What do you think?
Rate this book
The Station #3
Dying to Return
'Dying to Return' is the 3rd book in the YA/NA Fantasy, The Station Series. Piper Willow’s adventure in the afterlife continues as she struggles to discover who she is and what is expected of her. Faced with decisions that could change everything, she must weigh her desire to be with the ones she has come to love, or satisfy her curiosity and find out what lies beyond her world with someone new. What Piper experiences and the choices she makes could not only alter the delicate inner workings of the Station, but the delicate balance that Piper has managed to maintain inside herself. In the end, will it all be worth it?
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2013
29 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 28, 2016
2.5
This really fell flat for me. The first book in the series was actually really good. The 2nd things got a little weird, but not bad. This one didn't make a lot of sense. We go from an afterlife to aliens? I don't even know what Rush is, but I think he is an alien. It ruined the flow of the series. I really liked the concept of these books and what was happening. The end of book 3 left me very disappointed in EVERYTHING. Nothing was resolved, I have more questions than answers. Piper is special, but we don't really learn anything other than that.
This really fell flat for me. The first book in the series was actually really good. The 2nd things got a little weird, but not bad. This one didn't make a lot of sense. We go from an afterlife to aliens? I don't even know what Rush is, but I think he is an alien. It ruined the flow of the series. I really liked the concept of these books and what was happening. The end of book 3 left me very disappointed in EVERYTHING. Nothing was resolved, I have more questions than answers. Piper is special, but we don't really learn anything other than that.
July 1, 2013
Awesome story. I am not sure if she plans on adding to this series because while there was a bit of an open ending, it could also be considered an actual ending. I highly enjoyed all three books and would love to see more of Piper's story or more about The Station.
July 3, 2013
Everything I love about Trish Marie Dawson is contained within the pages of the Station series. And the final book, Dying to Return, is no exception. Dawson managed to take me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the whole of this novel. Piper's journey is incredible. There are moments of soul searching wisdom, and moments of hubris attributed to the young and naive. It may be classified as YA, but I think any reader will be able to connect with Dawson's characters. I found myself utterly caught up in every single moment of this book. Just amazing storytelling. Five out of five stars.
August 19, 2013
After the first two book in the trilogy left me wanting a little more, especially the second book, this third book needed to deliver, unfortunately I was still left wanting more. I can't even tell you what more I wanted. While the premise is unique and full of opportunity, somewhere along the lines the story just felt like a story to me and not like a was living in another world, another realm of possibility and redemption.
April 3, 2014
The first book and a half of this series were good, if a bit simple.
Then, aliens. So stupid.
Then, aliens. So stupid.
February 2, 2016
Only 4 stars because it was better than the rest I thought. It started out kind of boring than it got really interesting throughout the rest of the book. Which that is good right?
August 13, 2023
Sorry what was this. There were probably too many things were finally starting to irk me. The writing is a little flat. But mainly the weird love triangle happening where neither side has a legitimate connection??? It’s so weird. And Sloan hardly knowing her but getting mad at her for changing. It’s just all so messy. Suddenly there are aliens. Just random like that.
January 24, 2014
This was a good book for explaining The Station. I felt kind of "meh" about the ending though. It felt like a cop out.
**SPOILER**
The fact that Piper never really chose between Sloan and Rush bothered me. It just seemed like "Oh hey. Well Sloan is here for awhile, so I guess I'll date him. And whenever he moves on, I'll go to Rush." NO. Pick a person and end it that way. Piper and Sloan's relationship at the end was just weird, and I didn't like it.
**SPOILER**
The fact that Piper never really chose between Sloan and Rush bothered me. It just seemed like "Oh hey. Well Sloan is here for awhile, so I guess I'll date him. And whenever he moves on, I'll go to Rush." NO. Pick a person and end it that way. Piper and Sloan's relationship at the end was just weird, and I didn't like it.
August 26, 2013
An amazing story, as deeply emotional as the first two books in The Station series. There are moments that become just as deeply personal for the reader as they are for the characters in the book. This is a series that is, in a single word, exceptional.
There is such love in the book... love between friends, romantic love, and love that falls somewhere in between. It provides a completely new perspective on life, the afterlife, and just what is out there. There is a lot of imagination and creativity in this story and opens the reader to possibilities that might never have occurred to them. There is an undeniable thread of hope through even the darkest of times which is a comforting thought. On a personal note, I read these books during a pretty dark time of my own, and there were times that I questioned whether or not it was the right time to read them. There were times when I thought my heart was breaking, sobbing as I read on. But they gave me hope for my own dark time and that is a beautiful thing,
Like the last book, there were surprises, too. There were times when I wondered just how I felt about those surprises and that kept me turning the pages.
