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Return to Me
Rebecca Muir is weeks away from starting college-at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb and her parents. But her dad's last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! Then there's the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast.
If that isn't enough to deal with, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?
If that isn't enough to deal with, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2013
24 people are currently reading
2799 people want to read
About the author
Justina Chen
10 books684 followersJustina Chen was fated to be a storyteller. After all, her middle name means illuminate, which is what she aims to do with her novels: to be a light in the world.
Her novels include NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, a finalist for 9 state book awards, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES), winner of the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. Additionally, she's written a beloved picture book, THE PATCH, a number of other YA novels, and multiple storytelling guides for leaders.
Justina's next book is WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI, her debut middle grade novel for young readers. She's thrilled for you to meet Dessie and Donna in May 2024. The book is available for pre-order now.
While she has called Seattle, Sydney, and Shanghai home, Justina feels at ease wherever she goes so long as she has her coconut black tea, books, and a notebook.
Her novels include NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, a finalist for 9 state book awards, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES), winner of the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. Additionally, she's written a beloved picture book, THE PATCH, a number of other YA novels, and multiple storytelling guides for leaders.
Justina's next book is WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI, her debut middle grade novel for young readers. She's thrilled for you to meet Dessie and Donna in May 2024. The book is available for pre-order now.
While she has called Seattle, Sydney, and Shanghai home, Justina feels at ease wherever she goes so long as she has her coconut black tea, books, and a notebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
October 13, 2012
More like a 1.5.
Rebecca's on the cusp of so many exciting and terrifying things -- she's been accepted to Columbia University and will be moving from her family's home in Seattle to New York City. She's thrilled to get away, but she's sad to leave behind boyfriend Jackson. Except, things fall apart before she gets the chance to pursue her dream of architecture school in the big apple. Her father drops the bomb that he just got a job in New York City and the entire family will be moving to New Jersey for his career. This includes her, at least until school begins.
When the Muir family is in New Jersey, the second bomb drops: Neither dad nor Rebecca had a great relationship with the mother, but now it's even further strained. Rebecca can't connect with her mother when she needs to do so the most. It's made worse when . Rather than
It's here where Rebecca makes the decision to take a gap year, and it's here where she and her mother have an epiphany about how important their relationship is. About how important pursuing dreams are. About how important Jackson is to Rebecca.
While the messages in this story are fantastic and there are some killer lines -- "I've found that even the experiences where you wonder what the hell you're doing eventually help. Actually, especially those hurt-like-hell experiences" -- this is a painfully slow and dull read. The entire middle of the book grinds to a halt with pacing, and the writing itself tries a little too hard. There are entire passages that sound lovely but actually contain little meaning and no forward momentum for either the story nor for character growth. Part three was particularly challenging to get through, and that was where the biggest awakenings occurred. Because of this, I never felt invested in that change and growth because I was more interested in getting through than getting THERE.
Early on in the book, I loathed how little Rebecca acknowledged her privilege. Money and travel and luxury and education were never of concern to her. While it rings true -- often people who are privileged never acknowledge or know it -- it made me feel personally guilty that when her world was falling apart around her, I didn't care. And while her pain is real and true, I had a difficult time thinking that she'd actually have to struggle through to come to resolution. I felt even worse when Rebecca did choose her gap year and did choose to pursue her dream of building because she never once had to give up anything to get there EXCEPT FOR Columbia University. It's a huge sacrifice, no doubt, but the stakes just weren't there for me. We never see what she has to do during the gap year to make her dreams come true. We're given a lot of great insight into the meaning of pursuing your path on your own terms, but there is no look at the hows of it. It just happens. I shouldn't feel guilty about feeling somewhat indignant toward her privilege but I did, and that made me read this book through a slightly different lens. I needed more struggle on the page, not internally and unspoken in Rebecca's mind.
My other biggest issue with the book is that it never felt like a teen book. It felt like an adult book with a teen main character. And while I think there is appeal to those teens who like literary reads, it's going to be a tough sell. There are interesting connections between this book and Nina LaCour's THE DISENCHANTMENTS and Kirsten Hubbard's WANDERLOVE in terms of the search for that right-path-after-high-school.
I disliked the epilogue intensely, as I think it further hurt the privilege aspect I'd been feeling all along. Likewise, it was seven years later, and wrapped up all too cleanly for all I'd slogged through to get to that point. Jackson's storyline simply ends and I didn't buy how easy everything came when Rebecca had her personal awakening about how her life is her own, and not something she has to live for someone else's happiness.
And yet I feel guilty for even feeling that way.
Rebecca's on the cusp of so many exciting and terrifying things -- she's been accepted to Columbia University and will be moving from her family's home in Seattle to New York City. She's thrilled to get away, but she's sad to leave behind boyfriend Jackson. Except, things fall apart before she gets the chance to pursue her dream of architecture school in the big apple. Her father drops the bomb that he just got a job in New York City and the entire family will be moving to New Jersey for his career. This includes her, at least until school begins.
When the Muir family is in New Jersey, the second bomb drops: Neither dad nor Rebecca had a great relationship with the mother, but now it's even further strained. Rebecca can't connect with her mother when she needs to do so the most. It's made worse when . Rather than
It's here where Rebecca makes the decision to take a gap year, and it's here where she and her mother have an epiphany about how important their relationship is. About how important pursuing dreams are. About how important Jackson is to Rebecca.
While the messages in this story are fantastic and there are some killer lines -- "I've found that even the experiences where you wonder what the hell you're doing eventually help. Actually, especially those hurt-like-hell experiences" -- this is a painfully slow and dull read. The entire middle of the book grinds to a halt with pacing, and the writing itself tries a little too hard. There are entire passages that sound lovely but actually contain little meaning and no forward momentum for either the story nor for character growth. Part three was particularly challenging to get through, and that was where the biggest awakenings occurred. Because of this, I never felt invested in that change and growth because I was more interested in getting through than getting THERE.
Early on in the book, I loathed how little Rebecca acknowledged her privilege. Money and travel and luxury and education were never of concern to her. While it rings true -- often people who are privileged never acknowledge or know it -- it made me feel personally guilty that when her world was falling apart around her, I didn't care. And while her pain is real and true, I had a difficult time thinking that she'd actually have to struggle through to come to resolution. I felt even worse when Rebecca did choose her gap year and did choose to pursue her dream of building because she never once had to give up anything to get there EXCEPT FOR Columbia University. It's a huge sacrifice, no doubt, but the stakes just weren't there for me. We never see what she has to do during the gap year to make her dreams come true. We're given a lot of great insight into the meaning of pursuing your path on your own terms, but there is no look at the hows of it. It just happens. I shouldn't feel guilty about feeling somewhat indignant toward her privilege but I did, and that made me read this book through a slightly different lens. I needed more struggle on the page, not internally and unspoken in Rebecca's mind.
My other biggest issue with the book is that it never felt like a teen book. It felt like an adult book with a teen main character. And while I think there is appeal to those teens who like literary reads, it's going to be a tough sell. There are interesting connections between this book and Nina LaCour's THE DISENCHANTMENTS and Kirsten Hubbard's WANDERLOVE in terms of the search for that right-path-after-high-school.
I disliked the epilogue intensely, as I think it further hurt the privilege aspect I'd been feeling all along. Likewise, it was seven years later, and wrapped up all too cleanly for all I'd slogged through to get to that point. Jackson's storyline simply ends and I didn't buy how easy everything came when Rebecca had her personal awakening about how her life is her own, and not something she has to live for someone else's happiness.
And yet I feel guilty for even feeling that way.
February 6, 2013
Note: I'm about to get REAL spoilerific. Id' say don't read if you don't want spoilers, but this book is so blatantly obvious about EVERYTHING that I doubt I'd be ruining much of any of the experience for you.
Further note: Prepare for much RANTY RANT RANTS.
Dear Justina Chen Headley:
Can I call you JCH? I feel like we've been in a sad, sad relationship, the kind where you start off all butterfly-y and glowy and just completely in love and then SUDDENLY, without any warning, one of us just goes batcrazy and flies around in a cape made of soiled underpants and tells everyone "I AM THE POTATO KING, I AM THE POTATO KING" and the relationship just digresses and melts into oblivion and the non-potato-king is wondering how on earth it got stuck with someone who'd wear other's soiled undies as a fashion choice.
Do you know who is the Potato King in this relationship, JCH?
You are. You're the Potato King.
What the heck happened to us, Potato King? Your debut book, North of Beautiful , was so exquisite, so vivid, so gorgeously rendered, I couldn't help but be in awe of it. I gasped aloud while reading, so stunned was I by your power to convey emotions and family dynamics in a real, raw, true way.
So imagine my thrill of anticipation when I discovered Return to Me was about to come out. I'd waited years for this! Another book by the great JCH! Another rich family drama! A coming-of-age story!
But no, all my hopes were dashed. Our romance was not to be. You just had to go and throw on your soiled-undie-cape and declare yourself the Potato King.
What even is this book? This is the most disappointed I've been by an author in quite some time. This book is trite. The characters unlikeable, their motivations completely spelled out for us. Everything is laid out to the point where there's barely any actual conflict. The resolution is so nice, so easy, it leaves the territory of saccharine and ventures into freaking Candy Land. Every single thought, dynamic, feeling, and person is EXPLAINED to us, via Reb's EXTRAORDINARY LEVEL OF INSIGHT into the people around her.
It's like if God wrote a book about his people on earth and instead of SHOWING what they did, instead of carrying the reader along the journey, God was just like, "Yo, Ima tell you what's up inside these people's heads yo, just cause I know what's up inside they heads and that way this is just way easier than me having to like, write good books, yo."
I mean, this feels like it couldn't possibly be from the same author of North of Beautiful because that was a GOOD BOOK. This is NOT. This is a Potato King.
Random points pulled out to display major irritation:
~Literally days after her dad's affair and subsequent leaving of her mother, Reb's all waxing philosophical like, "Maybe this is the best for both my parents, maybe they're free to find their true soulmates, la la la" but let me just state that NO HUMAN BEING FEELS THAT WAY literally days after her father reveals he's been spending 5+ figures on romantic getaways to Paris for months now, living a double life, jetting off on "business trips" that were really with his mistress, whom he keeps in an apartment in Manhattan, and that OOPS HE SPENT ALL YOUR COLLEGE MONEY ON THIS HO TOO, and he ruthlessly broke your mother's heart, and you just, you are like, three days later being all "dis is for da best mmkay yuhs"....
~The architect stuff was skull-numbingly terrible. So. GODFORSAKENLY BORING.
~Reb spends the first 25 pages telling us how annoying her mom is and how she can't stand her, and the next 300 pages telling us how she got her mom all wrong and her mom's really not that bad and like yeah. I cannot relay to you how annoying this was. Probably more annoying than the most annoying girl you can think of. Think of her. Now, yes, even more annoying than that.
~She tells her little brother he's a good man, frequently. HE IS TEN.
~"Jackson, my Jackson. Jackson u is perfect. Jackson I bet u is gonna cheat on me cause my daddeh cheated on my mommy. Jackson I is going to break up with u then never answer u texts/calls and then come running back after a whole summer of ignoring u and expect u to jump back in my arms even after i treat u like dirt. u is dirt, Jackson. u is my dirt." = the whole romantic relationship.
~Everyone in this book is just. SO. no. You just, don't even believe them for a second. It's like every single person is a Manic Pixie Dream Person.
~Her dad seriously moves her mom and family ALL THE WAY ACROSS COUNTRY, from Seattle to New Jersey, and THEN, THEN he tells the mom he's having an affair and he's leaving her and that he never should have moved her out there. He'd been having the affair for MONTHS. No person would DO that.
~The ending is so barfingly perfect and I can't even.
~Let's go ahead and call this a Manic Pixie Dream BOOK.
Listen, Potato King, you can go around running and screaming all you want. I'm breaking up with you.
Further note: Prepare for much RANTY RANT RANTS.
Dear Justina Chen Headley:
Can I call you JCH? I feel like we've been in a sad, sad relationship, the kind where you start off all butterfly-y and glowy and just completely in love and then SUDDENLY, without any warning, one of us just goes batcrazy and flies around in a cape made of soiled underpants and tells everyone "I AM THE POTATO KING, I AM THE POTATO KING" and the relationship just digresses and melts into oblivion and the non-potato-king is wondering how on earth it got stuck with someone who'd wear other's soiled undies as a fashion choice.
Do you know who is the Potato King in this relationship, JCH?
You are. You're the Potato King.
What the heck happened to us, Potato King? Your debut book, North of Beautiful , was so exquisite, so vivid, so gorgeously rendered, I couldn't help but be in awe of it. I gasped aloud while reading, so stunned was I by your power to convey emotions and family dynamics in a real, raw, true way.
So imagine my thrill of anticipation when I discovered Return to Me was about to come out. I'd waited years for this! Another book by the great JCH! Another rich family drama! A coming-of-age story!
But no, all my hopes were dashed. Our romance was not to be. You just had to go and throw on your soiled-undie-cape and declare yourself the Potato King.
What even is this book? This is the most disappointed I've been by an author in quite some time. This book is trite. The characters unlikeable, their motivations completely spelled out for us. Everything is laid out to the point where there's barely any actual conflict. The resolution is so nice, so easy, it leaves the territory of saccharine and ventures into freaking Candy Land. Every single thought, dynamic, feeling, and person is EXPLAINED to us, via Reb's EXTRAORDINARY LEVEL OF INSIGHT into the people around her.
It's like if God wrote a book about his people on earth and instead of SHOWING what they did, instead of carrying the reader along the journey, God was just like, "Yo, Ima tell you what's up inside these people's heads yo, just cause I know what's up inside they heads and that way this is just way easier than me having to like, write good books, yo."
I mean, this feels like it couldn't possibly be from the same author of North of Beautiful because that was a GOOD BOOK. This is NOT. This is a Potato King.
Random points pulled out to display major irritation:
~Literally days after her dad's affair and subsequent leaving of her mother, Reb's all waxing philosophical like, "Maybe this is the best for both my parents, maybe they're free to find their true soulmates, la la la" but let me just state that NO HUMAN BEING FEELS THAT WAY literally days after her father reveals he's been spending 5+ figures on romantic getaways to Paris for months now, living a double life, jetting off on "business trips" that were really with his mistress, whom he keeps in an apartment in Manhattan, and that OOPS HE SPENT ALL YOUR COLLEGE MONEY ON THIS HO TOO, and he ruthlessly broke your mother's heart, and you just, you are like, three days later being all "dis is for da best mmkay yuhs"....
~The architect stuff was skull-numbingly terrible. So. GODFORSAKENLY BORING.
~Reb spends the first 25 pages telling us how annoying her mom is and how she can't stand her, and the next 300 pages telling us how she got her mom all wrong and her mom's really not that bad and like yeah. I cannot relay to you how annoying this was. Probably more annoying than the most annoying girl you can think of. Think of her. Now, yes, even more annoying than that.
~She tells her little brother he's a good man, frequently. HE IS TEN.
~"Jackson, my Jackson. Jackson u is perfect. Jackson I bet u is gonna cheat on me cause my daddeh cheated on my mommy. Jackson I is going to break up with u then never answer u texts/calls and then come running back after a whole summer of ignoring u and expect u to jump back in my arms even after i treat u like dirt. u is dirt, Jackson. u is my dirt." = the whole romantic relationship.
~Everyone in this book is just. SO. no. You just, don't even believe them for a second. It's like every single person is a Manic Pixie Dream Person.
~Her dad seriously moves her mom and family ALL THE WAY ACROSS COUNTRY, from Seattle to New Jersey, and THEN, THEN he tells the mom he's having an affair and he's leaving her and that he never should have moved her out there. He'd been having the affair for MONTHS. No person would DO that.
~The ending is so barfingly perfect and I can't even.
~Let's go ahead and call this a Manic Pixie Dream BOOK.
Listen, Potato King, you can go around running and screaming all you want. I'm breaking up with you.
December 30, 2012
This is the second book of Justina Chen's that I've read (the other being North of Beautiful, which I absolutely loved) and I was a little nervous and excited starting this one. Have you ever read a book that you loved so much that you get a little nervous starting something by the same author because you think that it can't possibly affect you the same way, that no matter how great it is, it won't be AS great as the book you first read and loved?
(Yes, I fully realize how completely psychotic I sound.)
But I loved this one just as much. The thing I love about Justina Chen is that her books are about flawed people, and that's okay. Reb has the tendency to be a complete brat. Her dad is a complete asshole (sorry, but he really IS) and her mom is a control freak the likes of which few people have ever seen. But they love each other (and her brother, Reid, who is adorable and precocious). And it seems like many books have clear-cut heroes and villains, and the villains are pure evil and the heroes are nothing but good. But Reb's dad---a horrible husband---is a good dad. And Reb, while bratty, is also a fierce and fabulous person to have on your side, because she will literally NOT STOP until you are okay again. And the control freak mom? Also one of the kindest and most thoughtful people ever.
So basically, they are real people. And that makes reading about them to be completely engrossing.
I think I've now read half of her books and I need to go and read the other two. And so do you.
Highly recommended.
(Yes, I fully realize how completely psychotic I sound.)
But I loved this one just as much. The thing I love about Justina Chen is that her books are about flawed people, and that's okay. Reb has the tendency to be a complete brat. Her dad is a complete asshole (sorry, but he really IS) and her mom is a control freak the likes of which few people have ever seen. But they love each other (and her brother, Reid, who is adorable and precocious). And it seems like many books have clear-cut heroes and villains, and the villains are pure evil and the heroes are nothing but good. But Reb's dad---a horrible husband---is a good dad. And Reb, while bratty, is also a fierce and fabulous person to have on your side, because she will literally NOT STOP until you are okay again. And the control freak mom? Also one of the kindest and most thoughtful people ever.
So basically, they are real people. And that makes reading about them to be completely engrossing.
I think I've now read half of her books and I need to go and read the other two. And so do you.
Highly recommended.
January 10, 2013
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
If there is one thing I have found out about myself during my months as a book blogger it’s that I am a sucker for a contemporary. I love a good issue book and a cover, such as the one for Return To Me, always sucks me in. This results in me getting bitten in the butt quite a bit. I was quick to request Return To Me and it was quick to bite me in the butt. The only way I can think to review this book is to take my notes (yep I actually took notes for this one folks) and separate them into a like/didn’t like type post, so that’s what I am going to do.
First I’ll talk about what I liked about his novel. The writing is very pretty and I really enjoyed the rich descriptions that painted a very clear picture in my head. It may have been bordering on a little too flowery at some points but I didn’t find that the prose crossed that line at any point and just stayed within the realm of gorgeous. Another wonderful part of this novel was its focus on family values. While the family started off in a definite bout of turbulence and had their issues with one another, the book was really about their journey to understanding one another. I really enjoyed how the trip to Hawaii to visit with Rebecca’s grandfather opened their eyes to how much a person can change and got them on the road to acceptance of one another.
Now for what I disliked. Oh boy. I didn’t find that there were any redeeming characters in this book. Rebecca’s father was a terrible person and the flippant way in which he handled his abandonment of his family really made me sick to my stomach. I hated him, I hated the smug look he always had on his face and if I could have kicked him in the junk, I would have. He was just an all around terrible person, which was too bad because I had high hopes for him in the beginning of the novel. Rebecca’s mom didn’t merit any emotion from me and her brother, Reid was almost non existent except for his few outbursts and him just being around and writing in his journal. I guess if I had to pick one character as the star for me it would be the Grandpa. He was a person that had everyone in his life give up on him for his waywardness and he came around, got his life together and started something truly beautiful with his resort.
