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A review by nowsarasays
The Return by Rachel Harrison
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I would’ve rated this book higher if the author had followed through on some of the storylines she began to develop. The first 70% of the novel was engaging, centered around the mystery of Julie’s disappearance and her sudden reappearance two years later. That core storyline held my attention, and I appreciated the slow trickle of subplots—particularly Elise’s complicated feelings for Julie’s husband, Tristan, and Elise’s own troubled past. But those threads were never fully explored or brought to a satisfying resolution.
Instead, at the height of the tension, we finally learn what Julie really is and what motivated her return. And just as the stakes seem to rise, the narrative abruptly ends. The story wraps up a year later with the remaining three friends reuniting, but we’re left without closure—especially in regards to Elise’s internal journey or the emotional fallout of her connection to Tristan. The author introduces ideas about personal growth and “tough conversations,” but instead of showing us these moments through character development or interactions, we’re simply told they happened.
That said, I did appreciate the book as an allegory for grief—particularly the often-overlooked grief that comes with losing a close friend. The emotional weight of losing someone who feels like an extension of yourself, someone who has shared your secrets, your growth, and your history, is immense. The author captured the ache and confusion that can accompany that kind of loss—the way it lingers, reshapes us, and forces us to confront parts of ourselves we might otherwise ignore. In that way, the book resonated. It’s a quiet, haunting look at how female friendships can carry just as much depth, intimacy, and devastation as romantic relationships. I just wish the emotional and narrative threads had been tied together more deliberately.
Instead, at the height of the tension, we finally learn what Julie really is and what motivated her return. And just as the stakes seem to rise, the narrative abruptly ends. The story wraps up a year later with the remaining three friends reuniting, but we’re left without closure—especially in regards to Elise’s internal journey or the emotional fallout of her connection to Tristan. The author introduces ideas about personal growth and “tough conversations,” but instead of showing us these moments through character development or interactions, we’re simply told they happened.
That said, I did appreciate the book as an allegory for grief—particularly the often-overlooked grief that comes with losing a close friend. The emotional weight of losing someone who feels like an extension of yourself, someone who has shared your secrets, your growth, and your history, is immense. The author captured the ache and confusion that can accompany that kind of loss—the way it lingers, reshapes us, and forces us to confront parts of ourselves we might otherwise ignore. In that way, the book resonated. It’s a quiet, haunting look at how female friendships can carry just as much depth, intimacy, and devastation as romantic relationships. I just wish the emotional and narrative threads had been tied together more deliberately.