Things to love about Dying to Return...
--The emotions. Sad, happy, loving, uncertainty. They were all there and they all affect you as a reader.
--The beauty. There is such poignancy in this series and it shines through at unexpected times.
--The surprises. Oh, and there were some. Some good, some bad, some that made you angry, some that were bittersweet. But all were engaging.
My recommendation: I was sad to finish this book, thinking it was the end of a series that I am not ready to let go. But I talked to the author and it is NOT the end. It is, however, the end of Piper's story, but there will be more from The Station! This is a series that truly affected me, changed my life a bit, and I HIGHLY recommend it!
There is such love in the book... love between friends, romantic love, and love that falls somewhere in between. It provides a completely new perspective on life, the afterlife, and just what is out there. There is a lot of imagination and creativity in this story and opens the reader to possibilities that might never have occurred to them. There is an undeniable thread of hope through even the darkest of times which is a comforting thought. On a personal note, I read these books during a pretty dark time of my own, and there were times that I questioned whether or not it was the right time to read them. There were times when I thought my heart was breaking, sobbing as I read on. But they gave me hope for my own dark time and that is a beautiful thing,
Like the last book, there were surprises, too. There were times when I wondered just how I felt about those surprises and that kept me turning the pages.
Things to love about Dying to Return...
--The emotions. Sad, happy, loving, uncertainty. They were all there and they all affect you as a reader.
--The beauty. There is such poignancy in this series and it shines through at unexpected times.
--The surprises. Oh, and there were some. Some good, some bad, some that made you angry, some that were bittersweet. But all were engaging.
My recommendation: I was sad to finish this book, thinking it was the end of a series that I am not ready to let go. But I talked to the author and it is NOT the end. It is, however, the end of Piper's story, but there will be more from The Station! This is a series that truly affected me, changed my life a bit, and I HIGHLY recommend it!
July 18, 2013
I have really really loved The Station series, and I'm really sorry to have finished it and not have another one to read! Again Piper captured my imagination, she is a wonderful character and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her grow and learn throughout the three books. However, I am not a science fiction fan, and this book took a turn in that direction. It somehow worked though, and I have to say I am very glad to have discovered this author!
July 23, 2013
Wow... Another amazing read and am sad that that was the last one! If you haven't read these books, you must. Well done Trish Marie Dawson! :)
I have really loved reading about Piper and her journey, she is an amazing character with spunk :) I was a little mixed about Sloan and Rush, and can accept the ending :)
I love Piper's friends at the station and generally just love these books :)
I have really loved reading about Piper and her journey, she is an amazing character with spunk :) I was a little mixed about Sloan and Rush, and can accept the ending :)
I love Piper's friends at the station and generally just love these books :)
November 13, 2015
This was an okay story, but it was my least favourite of the series; not a lot seemed to happen, there wasn’t much romance, and the whole thing really dragged.
6 out of 10
6 out of 10
June 28, 2013
Really loved this series and I like how the ending is open, She isn't with anyone exactly and I like that because I think that she has evolved. They didn't need to make a life choice: when you had time, plus that may have been why Rush didn't put up any fuss, he is a seer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2013
I am so sad this series is over. I really enjoyed all 3 books. I feel like the author could easily do 1 more book.
July 15, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
This final book in the Station Series wasn't as good as the first two but it was pretty enjoyable.
This final book in the Station Series wasn't as good as the first two but it was pretty enjoyable.
July 9, 2013
This series spoke volumes to me. I can't even begin to describe it. Amazing story, amazing series.
May 20, 2022
2 Stars.
The Good:
• It was short?
