capture you in and draw you along as it uncovers a decades old disappearance that still haunts the inhabitants of small town in British Columbia, Canada.
After 20 years away, Alex Buchanan is reluctantly returning to his hometown to assist his sister Janet in their father’s dying days. Estranged from his dad and increasingly unsatisfied with the kind of writing he’s been doing at the magazine he works for, Alex is convinced by his editor that this might be a good opportunity to chronicle a father/son reunion. But Alex has more than work and his father’s imminent death on his mind. His thoughts revolve around is former best friend, Benji and what he might be up to these days.
In hindsight, I suppose I could have Googled him, or found him on Facebook like any other long-lost friend, but I was already in motion, driving the extra hour east purely by instinct, as if Benji were my true north and I the needle on the compass.
The relationship between Alex and Ben is deliberately understated in this book, but I feel that’s how it should be. In reality, this is more about coming to terms with the past, whether it be a parent-child relationship that soured over time, or the impact a tragic event can have on people and how they are forced to deal with the fallout.
Back To You not only takes a look at what it takes for two grown men to forgive past transgressions, but how to move forward from a event so dire it impacted two families forever, both of them haunted in different ways about the disappearance of a 17 year old girl and what it might mean for all of them if the mystery is solved.
I loved the somewhat dream-like atmosphere of this book and appreciated the moody weather-driven setting, if only because I have driven through many of the places mentioned. The Highway of Tears is all too real, as are the many unsolved murders and disappearances of too many women that occurred over that particular stretch of road for more than 40 years.
All in all, I thought this was an excellent story by a new-to-me author. I can assure you, this won’t be my last book by Chris Scully and I hope to pick up more of her books in the near future.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
4 stars
Compelling and atmospheric, Back To You is the kind of mystery that unfolds slowly but still manages to capture you in and draw you along as it uncovers a decades old disappearance that still haunts the inhabitants of small town in British Columbia, Canada.
After 20 years away, Alex Buchanan is reluctantly returning to his hometown to assist his sister Janet in their father’s dying days. Estranged from his dad and increasingly unsatisfied with the kind of writing he’s been doing at the magazine he works for, Alex is convinced by his editor that this might be a good opportunity to chronicle a father/son reunion. But Alex has more than work and his father’s imminent death on his mind. His thoughts revolve around is former best friend, Benji and what he might be up to these days.
In hindsight, I suppose I could have Googled him, or found him on Facebook like any other long-lost friend, but I was already in motion, driving the extra hour east purely by instinct, as if Benji were my true north and I the needle on the compass.
The relationship between Alex and Ben is deliberately understated in this book, but I feel that’s how it should be. In reality, this is more about coming to terms with the past, whether it be a parent-child relationship that soured over time, or the impact a tragic event can have on people and how they are forced to deal with the fallout.
Back To You not only takes a look at what it takes for two grown men to forgive past transgressions, but how to move forward from a event so dire it impacted two families forever, both of them haunted in different ways about the disappearance of a 17 year old girl and what it might mean for all of them if the mystery is solved.
I loved the somewhat dream-like atmosphere of this book and appreciated the moody weather-driven setting, if only because I have driven through many of the places mentioned. The Highway of Tears is all too real, as are the many unsolved murders and disappearances of too many women that occurred over that particular stretch of road for more than 40 years.
All in all, I thought this was an excellent story by a new-to-me author. I can assure you, this won’t be my last book by Chris Scully and I hope to pick up more of her books in the near future.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
missawn's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. Nice chemistry and a lovely setting. Parts of this book were heart wrenchingly sad. And I loved that this book tackled a wide range of important issues including the "highway of tears", bisexual representation (well done!), small towns, mental health, grief/loss etc. There is a lot to sink your teeth into here. I applaud the authors tenacity in providing the reader with a bit more substance than what is typical in this genre. There are a few flaws that prevented this from being the 5 star read it easily could have been. I did not particularly like how the murder mystery was resolved ... I had a hard time buying into the circumstances and how that storyline was resolved so quickly. Another pet peeve of mine in this genre is how accurately people are able to remember events that happened 20 years ago. Things like the approximate time a car drove by and even what you did on that day. That isn't super realistic and something I come across often. The first half of this book is brilliantly engaging but the momentum does wane slightly in the second half of the book. It felt like it needed a bit of a tighter edit. Regardless, I did enjoy this book and will definately keep an eye out for books from this author ...
leahkarge's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, it was a well done story. It just wasn’t anything particularly special in my mind; the novel was just pretty bland.
Check out the full review on my blog.
Check out the full review on my blog.
baozixiumai's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
4.0
~ 4.5 Stars ~
It’s been awhile since a book I was reading kept me up past my bedtime. And that’s exactly what Back to You did. If I didn’t have to go to work the next day, I would have finished this one in one sitting.
First, I want to say that I enjoyed Back to You. It’s well written and has more plot than romance. I felt the mystery was well done, because it kept me guessing until the very end! Alex was easy to connect to since it’s from his POV that one learns about his character and his past relationship with Benji.
It’s always a shame when two children are torn apart as a result of adults who refuse to grow up and work things out. In this case, Alex’s father, and even Benji’s mom, has a lot to answer for. But in the end, you find out that guilt has a way of changing a person, and how it eats away at the soul.
As for the romance part of Back to You, well, let’s just say it’s secondary compared to what’s going on in the story. It’s kind of a refreshing change of scenery for me since I’m one who loves the reconnection stories, and how the characters go about making things work again.
Chris Scully is an auto buy for me, and Back to You is another winner with me! I’m looking forward to it coming out in audio.
Reviewed by Kim for The Novel Approach
It’s been awhile since a book I was reading kept me up past my bedtime. And that’s exactly what Back to You did. If I didn’t have to go to work the next day, I would have finished this one in one sitting.
First, I want to say that I enjoyed Back to You. It’s well written and has more plot than romance. I felt the mystery was well done, because it kept me guessing until the very end! Alex was easy to connect to since it’s from his POV that one learns about his character and his past relationship with Benji.
It’s always a shame when two children are torn apart as a result of adults who refuse to grow up and work things out. In this case, Alex’s father, and even Benji’s mom, has a lot to answer for. But in the end, you find out that guilt has a way of changing a person, and how it eats away at the soul.
As for the romance part of Back to You, well, let’s just say it’s secondary compared to what’s going on in the story. It’s kind of a refreshing change of scenery for me since I’m one who loves the reconnection stories, and how the characters go about making things work again.
Chris Scully is an auto buy for me, and Back to You is another winner with me! I’m looking forward to it coming out in audio.
Reviewed by Kim for The Novel Approach
shelbanuadh's review against another edition
3.0
This book was well written, so I'd give it 4 stars for that. However, the story just wasn't to my taste, so for that I'd have to give it 2 stars. Hence the 3 stars.
charkinzie's review
4.0
This was a really good book. It's well-written, thoughtful and emotional. As someone who grew up in the North, I appreciated that the author chose to include "The Highway of Tears" as part of the story. Ultimately, this book is about all the types of loss we face in our lives, and how we learn to live with it.
anitalouise's review
5.0
"How could you find your soul-mate before you'd even started shaving?" Benji and Alex met when they were about six years old and were best friends in Alton, a small town in the middle of nowhere in British Columbia. They did everything together. Had adventures. Had sleepovers, etc. Both lived in rather dysfunctional households. Alex had to leave when the boys were 13 when his mother left Alex' father, a man who was fast becoming an alcoholic. Ben's father had died so he and his older sister, Misty, lived with their mother Angela. This book! So we are now about 20 years later and Alex reluctantly returns because his sister begged him to return because their father has end-stage cirrhosis. Alex is a journalist who plans to write a story about his life in Alton. There is a mystery that has enveloped the town. Ben's sister, Misty, disappeared not too long before Alex moved away. As Alex returns, there has been a development in the case. Alex also wants to re-connect with Benji but is afraid. The gloom and decay of the town is depicted beautifully. You can see the empty storefronts. The gray mist that hangs over the town. So many interconnections between the characters. Angela and Janet are excellently drawn. Tragic women who are caught in a place in their lives that to them, is inescapable. Rarely do you find MM books with women who, for me, deserve sympathy. So many things wrong. The fraught romance between Ben and Alex. Ben who is strong yet terribly fragile. You just want to wrap him up in a warm blanket to keep his safe. Alex who has surrounded himself with a shield to keep from getting hurt. Alex is bisexual and the author does a wonderful job capturing that "I'd fucked anybody who'd have me until Tanya had come along and we'd gotten married." Alex has been an equal opportunity shithead to his lovers - both women and men. The resolution of the mystery of Misty's disappearance and the fits and starts of Ben and Alex' romance was brilliantly written. I have to say that I was surprised by what happened. Lots of shoulda, coulda, woulda here. This author is new to me though I have a fair number of her books on my Kindle. Yay, because I love the writing style. "Because I'm going to fall in love with you." he replied simply with one hand on the doorknob. "And you're going to rip out my heart when you leave. And I won't be able to handle it this time."
Emotional, engaging, characters that jumped off of the page. Brava!!
Emotional, engaging, characters that jumped off of the page. Brava!!