Now I have to talk about Rebecca. This girl drove me up the wall. She came across as delusional and a little crazy at a lot of points in the novel. What really ruined her for me was her drastic distancing of herself from her boyfriend, Jackson. This boy had done absolutely nothing wrong and she projected what her father had done onto him and shut him out like child. Now, I can see how what her father had done would frighten her and make her more cautious in the relationship for sure, but I just couldn’t understand her reactions to anything. What was worse was that after she shut Jackson out, we had to suffer through her thinking about what a good guy he is and how much she missed him almost every other page! I think those parts were supposed to earn sympathy and understanding from the reader but I found myself rolling my eyes every time she said she missed him simply because she was acting completely irrationally.
In the end this book didn’t work for me on so many levels. I found it hard not to resort to skimming for the last quarter and the only thing that kept me from doing so was watching Rebecca and her mother’s relationship flourish. I lost interest in her crappy father and her wanting but refusing to be with Jackson very early on in the novel. I can’t recommend this one but if you are looking for one that, in the end, stresses the importance of family, then this one could be for you.
If there is one thing I have found out about myself during my months as a book blogger it’s that I am a sucker for a contemporary. I love a good issue book and a cover, such as the one for Return To Me, always sucks me in. This results in me getting bitten in the butt quite a bit. I was quick to request Return To Me and it was quick to bite me in the butt. The only way I can think to review this book is to take my notes (yep I actually took notes for this one folks) and separate them into a like/didn’t like type post, so that’s what I am going to do.
First I’ll talk about what I liked about his novel. The writing is very pretty and I really enjoyed the rich descriptions that painted a very clear picture in my head. It may have been bordering on a little too flowery at some points but I didn’t find that the prose crossed that line at any point and just stayed within the realm of gorgeous. Another wonderful part of this novel was its focus on family values. While the family started off in a definite bout of turbulence and had their issues with one another, the book was really about their journey to understanding one another. I really enjoyed how the trip to Hawaii to visit with Rebecca’s grandfather opened their eyes to how much a person can change and got them on the road to acceptance of one another.
Now for what I disliked. Oh boy. I didn’t find that there were any redeeming characters in this book. Rebecca’s father was a terrible person and the flippant way in which he handled his abandonment of his family really made me sick to my stomach. I hated him, I hated the smug look he always had on his face and if I could have kicked him in the junk, I would have. He was just an all around terrible person, which was too bad because I had high hopes for him in the beginning of the novel. Rebecca’s mom didn’t merit any emotion from me and her brother, Reid was almost non existent except for his few outbursts and him just being around and writing in his journal. I guess if I had to pick one character as the star for me it would be the Grandpa. He was a person that had everyone in his life give up on him for his waywardness and he came around, got his life together and started something truly beautiful with his resort.
Now I have to talk about Rebecca. This girl drove me up the wall. She came across as delusional and a little crazy at a lot of points in the novel. What really ruined her for me was her drastic distancing of herself from her boyfriend, Jackson. This boy had done absolutely nothing wrong and she projected what her father had done onto him and shut him out like child. Now, I can see how what her father had done would frighten her and make her more cautious in the relationship for sure, but I just couldn’t understand her reactions to anything. What was worse was that after she shut Jackson out, we had to suffer through her thinking about what a good guy he is and how much she missed him almost every other page! I think those parts were supposed to earn sympathy and understanding from the reader but I found myself rolling my eyes every time she said she missed him simply because she was acting completely irrationally.
In the end this book didn’t work for me on so many levels. I found it hard not to resort to skimming for the last quarter and the only thing that kept me from doing so was watching Rebecca and her mother’s relationship flourish. I lost interest in her crappy father and her wanting but refusing to be with Jackson very early on in the novel. I can’t recommend this one but if you are looking for one that, in the end, stresses the importance of family, then this one could be for you.
March 28, 2016
Okay, so I went in not thinking a lot about it. My expectation hovered somewhere around a frou-frou chick lit of the Sarah Dessen variation with a positive message and an inspirational coming of age story. (Mind, those kinds of books aren't bad, but I'm not usually a fan.) But Return To Me was kind of unusual, and not exactly in a good way.
For starters, Rebecca Muir, also known as Reb, is a daddy's girl who is nineteen, fresh out of high school, and awaiting an architect internship in New York City. It's hard to see this book appealing much to teens who aren't hard core fans of Justina Chen. I know I kind of had (and still have) misgivings. I couldn't relate to Rebecca as much as I wanted to, especially because of the age and situation gap. However, Reb deals with a lot of heartfelt situations that occur in life after high school that really contribute to her character. I could see this doing well as a literary adult fiction, but young adult? Not so much.
Second thing: Yes, you may be surprised (because there's no mention of it in the synopsis) but Rebecca has visions. Yep, you heard me right. I was a bit confused, too, when the idea is introduced early on in the book. Reb is part of a long line of women who have visions of the future-and are also victims of a curse, one that says that every one of them will die single. I'm probably kind of stupid or something, but this confused me to no end, trying to register whether Return To Me was a realistic fantasy novel or a fantastical realistic novel.
Although at times confusing, however, and at others filled with lengthy, wanting-to-be-philosophical prose, it has promise. Return To Me is beautifully written, and Reb is a strong female character in a weak and scary situation that many can relate to. Her coming of age is a great self-help in a novel form, though not exactly flawless.
For starters, Rebecca Muir, also known as Reb, is a daddy's girl who is nineteen, fresh out of high school, and awaiting an architect internship in New York City. It's hard to see this book appealing much to teens who aren't hard core fans of Justina Chen. I know I kind of had (and still have) misgivings. I couldn't relate to Rebecca as much as I wanted to, especially because of the age and situation gap. However, Reb deals with a lot of heartfelt situations that occur in life after high school that really contribute to her character. I could see this doing well as a literary adult fiction, but young adult? Not so much.
Second thing: Yes, you may be surprised (because there's no mention of it in the synopsis) but Rebecca has visions. Yep, you heard me right. I was a bit confused, too, when the idea is introduced early on in the book. Reb is part of a long line of women who have visions of the future-and are also victims of a curse, one that says that every one of them will die single. I'm probably kind of stupid or something, but this confused me to no end, trying to register whether Return To Me was a realistic fantasy novel or a fantastical realistic novel.
Although at times confusing, however, and at others filled with lengthy, wanting-to-be-philosophical prose, it has promise. Return To Me is beautifully written, and Reb is a strong female character in a weak and scary situation that many can relate to. Her coming of age is a great self-help in a novel form, though not exactly flawless.
May 6, 2014
Actual rating: 4.5 stars. As an avid (obsessed) reader, even when I'm reading a book I love, I'm thinking about the next book. When I finish a book (even a book I love), I put it down and reach for the next book. It's been a while since I finished a book and wanted to savor it before moving on. That's the experience I'm having with Return to Me. I really, really loved this story of Reb (Rebecca) trying to find herself after her father's shocking revelation and upheaval of her family. Yes, it turns out a bit too good to be true. Yes, it was a bit too convenient. Yes, it was a bit cheesy. But I didn't care. Reb's situation of trying to decide what to do after high school graduation is one that will resonate with teens. Of course, she's going to college. That's what you do. Right? Of course, she's going to Columbia. That's where her dad went. That's the obvious choice. Right? What if you choose not to choose? What if you decide to follow your heart? What if you decide to take some time to discover your passions? Justina Chen explores these questions in Return to Me. I also loved her book North of Beautiful. Think I might be a Justina Chen fan.
As for Gateway, I'm not sure. I want to see it make the read-down list so it can be exposed to student readers. I'm anxious for their opinions.
As for Gateway, I'm not sure. I want to see it make the read-down list so it can be exposed to student readers. I'm anxious for their opinions.
April 4, 2016
Return To Me by Justina Chen is one of those books that is probably much better via audio than holding onto the physical book. Read my review here
April 16, 2013
Return To Me is a poignant tale of the hardships of everyday life. Imbued with disappointment, doubt and betrayal, this novel gives a view of life through the eyes of young adult, Rebecca Muir just as she is about to leave for college. The women in Rebecca’s family have a secret that they try to hide, they have a sense of premonition, but what these women see, is not for the faint of heart; their truths are in the faults of life normally, and Rebecca, or Rebel, has a sense she is desperately trying to hide from. Something life changing will be happening and her move to New York, to college she feels may be the very thing beginning this vision.
Rebel has the perfect boyfriend, but long distance relationships hardly work out. Rebel will soon find that this truth is a hard thing to bear as her plans for college are turning upside down. Reb wanted to end her relationship with her boyfriend Jackson before leaving, but she did not. Reb wanted to go to college on her own terms, but now her family is moving with her, although a screaming vision haunts her, Reb just doesn’t know the shock she is in for yet.
Growing up is hard, life is challenging, and full of doubt and disappointment, but something there are people in your life you want constant to rely upon; like family. What happens soon in Return To Me is the terrible accumulation of lifes as her father uproots his family, only to soon inform them in this new home that he is done; that he has been with someone new. Ripped from home, family torn apart, future up in the air, Reb does not know who to turn to. The bitter betrayal of her father and the decline of her future prospects and in her family have left Reb conflicted and questioning her boyfriend Jackson. If someone like her father could do this to her, so could Jackson? The dominating emotions throughout the book are doubt and loss, as everything Reb has known is turned upside down. The truths she though she knew in the world are becoming muddled and lost, leaving Reb trying to sort out the future of her mother and brother, while at the same time dealing with emotions of herself.
Author Justina Chen has created a story around a modern day dilemma of the preconceive notions of basically, forever. Nothing is ever planned or delivered as we may well want it, and the challenges that we face may be daunting and heartwrenching but there is some lesson to learn through everything and that is a lesson of the heart. While your plans and world may seem crumbling, your love and passion can drive you to rise above the darkness and doubt that may surround you at times. There can be a future but it is one to be had, and worked for. Return To Me is a story filled with love and the quest for what happens next. When times seem down, there may be something that comes your way; not what you always wanted or expected, but it may be just what you need at just the right time.
Reb’s premonition may have been lost to her in the beginning, but she knows now to trust in herself and see what things may come, because just that you plan something, does not truly make it to. The future has ups and downs, and getting up can be the hardest thing yet you need to do.
Rebel has the perfect boyfriend, but long distance relationships hardly work out. Rebel will soon find that this truth is a hard thing to bear as her plans for college are turning upside down. Reb wanted to end her relationship with her boyfriend Jackson before leaving, but she did not. Reb wanted to go to college on her own terms, but now her family is moving with her, although a screaming vision haunts her, Reb just doesn’t know the shock she is in for yet.
Growing up is hard, life is challenging, and full of doubt and disappointment, but something there are people in your life you want constant to rely upon; like family. What happens soon in Return To Me is the terrible accumulation of lifes as her father uproots his family, only to soon inform them in this new home that he is done; that he has been with someone new. Ripped from home, family torn apart, future up in the air, Reb does not know who to turn to. The bitter betrayal of her father and the decline of her future prospects and in her family have left Reb conflicted and questioning her boyfriend Jackson. If someone like her father could do this to her, so could Jackson? The dominating emotions throughout the book are doubt and loss, as everything Reb has known is turned upside down. The truths she though she knew in the world are becoming muddled and lost, leaving Reb trying to sort out the future of her mother and brother, while at the same time dealing with emotions of herself.
Author Justina Chen has created a story around a modern day dilemma of the preconceive notions of basically, forever. Nothing is ever planned or delivered as we may well want it, and the challenges that we face may be daunting and heartwrenching but there is some lesson to learn through everything and that is a lesson of the heart. While your plans and world may seem crumbling, your love and passion can drive you to rise above the darkness and doubt that may surround you at times. There can be a future but it is one to be had, and worked for. Return To Me is a story filled with love and the quest for what happens next. When times seem down, there may be something that comes your way; not what you always wanted or expected, but it may be just what you need at just the right time.
Reb’s premonition may have been lost to her in the beginning, but she knows now to trust in herself and see what things may come, because just that you plan something, does not truly make it to. The future has ups and downs, and getting up can be the hardest thing yet you need to do.
July 28, 2012
Disclaimer: I am basing these hacks on an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) I received at ALA conference. The final published version may be different…especially if the publisher takes my advice
Verdict: An honest look at what happens when someone you’ve implicitly trusted betrays your trust and upends your world – and a hopeful look at how endings can actually lead to new beginnings. There’s a lot of emphasis on adult characters, career planning, and New Age-y philosophy, so not sure if actual young adults will like this one. This could be a really empowering book if the writing and plot were tightened up.
Perfect for: People who like stories about: love, trust, family dynamics; and especially teens who feel that their life has been decided for them by their family. If you are in the right mood, this book could feel like free therapy and motivational advice wrapped into one. Basically, this is the YA fiction version of Eat, Pray, Love.
Summary: Newly graduated Rebecca’s world falls apart when, after moving across the country from Seattle to NJ with her family (and away from her beloved childhood home and her friends and her boyfriend Jackson), her doting dad abruptly reveals that he is leaving to live with another woman. Now Rebecca doesn’t know what to believe and who or what she can trust, including herself: If her dad can so easily betray his family, then is her mom really the controlling harpy that her dad always portrays her as? Does Rebecca still want to go into her dad’s corporate architecture business and attend his alma mater Columbia, or does she have her own heart’s desire? And most difficult of all, should she stay with still-in-high school-boyfriend-Jackson? And if her dad can betray her, how can she trust her heart with a seventeen year old boy? Ultimately the lessons of the book are – and there sure are plenty of Lessons here – that unpleasant endings can beget unforseen opportunities, that one should learn to forgive and be willing to trust, and that you should listen to your inner voice and be willing to take a risk, because if you do, everything will work out the way it should.
Conspiracy Theory: OK, so, this is maybe not relevant, but I noticed that the author’s current name is “Justina Chen”, but that her previously published works were under the name “Justina Chen-Headley” – and she even changed her whole website name from the old to the new. So my conspiracy theory is that the author got a divorce, and then went through a bunch of soul-searching and this book is basically the artistic illustration of that process. If so, I hope Justina feels as liberated and empowered as her character Rebecca does at the end of the novel.
Click here to read my editorial suggestions aka hacks at LitHacker.com!
Verdict: An honest look at what happens when someone you’ve implicitly trusted betrays your trust and upends your world – and a hopeful look at how endings can actually lead to new beginnings. There’s a lot of emphasis on adult characters, career planning, and New Age-y philosophy, so not sure if actual young adults will like this one. This could be a really empowering book if the writing and plot were tightened up.
Perfect for: People who like stories about: love, trust, family dynamics; and especially teens who feel that their life has been decided for them by their family. If you are in the right mood, this book could feel like free therapy and motivational advice wrapped into one. Basically, this is the YA fiction version of Eat, Pray, Love.
Summary: Newly graduated Rebecca’s world falls apart when, after moving across the country from Seattle to NJ with her family (and away from her beloved childhood home and her friends and her boyfriend Jackson), her doting dad abruptly reveals that he is leaving to live with another woman. Now Rebecca doesn’t know what to believe and who or what she can trust, including herself: If her dad can so easily betray his family, then is her mom really the controlling harpy that her dad always portrays her as? Does Rebecca still want to go into her dad’s corporate architecture business and attend his alma mater Columbia, or does she have her own heart’s desire? And most difficult of all, should she stay with still-in-high school-boyfriend-Jackson? And if her dad can betray her, how can she trust her heart with a seventeen year old boy? Ultimately the lessons of the book are – and there sure are plenty of Lessons here – that unpleasant endings can beget unforseen opportunities, that one should learn to forgive and be willing to trust, and that you should listen to your inner voice and be willing to take a risk, because if you do, everything will work out the way it should.
Conspiracy Theory: OK, so, this is maybe not relevant, but I noticed that the author’s current name is “Justina Chen”, but that her previously published works were under the name “Justina Chen-Headley” – and she even changed her whole website name from the old to the new. So my conspiracy theory is that the author got a divorce, and then went through a bunch of soul-searching and this book is basically the artistic illustration of that process. If so, I hope Justina feels as liberated and empowered as her character Rebecca does at the end of the novel.
Click here to read my editorial suggestions aka hacks at LitHacker.com!
June 29, 2012
Return To Me is one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. This is the first book I have read from Justina and it won't be the last. I am thankful to Around The World ARC Tours for allowing me to read and review this book. This is a book every girl should read.
In Return to Me Rebecca is in her senior year of high school and she is planning on her future and where she will go to college. She has been accepted into a college and her plans are set for her future and where she will go from there. Then a few monkey bars come into the picture. Rebecca never ever thought she would fall in love and start dating someone in her senior year but she does. She falls head over heels for Jackson and it scares her because she will be leaving her home town to go to college and Jackson still has one more year of school left.
As if that is not hard enough her mother springs it on her that the entire family is moving with her to the college town. Rebecca is mortified and can't think straight because she had her whole life mapped out and now her mother is telling them they are all moving together and she is floored. What is a girl to do when she wants to get away from her family and spread her wings and fly solo? Then she realizes something is wrong when they all move from her home town and her father starts acting weird.
It doesn't take long for Rebecca to find out why her father is acting weird when he sits them down and springs the news on the family that he is leaving the family to pursue his needs and his likes. The family is devastated and Rebecca is left to pick up the pieces of her mothers broken heart. As Rebecca starts to help her family through this ordeal she will learn about true love and sacrificing. She will learn to open up to her mother and let go of her close relationship with her father. She has always been daddies little girl and when he leaves the family she is crushed but with a little bit of faith and a lot of help she and her family will over come this tragedy that hits them. In the end love conquers all.
This is a SUMMER MUST READ! Justina has done such a great job at story telling you will be enthralled with this book and will not be able to put it down. Happy Reading on the beach!
In Return to Me Rebecca is in her senior year of high school and she is planning on her future and where she will go to college. She has been accepted into a college and her plans are set for her future and where she will go from there. Then a few monkey bars come into the picture. Rebecca never ever thought she would fall in love and start dating someone in her senior year but she does. She falls head over heels for Jackson and it scares her because she will be leaving her home town to go to college and Jackson still has one more year of school left.
As if that is not hard enough her mother springs it on her that the entire family is moving with her to the college town. Rebecca is mortified and can't think straight because she had her whole life mapped out and now her mother is telling them they are all moving together and she is floored. What is a girl to do when she wants to get away from her family and spread her wings and fly solo? Then she realizes something is wrong when they all move from her home town and her father starts acting weird.
It doesn't take long for Rebecca to find out why her father is acting weird when he sits them down and springs the news on the family that he is leaving the family to pursue his needs and his likes. The family is devastated and Rebecca is left to pick up the pieces of her mothers broken heart. As Rebecca starts to help her family through this ordeal she will learn about true love and sacrificing. She will learn to open up to her mother and let go of her close relationship with her father. She has always been daddies little girl and when he leaves the family she is crushed but with a little bit of faith and a lot of help she and her family will over come this tragedy that hits them. In the end love conquers all.
This is a SUMMER MUST READ! Justina has done such a great job at story telling you will be enthralled with this book and will not be able to put it down. Happy Reading on the beach!
January 4, 2013
I'd give this one 4.5 stars if I could. Like her earlier titles, Girl Overboard and North of Beautiful, the author has crafted another book with a strong female protagonist struggling to find her way. Newly graduated Rebecca Muir is ready to begin college in New York City, fulfilling her dreams of studying architecture and working for a large firm. But wait! Are those her dreams or those of her father? As she dithers over her college plans and breaking up with Jackson, her boyfriend, her beloved father drops a bombshell on his family. Although he just moved the family across country from their home on Puget Sound to a mansion in New Jersey, he is in love with another woman, and plans to leave Reb's mother. Shaken by his betrayal, Reb decides not to take the chance on a long distance relationship with Jackson. When her maternal grandfather provides tickets to Hawaii, she and her family begin to heal and in the case of Reb and her mother, both of them begin to return to themselves. Despite the strong bond she has always had with her father and her life-long annoyance at her mother, Reb realizes that she has become the version of herself that he wanted her to be, and not the person she actually is. While some readers may be put off by Reb's psychic abilities and the world of priviledge in which she has grown up, most will celebrate her strength and reliance on herself for solutions rather than her dependence on her romantic interest. Several of the passages are beautiful, evoking a sense of place and establishing Reb as a protagonist who actually DOES something. I also enjoyed all the journal writing and story writing the various family members seemed to relish with her brother Reid channeling his pain and confusion into a book. My own disappointment came in the epilogue describing what happens next. I'd rather have left that to my own imagination. Still, this book is an excellent reading choice for many teens today, so dependent on their boyfriends or girlfriends for their own identities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2013
Reb, short for Rebecca, is looking forward to trading her home on remote Lewis Island in Washington State for the bustle of college life at Columbia. She can’t wait to escape from her stifling mother and live her own life. But that life takes a few twists and turns: first her parents announce that the family is moving to New Jersey for her dad’s new job, then after everyone moves across the country, Reb’s dad says he’s leaving to be with another woman.
Reeling from the changes, Reb suddenly starts to question everything she knows about her mother, her father, her boyfriend, other family members and her future. Answers start to come only after she seeks sanctuary from the pain and starts to listen to her inner convictions.
Return to Me by Justina Chen looks at a time that is challenging for most teens, leaving home for the world of college, and adds the stress of a family breaking up. For Reb, it’s a wake up call to really look at people the way they are, not as she wishes or expects them to be. She also realizes that she must listen to her own inner voice and put more trust in it as opposed to following what everyone expects her to do.
This is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls ages 14 and up to read and discuss. First, there’s a mother-daughter book club in the book, and groups may want to talk about how the fictional characters supported each other during hard times and how a real life club can do that as well. Also, high school and pre-college can be very confusing for girls, who often don’t know what they would like to pursue after high school and how they make decisions about what to do. Talking about Reb’s situation may help them come to some realizations of their own.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion in this review.
Reeling from the changes, Reb suddenly starts to question everything she knows about her mother, her father, her boyfriend, other family members and her future. Answers start to come only after she seeks sanctuary from the pain and starts to listen to her inner convictions.
Return to Me by Justina Chen looks at a time that is challenging for most teens, leaving home for the world of college, and adds the stress of a family breaking up. For Reb, it’s a wake up call to really look at people the way they are, not as she wishes or expects them to be. She also realizes that she must listen to her own inner voice and put more trust in it as opposed to following what everyone expects her to do.
This is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls ages 14 and up to read and discuss. First, there’s a mother-daughter book club in the book, and groups may want to talk about how the fictional characters supported each other during hard times and how a real life club can do that as well. Also, high school and pre-college can be very confusing for girls, who often don’t know what they would like to pursue after high school and how they make decisions about what to do. Talking about Reb’s situation may help them come to some realizations of their own.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion in this review.
August 2, 2013
I was disappointed in this book. Reb, the main character, is a good strong female lead; she spends the book exploring what she wants to do with her life, making good decisions, and such. In that respect it was a great book. Even the romance was decently executed and added to the story.
But the aspect of the book that was really "off" for me was the whole "psychic power" bit. Reb supposedly has "visions" that have frightened and disturbed her, her whole life. So do her mother and grandmother. The problem is that this never meshes with the rest of the story. There's no attempt to explain whether anyone else in the world has powers such as these, no reference to their "real" effect on the world, etc... These powers just float over the story having no real impact. The whole thread could have dropped without changing the story in the least.
I don't mind paranormal stories, or stories with hints of paranormality, but a story that lards in paranormality and then DOES nothing with it in the sense of how the world works, annoy me...
And the other thing that annoyed me was how "easy" things seemed for her. She's financially unable to go to college at one point, desperate to find a way to pay for a good 4-year school, yet her family are able to fly to and from Hawaii, New York, etc... with ease, and she buys supplies to repaint her home at the drop of a hat. And every time she has to make a decision, instead of really sitting down and weighing out the emotional and logical meanings of her decisions, she gets to have a "vision" that hands her an answer to her dilemma. Magical intuition is great, but when it replaces thoughtful planning, it doesn't help anyone ELSE learn to make decisions!
But the aspect of the book that was really "off" for me was the whole "psychic power" bit. Reb supposedly has "visions" that have frightened and disturbed her, her whole life. So do her mother and grandmother. The problem is that this never meshes with the rest of the story. There's no attempt to explain whether anyone else in the world has powers such as these, no reference to their "real" effect on the world, etc... These powers just float over the story having no real impact. The whole thread could have dropped without changing the story in the least.
I don't mind paranormal stories, or stories with hints of paranormality, but a story that lards in paranormality and then DOES nothing with it in the sense of how the world works, annoy me...
And the other thing that annoyed me was how "easy" things seemed for her. She's financially unable to go to college at one point, desperate to find a way to pay for a good 4-year school, yet her family are able to fly to and from Hawaii, New York, etc... with ease, and she buys supplies to repaint her home at the drop of a hat. And every time she has to make a decision, instead of really sitting down and weighing out the emotional and logical meanings of her decisions, she gets to have a "vision" that hands her an answer to her dilemma. Magical intuition is great, but when it replaces thoughtful planning, it doesn't help anyone ELSE learn to make decisions!
May 28, 2013
Perhaps I'm a bitter old hag with a heart comprised of dust and the crushed dreams of teens, but despite feeling a certain sympathy for Reb's trials and traumas I couldn't shake the feeling that this was 'the moneyed privileged guide to finding one's life purpose'. The downbeat beginning of the story, wherein Reb's family life and her immediate plans fall apart thanks to her dad's douchebaggery, gives way to a kind of spiritual growth trek, which reminded me somewhat of a teen Eat, Prey, Love (but with volcanoes, macadamia nuts and gratuitous tree houses).
I also found it odd that the realistic YA subject matter - girl on the cusp of college forced to re-evaluate whether her choices are her own or due to family obligations - sat uncomfortably with the quasi-paranormal visions that gifts Reb's matriarchal line. Reb's growth in coming to see and appreciate her parents, grandparents and brother as individuals sat uncomfortably with her flighty treatment of Jackson, a cipher of a boyfriend who waits for her at home, offering a degree of understanding, wisdom and patience thiat is frankly unbelievable in a teenage boy. Still, he contrasts nicely with Reb's raging asshole of a father.
I also found it odd that the realistic YA subject matter - girl on the cusp of college forced to re-evaluate whether her choices are her own or due to family obligations - sat uncomfortably with the quasi-paranormal visions that gifts Reb's matriarchal line. Reb's growth in coming to see and appreciate her parents, grandparents and brother as individuals sat uncomfortably with her flighty treatment of Jackson, a cipher of a boyfriend who waits for her at home, offering a degree of understanding, wisdom and patience thiat is frankly unbelievable in a teenage boy. Still, he contrasts nicely with Reb's raging asshole of a father.
August 4, 2013
At first, I did that thing where you look at the author and then judge the book by their past work. I did not like her book NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL. So, I thought I wouldn't like this book very much. But, then I started to read it. And I was sort of right. The main character, Reb, was extremely mean and whiny about almost everything. She was self depended on her parents and looked to them for every single little choice she, on her own, could make. But then I realized that was the whole point of the book. And it quickly turned around. I thought this was an amazing book. The climax was my favorite and the Rising Action did a wonderful job of working its way up the the climax which I wouldn't have suspected. This was a really wonderful mother and daughter type of book. Reb found her inner peace and did exactly what she wanted to do and planned it out by the end of the book. I really like how this book had a very nice ending where it left you with few questions (enough to know that there would not be a sequel) and it was great closure. I didn't hate the ending. I am really picking about endings. But this was perfect.
February 19, 2017
4.5/5
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for a few years now, and I finally had the chance to pick it up. There is such a strong female lead in this novel, and I absolutely loved her and the journey she encountered. All the supporting characters were amazing as well and I felt like they added a lot to the story! It was such a beautifully written coming of age novel, and it really touched me at this point in my life. Sometimes, the story seemed a bit unrealistic, but it didn't bother me much as I believe it had to happen in order for the story to form the way it did.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for a few years now, and I finally had the chance to pick it up. There is such a strong female lead in this novel, and I absolutely loved her and the journey she encountered. All the supporting characters were amazing as well and I felt like they added a lot to the story! It was such a beautifully written coming of age novel, and it really touched me at this point in my life. Sometimes, the story seemed a bit unrealistic, but it didn't bother me much as I believe it had to happen in order for the story to form the way it did.
July 25, 2012
I found myself skimming for dialogue about halfway through the book. The main character's emotions seemed to be felt in real time, not book time. I was not fond of the writing style or touchy-feely long explanatory nonsense. I did feel that the special gifts of the women were interesting and that the descriptions of the architectural creations were intriguing However, the main character was just not likable to me. Perhaps it is that the author gets the YA thing down, and teens like a character stumbling her way through all those feelings. I prefer a sleeker, sharper gal myself.
May 23, 2013
I got really annoyed with the book after the first 100 pages. When it started off it was pretty good but once went to Hawaii it the pace of the book slowed down and almost stopped. She just keeps repeating the same thing about healing and soul and other things that would otherwise have a lot of meaning and power. All of Rebecca's epiphanies and findings would be valid if there was just more going on. The words just keep circling back to basically the same thing. I almost stopped reading the book except for the fact that I wanted to know what happened in the end :)
February 1, 2013
So many great life truisms that are beautifully crafted using figurative language-----I love the arrangement of Chen's words. I recommend this read to mothers and daughters that are grieving over a divorce. Sometimes, the best slate to start with is a clean one.
New beginnings are blessings as seen in this heart warming story.
"For the most part things never get built the way they were drawn."------Maya Lin, artist and architect
New beginnings are blessings as seen in this heart warming story.
"For the most part things never get built the way they were drawn."------Maya Lin, artist and architect
February 5, 2017
Rebecca has just moved to New Jersey with her family about to start college when all of a sudden the secrect that was never told came out affecting her life dramatically. After the event they decided it was best they move back to California to continue there old life. My favorite part was when Rebecca's boyfriend Jackson took her on the little rowboat that would grante their wish. I recommend this book to people who are in to Realistic Fiction and drama. Also to people who like suspense.
April 30, 2013
Teenage girl with big plans for college and her future has her life fall apart, and it's kind of her fault because she ignored the warning from her sixth sense. She eventually figures out how to trust herself, figure out what she wants and surround herself with people who love and understand her. Satisfying and fun.
November 1, 2013
I thought "return to me" was a pretty good book. It is about a girl named Rebecca Muir had to move away. When she moved into her new house her father was barley around and later she finds out that her father has been having an "affair" with another girl that wasn't her mother, Rebecca, her brother and her mother are all devastated and Rebecca starts to question her boyfriend.
February 20, 2021
This was the first book by Justina Chen that I’ve read and I did enjoy it! I think this book has some really good messages and motivational quotes in it. I thought it was neat how all the women in their families had a different idea of healing and different identities themselves. But once the story moved to Hawaii I feel like the plot slowed a bit and there were so many pages and chapters of Reb doing soul-searching. And there’s nothing wrong with that because it aided the storyline at the end but I put the book down so many times when I got to the middle part of the book because it was just so slow. The epilogue was comforting to see Reb go to college and follow her dreams and create her own escape with her grandparents, mother, and brother. It was sad about her and Jackson splitting up but also going down their own paths of life- which literally happens all the time in real life. I guess the moral of the story is be your own person and do what feels right for you when it does feel right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2020
As good as Kasie West books, better than Sarah Dessen books, with respectful feminism and honest optimism and doesn’t rely on romance to push the story along, this little gem is my second I’ve read by the the author. Now I’m going to find the others I’ve missed and catch up.
February 26, 2022
*4.75. thissss was so so so good 😭. I was a bit hesitant about starting it, idk if it was some of the reviews or if it was something else. I learned a lot, more than I thought I would've learned reading this. I actually liked this so much.
August 13, 2018
A beautifully written book that teaches about self-discovery, passion, forgiveness, and the power of a choice.
March 2, 2019
Predictable and somewhat repetitive. A quick YA read, if that's what you're looking for.
May 19, 2019
I really loved this book. Very easy to read. I finished it in one afternoon.
October 29, 2021
Slow, irrelevant chapters, happy ending. Not my fav. Do not recommend but still okay book.
January 22, 2022
This is definitely an inspirational story on overcoming what is expected and what you really need and want! Thoroughly enjoyed and found hard to stop reading!
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