The Bad:
• Rush
• Exploring other worlds
• Nothing was resolved
• Her 'training'
The Book:
This book killed the series for me, I had a hard time choosing between 1 & 2 stars. It was very uninteresting, especially for a series that started off strong in book 1. I was happy it was short because I could barely get through a longer version of this book. There was no volunteering at all which was the 'saving grace' of book 2. I hated Rush, & how Piper seemed to like him even though there was nothing special about him. I hated that when they went to Rush's home, it was silly. I don't care about this other world that (odds are) we'll never really see again & it was a huge 95% chunk of the book. I felt like the writing really rubbed me the wrong way when there was stuff that was 'wrong' with Earth. An example is that they didn't eat meat because they value their animals as beings too much, or they don't cut down their natural resources because of it's beauty. I felt like the author was criticizing these things & pushed them too harshly on the reader. There was also the fact that this world was supposed to be different from Earth but sort of similar so I didn't like when things like when the author was describing something they would equate it to what it was basically on Earth just changed. Like here's an apple, it's similar in every way, except it has a different color. But it was written as something like 'if I were to compare it to an object on Earth I would say it's an apple', no honey just tell me it's an apple but like purple. Also, nothing felt resolved in this book, I still don't even understand what a Seer is, with the exception that you can go to different Stations. Lastly, her 'training', I know it said she had been gone from The Station for the equivalent of 7 years but it was 95% new worlds & her 'training' was literally like a day, summarized into about a page & it was over. Like what? Why did she need to leave The Station if that's all her training consisted of. Honestly, I will not be reading book 4 or the other novellas I'm just turned off by this series. It started out interesting in book 1 but book 3 killed it (in a bad way).
The Good:
• It was short?
The Bad:
• Rush
• Exploring other worlds
• Nothing was resolved
• Her 'training'
The Book:
This book killed the series for me, I had a hard time choosing between 1 & 2 stars. It was very uninteresting, especially for a series that started off strong in book 1. I was happy it was short because I could barely get through a longer version of this book. There was no volunteering at all which was the 'saving grace' of book 2. I hated Rush, & how Piper seemed to like him even though there was nothing special about him. I hated that when they went to Rush's home, it was silly. I don't care about this other world that (odds are) we'll never really see again & it was a huge 95% chunk of the book. I felt like the writing really rubbed me the wrong way when there was stuff that was 'wrong' with Earth. An example is that they didn't eat meat because they value their animals as beings too much, or they don't cut down their natural resources because of it's beauty. I felt like the author was criticizing these things & pushed them too harshly on the reader. There was also the fact that this world was supposed to be different from Earth but sort of similar so I didn't like when things like when the author was describing something they would equate it to what it was basically on Earth just changed. Like here's an apple, it's similar in every way, except it has a different color. But it was written as something like 'if I were to compare it to an object on Earth I would say it's an apple', no honey just tell me it's an apple but like purple. Also, nothing felt resolved in this book, I still don't even understand what a Seer is, with the exception that you can go to different Stations. Lastly, her 'training', I know it said she had been gone from The Station for the equivalent of 7 years but it was 95% new worlds & her 'training' was literally like a day, summarized into about a page & it was over. Like what? Why did she need to leave The Station if that's all her training consisted of. Honestly, I will not be reading book 4 or the other novellas I'm just turned off by this series. It started out interesting in book 1 but book 3 killed it (in a bad way).
March 5, 2018
I picked up this book after a few days of finishing book 2 in the series "Dying To Remember" this one was taking on a totally different journey and although I can see what other reviewers had issues with during this book there were a few slow paced chapters that didn't really add much to the story itself.
Piper as a character grew drastically within this one without losing her ability to relate to other teenage girls, the attitude, sarcasm, embarrassment and most of the web of confusion a teenager is filled with, I love that she actually took the chance to explore something more, something new and Unknown to her despite her fear of it too.
Her journey to Dhara was filled with so much description from the author it felt like you were there walking the path with her and exploring the same as her the feeling of calmness and exploring spread to me as a reader and I loved that an author can do that. Her journey to Dhara not only opened her view of the world she was discovering but also to the discovery of the feelings she was starting to have for someone other than Sloan and whilst that excited her and made her feel more she felt a lot more than just the simple situation right in front of her.
Overall this was a good book, not nearly as good as the other ones though sadly but it was a nice rounded ending to the series whilst still leaving the door open to other possibilities and journeys further on, I hope that the author comes on to write some more.
Piper as a character grew drastically within this one without losing her ability to relate to other teenage girls, the attitude, sarcasm, embarrassment and most of the web of confusion a teenager is filled with, I love that she actually took the chance to explore something more, something new and Unknown to her despite her fear of it too.
Her journey to Dhara was filled with so much description from the author it felt like you were there walking the path with her and exploring the same as her the feeling of calmness and exploring spread to me as a reader and I loved that an author can do that. Her journey to Dhara not only opened her view of the world she was discovering but also to the discovery of the feelings she was starting to have for someone other than Sloan and whilst that excited her and made her feel more she felt a lot more than just the simple situation right in front of her.
Overall this was a good book, not nearly as good as the other ones though sadly but it was a nice rounded ending to the series whilst still leaving the door open to other possibilities and journeys further on, I hope that the author comes on to write some more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2022
Interesting 4¾ ⭐
4¾ ⭐. I liked how different this book was from others in this series. In my opinion, this one ended rather abruptly and left me wondering if there was more to be said and done. I can relate to Piper and others in this series because I have been in the deep, dark place, feeling alone, misunderstood, and a waste of space, though I never had well developed plan to actually commit the act (or even try), the though raced through my head daily - multiple time a day. Needless to say, I can relate well to this series and I don't it's a series I'll ever forget.
I think the series is worth reading just to help you understand those who choose a permanent way out rather than seek help, which believe me, is easier said than done. "You're seeking attention," "Now what would that solve," etc., was said to me countless times. I think if you read this series for yourself, it will help you too better understand why some people choose to end their own life. I by NO means support suicide, but I can understand.
4¾ ⭐. I liked how different this book was from others in this series. In my opinion, this one ended rather abruptly and left me wondering if there was more to be said and done. I can relate to Piper and others in this series because I have been in the deep, dark place, feeling alone, misunderstood, and a waste of space, though I never had well developed plan to actually commit the act (or even try), the though raced through my head daily - multiple time a day. Needless to say, I can relate well to this series and I don't it's a series I'll ever forget.
I think the series is worth reading just to help you understand those who choose a permanent way out rather than seek help, which believe me, is easier said than done. "You're seeking attention," "Now what would that solve," etc., was said to me countless times. I think if you read this series for yourself, it will help you too better understand why some people choose to end their own life. I by NO means support suicide, but I can understand.
July 24, 2018
Three RUSH stars.
Now I loved book one, unique plot line with likeable characters.
Book two, the guy who's head she was in ended up at The Station, and they had a connection.
Book three... Rush.
I'm still a little confused with what Rush is and what he can do. He's from another planet? And he built the Stations? Piper is kinda like him.. she's a Seer too?
I'll admit, I kind of have no idea what was going on, but I absolutely loved the chemistry and obvious pull between Piper and Rush - I'm a huge romantic!
This one doesn't end with a cliffhanger, more of a HFN, and as I'm only just getting around to reading this series, I'm diving straight into book 4 seeing as it now exists.
Now I loved book one, unique plot line with likeable characters.
Book two, the guy who's head she was in ended up at The Station, and they had a connection.
Book three... Rush.
I'm still a little confused with what Rush is and what he can do. He's from another planet? And he built the Stations? Piper is kinda like him.. she's a Seer too?
I'll admit, I kind of have no idea what was going on, but I absolutely loved the chemistry and obvious pull between Piper and Rush - I'm a huge romantic!
This one doesn't end with a cliffhanger, more of a HFN, and as I'm only just getting around to reading this series, I'm diving straight into book 4 seeing as it now exists.
January 25, 2021
If I ever pick up a YA novel with so much teenage angst,.... shoot me, somebody please! Put me out of my misery immediately!
That's how terrible my non-teenage mind found this book. There's a level of childishness to it that is trying to be sold off as development and wisdom when it's actually a load of baloney.
Unless you're a depressed teenager, this book will just be too... ugh. I can't even find the words.
That's how terrible my non-teenage mind found this book. There's a level of childishness to it that is trying to be sold off as development and wisdom when it's actually a load of baloney.
Unless you're a depressed teenager, this book will just be too... ugh. I can't even find the words.
May 13, 2017
3.75*
May 30, 2017
Great book. I enjoyed all three of these in the series. This one started off weird for me and was a bit boring but it picked up like crazy and was great.
July 29, 2017
Loved it!
I couldn't stop reading this series and I'm so sad it's over . Definitely going to check out the rest of this authors work
I couldn't stop reading this series and I'm so sad it's over . Definitely going to check out the rest of this authors work
August 5, 2017
That was disappointing
July 17, 2021
DNF, very slow and nothing like the first 2, I was highly disappointed in this one because I loved books 1 and 2
April 19, 2022
Lots of changes for MC to deal with in this instalment - new characters, new places and new abilities. Loving the series.
January 24, 2025
perfect ending
I enjoyed the series. Life after death will always be a question. It is what God has in store for us.
I enjoyed the series. Life after death will always be a question. It is what God has in store for us.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews