What do you think?
Rate this book
When Ryan Came Back
Steven's life changes forever the day he discovers his childhood friend and lifelong crush, Ryan Walters, standing in his bedroom. The problem? Ryan Walters committed suicide just days earlier.
Ryan tells Steven that he didn't kill himself. He believes he was murdered and that his death is linked to an article he was working on for the school paper. Steven sets out to solve the mystery, but as the story unfolds, so does Ryan's secret life of sex with guys and depression. Steven realizes suicide is more plausible than Ryan's conspiracy theory, but he struggles to convince Ryan of the real cause of his death. And despite revelations of his friend's closeted life, he must face the truth that Ryan doesn't--and never will--love him.
Ryan tells Steven that he didn't kill himself. He believes he was murdered and that his death is linked to an article he was working on for the school paper. Steven sets out to solve the mystery, but as the story unfolds, so does Ryan's secret life of sex with guys and depression. Steven realizes suicide is more plausible than Ryan's conspiracy theory, but he struggles to convince Ryan of the real cause of his death. And despite revelations of his friend's closeted life, he must face the truth that Ryan doesn't--and never will--love him.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2014
9 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Devon McCormack
49 books1,545 followersDevon McCormack grew up in the Georgia suburbs with his two younger brothers and an older sister. At a very young age, he spun tales the old fashioned way, lying to anyone and everyone he encountered. He claimed he was an orphan. He claimed to be a king from another planet. He claimed to have supernatural powers. He has since harnessed this penchant for tall tales by crafting worlds and characters that allow him to live out whatever fantasy he chooses. Devon is an out and proud queer man living in Atlanta, Georgia.
Devon's body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.
Devon's body of work ranges from erotica to young adult, so readers should check the synopses of his books before purchasing so that they know what they're getting into.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Read
November 24, 2014*DNF at 28%*
I probably shouldn't have tried to read this book, but it has some great reviews from a few of my friends and when the author reached out to offer a review copy, I thought I'd give it a shot.
I find mysteries in general to be a difficult genre for me. I read very few of them, and I often give them mediocre ratings. My record with Josh Lanyon is a testament to that. This book might have been able to win me over in the end, but I wasn't interested enough to stick around and try.
I wasn't particularly invested in any of the characters and the writing style didn't grab me. This could be a case of "it's not you, it's me."
I probably shouldn't have tried to read this book, but it has some great reviews from a few of my friends and when the author reached out to offer a review copy, I thought I'd give it a shot.
I find mysteries in general to be a difficult genre for me. I read very few of them, and I often give them mediocre ratings. My record with Josh Lanyon is a testament to that. This book might have been able to win me over in the end, but I wasn't interested enough to stick around and try.
I wasn't particularly invested in any of the characters and the writing style didn't grab me. This could be a case of "it's not you, it's me."
December 16, 2014
I have to say, this one threw me for a loop. Did I stay up until 1:30 in the morning to finish it even though I had to wake up for work at 7:30? Yeah, I did. Did I get totally fooled by the M. Night Shyamalan twists and red herrings? Yup, you know it. Did I have no idea what was going on, love-interest wise? No clue. And I really enjoyed all of it.
I went into this thinking that his BFF was gonna come back from the dead and they were gonna realize they loved each other. I was both devastated and elated to find out that his friend, was in fact, straight. I was heartbroken for Steven, but I appreciated that if Ryan is straight then he's straight and this was something Steven would have to deal with. With the introduction of his project-partner, Tyler, I figured maybe something would be kindled there. But then, we start to realize, they weren't even BFF, and I started wondering what the hell was going on. They had been BFF until they were 8 and Ryan moved, then they went to the same high-school, but didn't start hanging out until recently. Even then, only ever alone and occasionally (when Ryan's other friends were busy, as Steven's friend Lyndsy so astutely observed).
But don't worry, not all is as it seems. My point being, I was kept on my toes. As piece by piece of the mystery begins to unravel, we learn how much Ryan was keeping secret, from everyone. And I honestly wasn't sure whether this would turn out to be a murder-mystery at all, or if Ryan really did kill himself.
Despite the subject, don't worry, it's not really a tear-jerker. Intense at times, and certainly bitter-sweet in places, but a YA murder-mystery for the most part with the obvious paranormal twist. But actually, I never cried about Ryan being dead, I only cried when Steven finally realizes that his feelings for Ryan will never be returned (I'm a big softie). So they fight, and make up, and Steven deals with his crazy mom, and Tyler pokes his head around, and mayhem ensues.
It was probably a little heavy on the mayhem, but like I said, detours and twists and red herrings . Can't figure out how this could possibly end happily? Well, I'm not telling! You'll hafta read it for yourself. :)
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
I went into this thinking that his BFF was gonna come back from the dead and they were gonna realize they loved each other. I was both devastated and elated to find out that his friend, was in fact, straight. I was heartbroken for Steven, but I appreciated that if Ryan is straight then he's straight and this was something Steven would have to deal with. With the introduction of his project-partner, Tyler, I figured maybe something would be kindled there. But then, we start to realize, they weren't even BFF, and I started wondering what the hell was going on. They had been BFF until they were 8 and Ryan moved, then they went to the same high-school, but didn't start hanging out until recently. Even then, only ever alone and occasionally (when Ryan's other friends were busy, as Steven's friend Lyndsy so astutely observed).
But don't worry, not all is as it seems. My point being, I was kept on my toes. As piece by piece of the mystery begins to unravel, we learn how much Ryan was keeping secret, from everyone. And I honestly wasn't sure whether this would turn out to be a murder-mystery at all, or if Ryan really did kill himself.
Despite the subject, don't worry, it's not really a tear-jerker. Intense at times, and certainly bitter-sweet in places, but a YA murder-mystery for the most part with the obvious paranormal twist. But actually, I never cried about Ryan being dead, I only cried when Steven finally realizes that his feelings for Ryan will never be returned (I'm a big softie). So they fight, and make up, and Steven deals with his crazy mom, and Tyler pokes his head around, and mayhem ensues.
It was probably a little heavy on the mayhem, but like I said, detours and twists and red herrings . Can't figure out how this could possibly end happily? Well, I'm not telling! You'll hafta read it for yourself. :)
Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
June 7, 2015
I loved this YA book. Romance. Mystery. A Ghost. School. Realisations. Feelings - teenage love, discovery, lies, hurt, comfort, friendships and family.
Giveaway 13th-16th of Octoberhttp://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
Only Steven can see Ryan. Ryan Walters, Ryan, who he wanted to love and be loved back by.
It's hard being a teenager when you have a ghost to contend with. Not letting on to anyone what is happening when a lot of other things are going on in your life. When you find out that your straight crush was with others, guys... but not you.
There is a good mystery in this book. Did Ryan commit suicide as it's been ruled? Or did someone kill him? If so, was it who Ryan hypothesises may have done it? Is it who Steven feels is the most likely? Hardy Boys gets thrown out there and I suppose that is a fair call. But for me personally, the feelings, the romance, the real teenage emotions about love, loss and life were so accurate. I love Devon McCormack's natural, genuine writing style, but his growth as a versatile writer is on display here.
Blog Review
October 27, 2014
Full review can be found at Greedy Bug Book Reviews.
A ghost. A mystery. An unusual romance. An outstanding book.
Ryan has committed suicide. His friend Steven can't quite grasp the fact that the boy he has secretly loved for years is gone. Where are the tears? The all-consuming grief? Why can't he feel anything over the loss? Then Ryan makes an appearance in Steven's bedroom - not long after Ryan's funeral. Steven, understandably, freaks out over seeing the ghost of the boy he's always loved. When Ryan tells him that he did not commit suicide and he needs Steven's help to find the real killer, this takes Steven on a journey where he discovers much more than he probably needed to know about Ryan. Ryan had a secret life that didn't include Steven and this devastates him. He wanted everyone else, but why not HIM? The boy who has loved him since they were kids? It takes awhile for all of Ryan's secrets to come to light, but when they do, Steven discovers not only what happened to Ryan to cause his death, but a few other things as well.
Once again Devon McCormack has written a YA novel where the teens are written as real teens. They talk like real teenagers and they act like teenagers do in the real world. The mystery of the story is written extremely well and I was kept guessing until the resolution.
Highly recommended.
A ghost. A mystery. An unusual romance. An outstanding book.
Ryan has committed suicide. His friend Steven can't quite grasp the fact that the boy he has secretly loved for years is gone. Where are the tears? The all-consuming grief? Why can't he feel anything over the loss? Then Ryan makes an appearance in Steven's bedroom - not long after Ryan's funeral. Steven, understandably, freaks out over seeing the ghost of the boy he's always loved. When Ryan tells him that he did not commit suicide and he needs Steven's help to find the real killer, this takes Steven on a journey where he discovers much more than he probably needed to know about Ryan. Ryan had a secret life that didn't include Steven and this devastates him. He wanted everyone else, but why not HIM? The boy who has loved him since they were kids? It takes awhile for all of Ryan's secrets to come to light, but when they do, Steven discovers not only what happened to Ryan to cause his death, but a few other things as well.
Once again Devon McCormack has written a YA novel where the teens are written as real teens. They talk like real teenagers and they act like teenagers do in the real world. The mystery of the story is written extremely well and I was kept guessing until the resolution.
Highly recommended.
Want to read
June 15, 2014Just signed the contract for this book with Harmony Ink Press. Release date: Oct/Nov 2014.
January 8, 2015
Grieve, mystery, family, friendship, love, sci-fi… When Ryan Came back has it all. As I’ve already acknowledged, Mr. McCormack’s incursion into the Young Adult genre is way over successful.
In this YA M/M romance, Steven Chase is a regular teenager in every possible way; he is terrified of coming out, of applying to college, of finding a job, essentially, he is terrified of growing up. He is just like everyone else, until he is not. Suddenly he finds himself being able to talk to Ryan Walters, his lifelong friend and secret crush who committed suicide a few days earlier; except Ryan assures him he didn’t kill himself and asks Steven to investigate and find out the truth. Steven sets out to find out what really happened, but as the mystery unfolds, he realizes suicide is more likely than Ryan’s theory. Despite the revelations of Ryan’s closeted life, Steven must face the fact that Ryan doesn’t love him.
Continue reading “When Ryan Came Back by Devon McCormack” »
February 21, 2016
Another up-all-nighter (who needs sleep?)
This book, oh man. You know what? No, it's not that simple. I don't understand how Devon McCormack does it. Every book he writes has an ending I did not see coming! I don't know if I should be awed by this talent or angry that he keeps doing this. I'm toying with the idea that he may be a witch.
So back to the review. Steven, such a great character, I loved his self description of Charlie Brown. He seems like your average senior, just going to school, crushing on hotties, and ignoring his future, because yeah, at seventeen not everyone knows what they wanna do for the rest of their lives. I liked that bit a lot. Most characters I read about are more like Ryan, i.e. hottie being crushed on by Steven, knew what he wanted to do after graduation, and recently deceased. (Well maybe not the deceased part)
Honestly, at first I didn't like Ryan at all. He rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed kinda douchy and very ungrateful. Fortunately he grew on me and Boom, I was team Steven and Ryan. I know, I know Ryan's dead but darn it a girl can hope right? Plus they had to figure out why Ryan was hanging out as a spectral being. They go sleuthing to find out the truth and the twists and turns this story threw at me had me flying through the pages. I may have growled at my husband for interrupting me while I was at a particularly adrenaline fueled scene. It happens!
The characters and world developed by Devon McCormack were phenomenal. It's seriously like watching a movie when I read anything by McCormack. Will always recommend anything he writes, possibly even his grocery lists.
This book, oh man. You know what? No, it's not that simple. I don't understand how Devon McCormack does it. Every book he writes has an ending I did not see coming! I don't know if I should be awed by this talent or angry that he keeps doing this. I'm toying with the idea that he may be a witch.
So back to the review. Steven, such a great character, I loved his self description of Charlie Brown. He seems like your average senior, just going to school, crushing on hotties, and ignoring his future, because yeah, at seventeen not everyone knows what they wanna do for the rest of their lives. I liked that bit a lot. Most characters I read about are more like Ryan, i.e. hottie being crushed on by Steven, knew what he wanted to do after graduation, and recently deceased. (Well maybe not the deceased part)
Honestly, at first I didn't like Ryan at all. He rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed kinda douchy and very ungrateful. Fortunately he grew on me and Boom, I was team Steven and Ryan. I know, I know Ryan's dead but darn it a girl can hope right? Plus they had to figure out why Ryan was hanging out as a spectral being. They go sleuthing to find out the truth and the twists and turns this story threw at me had me flying through the pages. I may have growled at my husband for interrupting me while I was at a particularly adrenaline fueled scene. It happens!
The characters and world developed by Devon McCormack were phenomenal. It's seriously like watching a movie when I read anything by McCormack. Will always recommend anything he writes, possibly even his grocery lists.
October 28, 2014
This is a compelling and difficult read. I was sucked in and read right through to the end. A complex story that is at times funny, sweet, heartbreaking, silly, frustrating, tragic, and endearing. It is not for the faint of heart or those looking for a light and easy read. It isn't a romance or a fluffy bit of fun. I was hooked early on and found myself racing through the twists and turns and riding the emotional roller coaster alongside Steven.
Steven is a senior in high school. He isn’t popular but he isn’t a pariah either. He knows he is gay, but is taking the head down approach because the only guy he wants is his straight, popular, jock friend, Ryan. He knows that he cares more about Ryan, wants more from Ryan than he will ever get, he always has. They were best friends when they were kids and grew apart when Ryan moved across town, but Steven had thought that they were finally growing close again. Except then Ryan died, and the cops are calling it a suicide. Steven is trying to figure out if there were any signs that he missed, if there was anything he could have done to help his friend, he doesn’t know what to think. Then one day Ryan is standing in his bedroom asking for his help.
Steven’s reaction to ghost Ryan was pretty funny. To say it took a bit of an adjustment is a huge understatement. He actually handled the whole thing very well. But he's never been able to say no to Ryan, and it doesn’t seem that death has changed that.
Steven’s pain at the secrets and lies that seem to surround him is palpable. The sense of betrayal that he is swimming in as revelation after traumatic revelation is uncovered as he digs into what killed Ryan is wrenching. As he delves further into the hidden past of not just Ryan, but those who surrounded him in his final days, it leads Steven into danger and begins to put his own life at risk.
Unrequited love is an agony and to have the object of your desire completely out of your reach is understandable, but when Steven begins to find that it was just him that Ryan didn’t want, my heart broke a little right along with his. The fact that he continued to help Ryan was admirable, sweet and self destructive. But being the only one who can still interact with Ryan puts the responsibility squarely on his shoulders.
These guys fight and make up and snark and are so sweet together. I couldn’t help wanting them to somehow do the impossible and find a way to be together. But this is the time of life that is full of breaking up, moving apart and on to bigger lives and dreams, how can they possibly have a future together when one of them is dead?
This isn’t a story grounded in reality, rather it is a fantasy and a coming of age story full of the confusion, angst, drama, love, friendships, betrayals and trials of two young men on the cusp of adulthood. There are some very serious issues that are addressed in this story. It is a bit dark and the secrets that Steven uncovers in his investigation are serious and criminal.
*****Trigger Warnings That Contain Spoilers - *****
Reviewed by Nina
To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com
Steven is a senior in high school. He isn’t popular but he isn’t a pariah either. He knows he is gay, but is taking the head down approach because the only guy he wants is his straight, popular, jock friend, Ryan. He knows that he cares more about Ryan, wants more from Ryan than he will ever get, he always has. They were best friends when they were kids and grew apart when Ryan moved across town, but Steven had thought that they were finally growing close again. Except then Ryan died, and the cops are calling it a suicide. Steven is trying to figure out if there were any signs that he missed, if there was anything he could have done to help his friend, he doesn’t know what to think. Then one day Ryan is standing in his bedroom asking for his help.
Steven’s reaction to ghost Ryan was pretty funny. To say it took a bit of an adjustment is a huge understatement. He actually handled the whole thing very well. But he's never been able to say no to Ryan, and it doesn’t seem that death has changed that.
Steven’s pain at the secrets and lies that seem to surround him is palpable. The sense of betrayal that he is swimming in as revelation after traumatic revelation is uncovered as he digs into what killed Ryan is wrenching. As he delves further into the hidden past of not just Ryan, but those who surrounded him in his final days, it leads Steven into danger and begins to put his own life at risk.
Unrequited love is an agony and to have the object of your desire completely out of your reach is understandable, but when Steven begins to find that it was just him that Ryan didn’t want, my heart broke a little right along with his. The fact that he continued to help Ryan was admirable, sweet and self destructive. But being the only one who can still interact with Ryan puts the responsibility squarely on his shoulders.
These guys fight and make up and snark and are so sweet together. I couldn’t help wanting them to somehow do the impossible and find a way to be together. But this is the time of life that is full of breaking up, moving apart and on to bigger lives and dreams, how can they possibly have a future together when one of them is dead?
This isn’t a story grounded in reality, rather it is a fantasy and a coming of age story full of the confusion, angst, drama, love, friendships, betrayals and trials of two young men on the cusp of adulthood. There are some very serious issues that are addressed in this story. It is a bit dark and the secrets that Steven uncovers in his investigation are serious and criminal.
*****Trigger Warnings That Contain Spoilers - *****
Reviewed by Nina
To see more of this review and others like it please visit us at Gay List Book Reviews at www.gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.com
January 24, 2015
At first I didn't expect much from this book, although the bio sounded fairly promising, the whole premise of a ghost doesn't really do it for me. But the book was surprisingly brilliant. It didn't focus on the idea that he was a ghost too much, it was as if he really was there with Steven but at the same time he wasn't - which was heartbreaking because towards the end when Ryan finally admitted his feelings for Steven, it was too late. They couldn't interact, even though they had finally told each other, that was it. The story itself was gripping, fast paced and very intriguing, constantly filled with suspense and a new mystery to discover. All of the characters were well develoed and different, each of them had different personalities which was one of the best parts about the book. Tyler was a guilty pleasure sort of character, one that you wished you had one of your own. Lauren was the best friend we either all have or all want and need. Ryan was the one you always wanted, who you thought was out of your reach but was in fact only a touch away and lastly, Steven. Steven was the one who didn't know what he wanted out of life, didn't know what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go, something which is perfectly normal at the age of 17. How are you meant to know what you want to do for the next four years and then effectively the rest of your life?
Overall, I was extremely surprised and impressed by this book, it was all I could've hoped it to be. It was funny, sweet, sad and dreamy. A good dose of each. It was really very good and I'll be looking out clearly for any more books by Devon McCormack in the future, for sure he is an author to watch out for!
(Thanks to Patchwork Press - Cooperative and Netgalley for a free read to review copy on the premise I post an unbiast review.)
Overall, I was extremely surprised and impressed by this book, it was all I could've hoped it to be. It was funny, sweet, sad and dreamy. A good dose of each. It was really very good and I'll be looking out clearly for any more books by Devon McCormack in the future, for sure he is an author to watch out for!
(Thanks to Patchwork Press - Cooperative and Netgalley for a free read to review copy on the premise I post an unbiast review.)
November 28, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
The more Steven digs, the more that the ghost of Ryan evades and the worse Ryan’s situation turns out to have been. Suicide seems the most likely cause of Ryan’s death regardless of Ryan’s protests, and yet Steven can’t leave well enough alone and feels the need to prove that the boy he loved did not kill himself.
The suicide and its after effects felt odd because, at times, I laughed at some of the dialogue spoken at the funeral. I attended a high school where students passed away and can vouch for the “keep moving forward” or “carry on” attitude, the sorrow and shock passes much faster than one would think and really affects a small number of students long-term.
Something that I noticed in this, and the other book of McCormack’s that I read is that other than the main characters, everyone else was rather two-dimensional. In some books, this can be an issue but the interactions between Steven and the other characters were kept to a minimum, just enough to keep the story moving forward.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
The more Steven digs, the more that the ghost of Ryan evades and the worse Ryan’s situation turns out to have been. Suicide seems the most likely cause of Ryan’s death regardless of Ryan’s protests, and yet Steven can’t leave well enough alone and feels the need to prove that the boy he loved did not kill himself.
The suicide and its after effects felt odd because, at times, I laughed at some of the dialogue spoken at the funeral. I attended a high school where students passed away and can vouch for the “keep moving forward” or “carry on” attitude, the sorrow and shock passes much faster than one would think and really affects a small number of students long-term.
Something that I noticed in this, and the other book of McCormack’s that I read is that other than the main characters, everyone else was rather two-dimensional. In some books, this can be an issue but the interactions between Steven and the other characters were kept to a minimum, just enough to keep the story moving forward.
Read Jason’s review in its entirety here.
February 22, 2016
This book is a difficult one to review; while some of it worked there were things that just didn’t hit the mark. The main characters were sweet, it had some humorous moments that had me chuckling, there were moments I wanted to reach for a tissue and for the most part the mystery was okay. With that said this should have been a winner for me, unfortunately it wasn’t. I didn’t dislike the story, far from it, but I couldn’t fall in love with it either.
I like the characters and even though I thought they were sweet I never felt any connection to them or the story. All the while I was reading I kept wishing that Ryan wasn’t a ghost and that he and Steven could share the excitement of first love but if that were the case there wouldn’t have been any need for the mystery. A ghost and his friend investigating who killed him could have been a great story but the mystery in a mystery was too much. The conclusion to who killed Ryan was a surprise to me I never saw that coming but the other mystery, which I can’t say anything about or it would be a big spoiler, was predictable.
I think this story could work for a lot of readers, for me there just needed to be more.
June 8, 2017
I ran across this book when looking for something to fill a challenge category. I read through the blurb and it sounded interesting. I have to say that I am glad I didn't look at the genres because I probably wouldn't have read it. I don't tend to read young adult books. I don't really even like them.
This held my interest. It had a lot of mystery and a bunch of twists and turns. I have to say that it took right up to the end for me to figure out the "who did it." I didn't see it coming because I figured it would be someone completely different.
Sure, there were things about the book that weren't really believable. I didn't find that bothering me much though. I was enjoying it and just went with the flow. I had a lot of fun doing so. Good job with this book. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author.
This held my interest. It had a lot of mystery and a bunch of twists and turns. I have to say that it took right up to the end for me to figure out the "who did it." I didn't see it coming because I figured it would be someone completely different.
Sure, there were things about the book that weren't really believable. I didn't find that bothering me much though. I was enjoying it and just went with the flow. I had a lot of fun doing so. Good job with this book. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author.
May 7, 2015
4.25 stars.
Steven's life turns upside down after his friend Ryan's death. Struggling with grief, suddenly he is haunted by Ryan's ghost who demands Steven investigate his death... The more Steven investigates, the more secrets he finds out. He is surrounded by lies, he is grieving for Ryan and heartbroken, and it turns out the uncovering of old mysteries may very well be the end of him.
Well, this book was pretty great! A gripping mystery which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, a sweet romance and a very determined Steven whose knack for sticking himself in dangerous situations and escaping them made for a very entertaining read.
I loved the ending, too, unrealistic though it was.
**A free copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.**
Steven's life turns upside down after his friend Ryan's death. Struggling with grief, suddenly he is haunted by Ryan's ghost who demands Steven investigate his death... The more Steven investigates, the more secrets he finds out. He is surrounded by lies, he is grieving for Ryan and heartbroken, and it turns out the uncovering of old mysteries may very well be the end of him.
Well, this book was pretty great! A gripping mystery which kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, a sweet romance and a very determined Steven whose knack for sticking himself in dangerous situations and escaping them made for a very entertaining read.
I loved the ending, too, unrealistic though it was.
**A free copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.**
Read
May 26, 2015DNF at 28%
Mysteries are a very hit or miss genre for me. This one was a big miss. It started off great with the ghost of Ryan coming back and visiting Steven. Then the mystery of Ryan's death took over. I lost interest when the mystery took center stage. No rating for this one since I was the problem, not the book.
Mysteries are a very hit or miss genre for me. This one was a big miss. It started off great with the ghost of Ryan coming back and visiting Steven. Then the mystery of Ryan's death took over. I lost interest when the mystery took center stage. No rating for this one since I was the problem, not the book.
October 19, 2014
4.5 stars
Review on BookWinked: Mystery, Teen Angst and a Ghost – A review of When Ryan Came Back
Review on BookWinked: Mystery, Teen Angst and a Ghost – A review of When Ryan Came Back
May 14, 2019
I wish I had more than "Holy shit this book is SO GOOD" but that's what I got. There is not too much romance in this, it's more solving-the-why but the journey is scary, intense, and incredibly creative. I read this in a day.
August 23, 2017
Ce roman est une véritable découverte, très agréable et un beau coup de cœur. C'est un récit qui m'a surprise et m'a happée dès les premières pages. C'est original et passionnant.
Nous suivons Steven et Ryan à travers un texte particulier mélangeant enquête, suspens, recherche et découverte de soi. Un roman qui évolue en même temps que ses personnages. J'ai aimé ce mélange entre humain et fantôme, la relation en est d'autant plus compliquée et intéressante, certains passages se révélant assez comiques.
Steven, enquêtant sur la mort de son ami, va de découvertes en stupéfaction. Cette mission va lui ouvrir des secrets jusqu'ici bien gardés, des secrets qui viennent tout bouleverser. En parallèle, c'est dans sa vie familiale aussi qu'il va aller en déconvenue, se rendant compte de certaines choses et surtout que rien n'est tout blanc ou tout noir.
Ryan est une personne mystérieuse, qui parle par énigme. Si sa description par Steven nous le rend léger et insouciant, il n'en est rien et au fil de notre lecture nous allons découvrir un être très profond, complexe. Lorsqu'il se dévoile totalement, c'est juste...beau.
Chaque page nous offre un rebondissement et une nouvelle facette de la vie de Ryan. Une vie à laquelle Steven se sent complètement étranger. Ce constat va le faire cogiter sur lui-même, ce qu'il est, ce qu'il veut et ce qu'il ressent au plus profond de lui-même. J'ai aimé cette prise de conscience qui ne va pas se faire sans douleur, sans pleurs.
L'auteur a fait un superbe travail au niveau de la psychologie des personnages. Ils sont bien travaillés, les dialogues sont réalistes et tiennent la route. Leurs questionnements sont légitimes et certains passages sont poignants et révélateurs de certaines choses que l'on peut soi-même ressentir ou penser.
Un roman très prenant où vous souhaitez connaitre la vérité, comme nos deux protagonistes, une vérité qui vous surprendra réellement, car moi-même je ne m'y attendais pas. Un enchaînement de découvertes exaltant, vous poussant à tourner les pages encore et encore jusqu'au point final. Un point final que j'ai apprécié et qui s'accorde parfaitement à l'audace de l'ensemble du roman.
Steven et Ryan sont deux personnages qui ont su me toucher. Ryan par ses secrets, ses angoisses et sa complexité et Steven par sa détermination et cette prise de conscience que tout ce qui l'entoure n'est que mensonge et non-dits. Ils m'ont touchée par leurs déclarations si sincères, par cette détresse qui les habite parfois, par cette douleur exprimée de voir tant de duperie, de mensonges mais aussi par cette impossibilité du cœur, cette résignation et cette évidence qui baignent leurs yeux de larmes, de chagrin et qui parfois les teintent d'espoir.
La plume de l’auteur m'a complètement charmée. J'adhère totalement. Elle m'a conquise dès les premiers mots.
Une plume qui expose avec justesse et précision les états d'âme de nos héros, leurs ressentis face à ce qu'ils vivent, cette improbabilité de la vie, ce cadeau aussi.
Une plume accordée à l’unisson avec les émotions de Steven et de Ryan, des émotions qui se traduisent par des gestes, des attitudes, des regards, des silences... tout un ensemble de mots pour exprimer ceci qui mit bout à bout vous fera vibrer, trembler, pleurer, espérer et retenir votre souffle.
Pléthores de sentiments pour un roman exceptionnel.
En bref, un véritable coup de cœur pour l'originalité de ce texte, pour ses personnages attachants, surprenants et criants de vérité, une touche de paranormale excellemment bien introduite, une relation magnifique entre deux êtres qui vont se chercher, se découvrir, se révéler et se faire grandir mutuellement.
Un coup de cœur pour ce young adult peu commun, assez unique, dont la plume de l'auteur en fait tout le sel et tout le charme, dont les principaux acteurs, Steven et Ryan, en font un texte passionnant et addictif, un texte aux multiples rebondissements, aux enquêtes parfois dangereuses et aux émotions à fleur de peau, dont la fin m'a émue et qui est en parfaite concordance avec l'intégralité du récit.
A découvrir.
Nous suivons Steven et Ryan à travers un texte particulier mélangeant enquête, suspens, recherche et découverte de soi. Un roman qui évolue en même temps que ses personnages. J'ai aimé ce mélange entre humain et fantôme, la relation en est d'autant plus compliquée et intéressante, certains passages se révélant assez comiques.
Steven, enquêtant sur la mort de son ami, va de découvertes en stupéfaction. Cette mission va lui ouvrir des secrets jusqu'ici bien gardés, des secrets qui viennent tout bouleverser. En parallèle, c'est dans sa vie familiale aussi qu'il va aller en déconvenue, se rendant compte de certaines choses et surtout que rien n'est tout blanc ou tout noir.
Ryan est une personne mystérieuse, qui parle par énigme. Si sa description par Steven nous le rend léger et insouciant, il n'en est rien et au fil de notre lecture nous allons découvrir un être très profond, complexe. Lorsqu'il se dévoile totalement, c'est juste...beau.
Chaque page nous offre un rebondissement et une nouvelle facette de la vie de Ryan. Une vie à laquelle Steven se sent complètement étranger. Ce constat va le faire cogiter sur lui-même, ce qu'il est, ce qu'il veut et ce qu'il ressent au plus profond de lui-même. J'ai aimé cette prise de conscience qui ne va pas se faire sans douleur, sans pleurs.
L'auteur a fait un superbe travail au niveau de la psychologie des personnages. Ils sont bien travaillés, les dialogues sont réalistes et tiennent la route. Leurs questionnements sont légitimes et certains passages sont poignants et révélateurs de certaines choses que l'on peut soi-même ressentir ou penser.
Un roman très prenant où vous souhaitez connaitre la vérité, comme nos deux protagonistes, une vérité qui vous surprendra réellement, car moi-même je ne m'y attendais pas. Un enchaînement de découvertes exaltant, vous poussant à tourner les pages encore et encore jusqu'au point final. Un point final que j'ai apprécié et qui s'accorde parfaitement à l'audace de l'ensemble du roman.
Steven et Ryan sont deux personnages qui ont su me toucher. Ryan par ses secrets, ses angoisses et sa complexité et Steven par sa détermination et cette prise de conscience que tout ce qui l'entoure n'est que mensonge et non-dits. Ils m'ont touchée par leurs déclarations si sincères, par cette détresse qui les habite parfois, par cette douleur exprimée de voir tant de duperie, de mensonges mais aussi par cette impossibilité du cœur, cette résignation et cette évidence qui baignent leurs yeux de larmes, de chagrin et qui parfois les teintent d'espoir.
La plume de l’auteur m'a complètement charmée. J'adhère totalement. Elle m'a conquise dès les premiers mots.
Une plume qui expose avec justesse et précision les états d'âme de nos héros, leurs ressentis face à ce qu'ils vivent, cette improbabilité de la vie, ce cadeau aussi.
Une plume accordée à l’unisson avec les émotions de Steven et de Ryan, des émotions qui se traduisent par des gestes, des attitudes, des regards, des silences... tout un ensemble de mots pour exprimer ceci qui mit bout à bout vous fera vibrer, trembler, pleurer, espérer et retenir votre souffle.
Pléthores de sentiments pour un roman exceptionnel.
En bref, un véritable coup de cœur pour l'originalité de ce texte, pour ses personnages attachants, surprenants et criants de vérité, une touche de paranormale excellemment bien introduite, une relation magnifique entre deux êtres qui vont se chercher, se découvrir, se révéler et se faire grandir mutuellement.
Un coup de cœur pour ce young adult peu commun, assez unique, dont la plume de l'auteur en fait tout le sel et tout le charme, dont les principaux acteurs, Steven et Ryan, en font un texte passionnant et addictif, un texte aux multiples rebondissements, aux enquêtes parfois dangereuses et aux émotions à fleur de peau, dont la fin m'a émue et qui est en parfaite concordance avec l'intégralité du récit.
A découvrir.
February 22, 2018
Ce livre me faisait envie depuis un moment !
Le synopsis du livre présente bien les choses sans trop en dévoiler, je ne reviendrai pas dessus cheesygrin
Nous accompagnons donc Steven dans sa recherche de la vérité… à savoir, qu’est-il arrivé à son ami ? suicide ? meurtre ? …ami dont il est secrètement amoureux depuis tant d’années…
Cette histoire est donc une petite enquête…ou pour le coup, rien n’est ce qu’il semble être…
J’ai aimé le début, on découvre tout, la peine de Steven pour son ami… on se prend d’affection pour lui, ainsi que pour Ryan… Sauf que plus j’en apprenais sur Ryan, moins je l’appréciais.
J’ai trouvé le milieu très long, mais long… je ne sais pas si c’était le bon moment pour moi de lire ce livre étant donné que je venais de sortir d’une lecture très intense, je pense que j’ai jamais réussi à rentrer dedans au final… Je m’y sentais un peu mal à l’aise…
Je peinais vraiment à avancer jusqu’à ce que les choses bougent à la fin…et pour le coup, elles bougent ! Je ne m’y attendais pas du tout et j'ai été vraiment surprise !
Cependant, la toute fin m’a un peu déçue, enfin je ne sais pas trop... je ne peux pas trop en parler au risque de tout dévoiler mais ***spoiler*** je ne suis pas satisfaite de cette fin plus ou moins ouverte surtout par rapport au thème du livre….
(3,5/5)
Le synopsis du livre présente bien les choses sans trop en dévoiler, je ne reviendrai pas dessus cheesygrin
Nous accompagnons donc Steven dans sa recherche de la vérité… à savoir, qu’est-il arrivé à son ami ? suicide ? meurtre ? …ami dont il est secrètement amoureux depuis tant d’années…
Cette histoire est donc une petite enquête…ou pour le coup, rien n’est ce qu’il semble être…
J’ai aimé le début, on découvre tout, la peine de Steven pour son ami… on se prend d’affection pour lui, ainsi que pour Ryan… Sauf que plus j’en apprenais sur Ryan, moins je l’appréciais.
J’ai trouvé le milieu très long, mais long… je ne sais pas si c’était le bon moment pour moi de lire ce livre étant donné que je venais de sortir d’une lecture très intense, je pense que j’ai jamais réussi à rentrer dedans au final… Je m’y sentais un peu mal à l’aise…
Je peinais vraiment à avancer jusqu’à ce que les choses bougent à la fin…et pour le coup, elles bougent ! Je ne m’y attendais pas du tout et j'ai été vraiment surprise !
Cependant, la toute fin m’a un peu déçue, enfin je ne sais pas trop... je ne peux pas trop en parler au risque de tout dévoiler mais ***spoiler*** je ne suis pas satisfaite de cette fin plus ou moins ouverte surtout par rapport au thème du livre….
(3,5/5)
March 31, 2018
2,5 🌟
BOF.
L'histoire avait l'air intéressante. Une enquête de meurtre (suicide maquillé), un mystère, la quête d'un meurtrier et de la vérité. Un thriller, quoi.
Une petite pincée s'ajoute à cela : Un fantôme. Le fantôme de Ryan. La personne qui s'est prétendument donné la mort. Mais également le garçon dont le personnage principal était secrètement amoureux.
.
Le synopsis faisait envie. L'ajout du fantôme avait l'air intéressant. Le mystère était banal. Le crush sur Ryan etait mignon.
... Mais qu'elle lenteur et lourdeur ! Je n'ai pas accroché. J'ai vraiment traîné pour lire ce livre. J'aurai pris, en temps normal, 1 jour pour le lire. J'en ai pris plus de 3.
C'était à la fois prévisible et inattendu. La découverte du meurtrier m'a vraiment étonnée. La fin ceci-dit était très (TROP) prévisible !!!
BOF.
L'histoire avait l'air intéressante. Une enquête de meurtre (suicide maquillé), un mystère, la quête d'un meurtrier et de la vérité. Un thriller, quoi.
Une petite pincée s'ajoute à cela : Un fantôme. Le fantôme de Ryan. La personne qui s'est prétendument donné la mort. Mais également le garçon dont le personnage principal était secrètement amoureux.
.
Le synopsis faisait envie. L'ajout du fantôme avait l'air intéressant. Le mystère était banal. Le crush sur Ryan etait mignon.
... Mais qu'elle lenteur et lourdeur ! Je n'ai pas accroché. J'ai vraiment traîné pour lire ce livre. J'aurai pris, en temps normal, 1 jour pour le lire. J'en ai pris plus de 3.
C'était à la fois prévisible et inattendu. La découverte du meurtrier m'a vraiment étonnée. La fin ceci-dit était très (TROP) prévisible !!!
February 24, 2020
Spoilers
This was not the story I was expecting to read. I thought I was going to get some kind of gay coming out story where Steven's traumatic loss of Ryan triggers Steven's seeing his ghost. I thought the whole ghost thing would turn out to be Steven's way of coming to terms with the fact that Ryan was gay but didn't love him. Instead, it was a crazy crime solving spree where Steven solves three crimes and is almost killed twice, and Ryan really is a ghost. The relationship between Ryan and Steven never felt real to me. It was too forced. Of course Ryan couldn't love anyone else. No one else could see him. I guess paranormal love just isn't my cup of tea.
This was not the story I was expecting to read. I thought I was going to get some kind of gay coming out story where Steven's traumatic loss of Ryan triggers Steven's seeing his ghost. I thought the whole ghost thing would turn out to be Steven's way of coming to terms with the fact that Ryan was gay but didn't love him. Instead, it was a crazy crime solving spree where Steven solves three crimes and is almost killed twice, and Ryan really is a ghost. The relationship between Ryan and Steven never felt real to me. It was too forced. Of course Ryan couldn't love anyone else. No one else could see him. I guess paranormal love just isn't my cup of tea.
December 30, 2018
"La Vérité sur Ryan" est un un roman que j'ai apprécié dans sa globalité mais que je ne conseille pas pour autant. Certes, l'enquête est bien menée et le doute est permis jusqu'à la fin mais la dynamique du livre est trop irrégulière et la dernière partie du livre est "too much" à mon goût. J'aurais préféré que l'auteur propose une autre alternative un peu plus crédible. J'ai tout de même passé un bon moment avec Steven et Ryan.
February 17, 2018
Wow. It doesn't surprise the complexity of Devon lol. The stuff he writes is so broad. This was definitely a surprise. I want expecting a murder mystery. Of course I wasn't expecting the relationship at the end either lol. But it was good.
February 14, 2018
Different but in a good way. Loved the mystery of it and the romance angle.
May 29, 2017
The first thing that came to my mind after reading this book was that this is so not a YA/NA novel but then I quickly realized that YA is an umbrella, the scope of which is limitless. The reason behind my thought was the fact that I have stared to expect some kind of self-discovery to be a major plot point in all YA books while self discovery does play a bit of a part in framing Steven's character that part of the story is largely sacrificed to give the mystery the lieu it deserves. If I truly had to classify this book I would put it under the tag murder-mystery because this book has not one but two murder mysteries if you can believe it. So I somewhat think that the tag of YA will attract different audiences then the ones a murder mystery would attract and personally the latter would enjoy this so much more.
I enjoyed this book because I love a good mystery and I haven't read one in too long but I didn't go into this book expecting the mystery angle, I was thinking it would be more about coming to terms with yourself probably about coming to terms with your sexuality but this book doesn't really deal with these issues than in the most perfunctory way. So I think the reason this book isn't getting 5 stars from me is because I had the wrong expectations from it and the reason behind my grudging the YA tag even though I know that I happen to be wrong in begrudging it. Also since the YA tag was the reason I found this book in the first place I should start appreciating it more in context to this story.
Now that I have got that out of the way, the next thing I would like to ask is how much do you like mysteries? This book is basically about Steven investigating Ryan's death when Ryan's ghost confesses to Steven that he in fact doesn't think that he committed suicide. This puts Steven on the track on not one, not two but three NDEs and he in the process solves three mysteries. I recently watched Riverdale and I just couldn't help comparing the two. They both feature perfectly normal towns till a death has everything tumbling down and exposes the ugly walls the paint was hiding.
If you are a bit weirded out about reading this book because of the paranormal angle, I would like to assure you that the paranormal in this book is very limited in the sense that only Steven can see Ryan and Ryan doesn't seem to have any physical control over the world around him. The author doesn't rely a lot on using the fact that Ryan is a ghost making this story more interesting as Steven is left to a lot of the groundwork and figuring things out on his own, of course he doesn't completely ignore the aspect but I in all liked the way Ryan's ghost played into things well expect in the very very end.
What was weird about this book was that I could actually imagine people being like the characters in this book, which was a surreal feeling. In this instance I would like to bring up Steven's mother and Father Daniels, these were two characters who really captured my imagination. I totally get Steven's mother's character where she manages to blame people for their own problems and makes everything about her. Also the way she manages to downplay the truth of Steven's words was so horrible but at the same time so true to her character, it was chilling. Similarly Father Daniels was the other character that stood out for me from a host of amazing characters but going into why his character stood out for me would mean spoilers so I am not getting into it. The beauty about this book was that the characters in this book seemed to exist before you were introduced to them in the book so whenever a new character was introduced it didn't feel like this character had to be developed to seem real it seemed like they popped up all fleshed out which made this story a very amazing read.
This book has a minimal focus on romance or not but considering the amount of romance I have read it felt minimal to me which was a refreshing change. I didn't quite agree with the ending because it isn't a HEA for me it is a HFN ending till reality catches up, but leaving that aside this book was a amazing read for me, very fast paced, lots of action, it truly is like an episode of Riverdale (don't kill me for saying that).
This book has been on my TBR since Oct 17; 2014, I finally got around to buying it in Dec 2016 (22nd to be exact) and then finally got to reading it on 25th May; 2017 and I am glad I finally did. Also I am very glad this book survived all my radical TBR deletes. This book is an amazing mystery, I really enjoyed it in all aspects.
I enjoyed this book because I love a good mystery and I haven't read one in too long but I didn't go into this book expecting the mystery angle, I was thinking it would be more about coming to terms with yourself probably about coming to terms with your sexuality but this book doesn't really deal with these issues than in the most perfunctory way. So I think the reason this book isn't getting 5 stars from me is because I had the wrong expectations from it and the reason behind my grudging the YA tag even though I know that I happen to be wrong in begrudging it. Also since the YA tag was the reason I found this book in the first place I should start appreciating it more in context to this story.
Now that I have got that out of the way, the next thing I would like to ask is how much do you like mysteries? This book is basically about Steven investigating Ryan's death when Ryan's ghost confesses to Steven that he in fact doesn't think that he committed suicide. This puts Steven on the track on not one, not two but three NDEs and he in the process solves three mysteries. I recently watched Riverdale and I just couldn't help comparing the two. They both feature perfectly normal towns till a death has everything tumbling down and exposes the ugly walls the paint was hiding.
If you are a bit weirded out about reading this book because of the paranormal angle, I would like to assure you that the paranormal in this book is very limited in the sense that only Steven can see Ryan and Ryan doesn't seem to have any physical control over the world around him. The author doesn't rely a lot on using the fact that Ryan is a ghost making this story more interesting as Steven is left to a lot of the groundwork and figuring things out on his own, of course he doesn't completely ignore the aspect but I in all liked the way Ryan's ghost played into things well expect in the very very end.
What was weird about this book was that I could actually imagine people being like the characters in this book, which was a surreal feeling. In this instance I would like to bring up Steven's mother and Father Daniels, these were two characters who really captured my imagination. I totally get Steven's mother's character where she manages to blame people for their own problems and makes everything about her. Also the way she manages to downplay the truth of Steven's words was so horrible but at the same time so true to her character, it was chilling. Similarly Father Daniels was the other character that stood out for me from a host of amazing characters but going into why his character stood out for me would mean spoilers so I am not getting into it. The beauty about this book was that the characters in this book seemed to exist before you were introduced to them in the book so whenever a new character was introduced it didn't feel like this character had to be developed to seem real it seemed like they popped up all fleshed out which made this story a very amazing read.
This book has a minimal focus on romance or not but considering the amount of romance I have read it felt minimal to me which was a refreshing change. I didn't quite agree with the ending because it isn't a HEA for me it is a HFN ending till reality catches up, but leaving that aside this book was a amazing read for me, very fast paced, lots of action, it truly is like an episode of Riverdale (don't kill me for saying that).
This book has been on my TBR since Oct 17; 2014, I finally got around to buying it in Dec 2016 (22nd to be exact) and then finally got to reading it on 25th May; 2017 and I am glad I finally did. Also I am very glad this book survived all my radical TBR deletes. This book is an amazing mystery, I really enjoyed it in all aspects.
November 3, 2016
2.5 stars
Review first published on my blog The Fictional Reader
This is one of those books I should’ve read and reviewed ages ago. When I first started my blog, I requested way too many books from Netgalley. Now I’m still trying to read them all -even if my reading tastes have changed ever since. Yet I’ve been in a mystery-book-mood lately, so I figured it was the perfect time to try and read this. The synopsis sounds like tons of fun. Unfortunately, I had some problems with it.
In itself, the mystery was fun. You’re trying to figure out whether Ryan really killed himself, or whether someone killed him. He doesn’t remember anything after school that day, so it’s not like Steven can just ask him. While maybe a tad unbelievable, I still liked the mystery. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, it took me completely by surprise. But the mystery turned out to be the only aspect I really did like.
At first, I quite liked the main character, Steven. He’s a teenager, struggling with the fact that he’s gay -and that he was in love with his friend (who is now dead). I felt for him. It’s definitely not an easy position for a teenager. But some of the things he said (or thought) were in my opinion, really problematic. At first, I thought I was overreacting, so I messaged my friend and asked her opinion. She thought it was problematic too. Here’s what bothered me first:
Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees the problem with this? It’s really insensitive, first of all. Second, don’t presume to know everything about a person from the way you perceived his life. And then Ryan says the following:
Mental defect, really? And then we got to the following cringe-worthy statement of attraction:
Yikes. I shall never look at a brownie the same again. As you can see, the book didn’t get off to the best start for me.
Things got a little better, as we got more and more into the mystery though. I thought Lindsey was a good friend, as she was supportive of Steven coming out. But even though I liked the mystery, I just couldn’t give this a higher rating. There are several more aspects of this book I believe are problematic -or just plain messed up.
Steven’s mother?? How can you be like that?? Although I do believe that Steven dealt with that in a healthy way. I didn’t like how Steven felt entitled to investigate every aspect of Ryan’s life, even though the latter asked him not to. It doesn’t matter that he’s dead. It’s disrespectful to not respect someone’s privacy. And I didn’t like the way he overreacted when he discovered that Ryan had lied to him, or kept secrets. People are entitled to keep secrets! It’s called privacy. No one has to tell you everything that happens in their life if they don’t want to. Steven also left his date in a restaurant after being there for 2 minutes, to snoop into Ryan’s journals when his mother wasn’t there. Are you kidding me? That’s so rude! Lastly, while I think their romance was cute, I don’t think it’s healthy. Sue me, but I don’t think a relationship is healthy when ONE OF THE TWO IS DEAD.
I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the only thing I truly liked was the mystery. As you can tell, I had some issues with the rest of the book. However, most of the ratings on Goodreads appear to be 4-star or 5-star ones, so maybe you should read it and see how you feel about it. I seem to be the odd one out here.
Review first published on my blog The Fictional Reader
This is one of those books I should’ve read and reviewed ages ago. When I first started my blog, I requested way too many books from Netgalley. Now I’m still trying to read them all -even if my reading tastes have changed ever since. Yet I’ve been in a mystery-book-mood lately, so I figured it was the perfect time to try and read this. The synopsis sounds like tons of fun. Unfortunately, I had some problems with it.
In itself, the mystery was fun. You’re trying to figure out whether Ryan really killed himself, or whether someone killed him. He doesn’t remember anything after school that day, so it’s not like Steven can just ask him. While maybe a tad unbelievable, I still liked the mystery. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, it took me completely by surprise. But the mystery turned out to be the only aspect I really did like.
At first, I quite liked the main character, Steven. He’s a teenager, struggling with the fact that he’s gay -and that he was in love with his friend (who is now dead). I felt for him. It’s definitely not an easy position for a teenager. But some of the things he said (or thought) were in my opinion, really problematic. At first, I thought I was overreacting, so I messaged my friend and asked her opinion. She thought it was problematic too. Here’s what bothered me first:
Now, people just called me Charlie Brown on account of my fat snout and round featureless face. Didn’t do wonders for my self-esteem, but I’d never considered offing myself because of it. If I hadn’t thought about it, I couldn’t imagine why someone who had as much adoration and praise as Ryan would have.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who sees the problem with this? It’s really insensitive, first of all. Second, don’t presume to know everything about a person from the way you perceived his life. And then Ryan says the following:
And their guesses about what was wrong with me. They acted like I had some sort of mental defect…
Mental defect, really? And then we got to the following cringe-worthy statement of attraction:
I wanted his pink lips pressed against mine, his stubby fingers gliding under my shirt, stroking up and down my back, appreciating me like he appreciated a freshly baked brownie.
Yikes. I shall never look at a brownie the same again. As you can see, the book didn’t get off to the best start for me.
Things got a little better, as we got more and more into the mystery though. I thought Lindsey was a good friend, as she was supportive of Steven coming out. But even though I liked the mystery, I just couldn’t give this a higher rating. There are several more aspects of this book I believe are problematic -or just plain messed up.
Steven’s mother?? How can you be like that?? Although I do believe that Steven dealt with that in a healthy way. I didn’t like how Steven felt entitled to investigate every aspect of Ryan’s life, even though the latter asked him not to. It doesn’t matter that he’s dead. It’s disrespectful to not respect someone’s privacy. And I didn’t like the way he overreacted when he discovered that Ryan had lied to him, or kept secrets. People are entitled to keep secrets! It’s called privacy. No one has to tell you everything that happens in their life if they don’t want to. Steven also left his date in a restaurant after being there for 2 minutes, to snoop into Ryan’s journals when his mother wasn’t there. Are you kidding me? That’s so rude! Lastly, while I think their romance was cute, I don’t think it’s healthy. Sue me, but I don’t think a relationship is healthy when ONE OF THE TWO IS DEAD.
I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the only thing I truly liked was the mystery. As you can tell, I had some issues with the rest of the book. However, most of the ratings on Goodreads appear to be 4-star or 5-star ones, so maybe you should read it and see how you feel about it. I seem to be the odd one out here.
October 25, 2015
Reviewed at The Blogger Girls.
When his best friend dies, Steven is devastated but also strangely numb to it all. But when Ryan shows up in his room unexpectedly, Steven is beyond freaked especially when Ryan tells him that he didn’t commit suicide but was murdered. Badgered into finding out the truth, Steven goes in search of answers but the more Steven investigates, the more he realizes he didn’t know Ryan at all. Even still, Steven is determined to get answers and in doing so, he may have discovered way more than he bargained for.
It’s hard for me to write this review because there’s aspects of the story I really enjoyed and there’s parts that I didn’t.What I loved about the story is the author’s writing. It’s very engaging and fast-paced so, even though I struggled at times (for very different reasons), I still had that urge to continue reading and to see what would happen next. The other thing I loved is Tyler, the second love interest. I really liked that he was a jock but also a little hesitant and eager when it came to Steven. He didn’t let other students dictate who his friends were or who he would talk to and it didn’t seem like he really cared if people found out he was gay. I honestly was hoping that Steven would end up with Tyler because he was such a great character and I was really bummed when that didn’t happen :(
My biggest issue, though, is that I didn’t like Steven or Ryan. To me, it felt like Ryan was just using Steven and I never actually felt any of the supposed love that he had for Steven. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that Ryan has loved Steven for so long yet he never gave any hints of that love to Steven and, in fact, pretty much screwed every gay person at the school. Which made me wonder how rumors of Ryan being gay didn’t circulate. Not to mention that Ryan had been lying to Steven for years and keeping some other pretty huge secrets as well.
Beyond that, though, I didn’t like Steven as a character either. He was brash, stubborn and determined, which are great qualities in a character but every time Steven would land himself in a bad situation, it almost felt like he just surrendered and didn’t fight to get out of it until he literally was about to die. It aggravated me to the point that I yelled at my kindle for him to use the box cutters or to kick the guy in the balls, or to do ANYTHING to get out of the situation but he never did until he was on death’s door or captured. Even then, though, I didn’t really like that he would just rush into something without thinking or the fact that he was just as selfish as he was accusing his mom of being.
In the end, I struggled with my rating on this one because disliking the main characters is a huge problem when I read books. At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the fact that while I didn’t like the characters, I still couldn’t put the book down because it was so intense and suspenseful at times. I struggled in some parts but that was because I didn’t like the over-analyzing Steven would do when it came to Ryan and all his lies. So, I’m going neutral on this one and I encourage readers to pick this one up anyway because if the blurb intrigues you, give it a try and figure out for yourself whether it’s something you’ll like or not. With that said, I really hope the author considers giving Tyler a story of his own because I seriously loved that boy!
When his best friend dies, Steven is devastated but also strangely numb to it all. But when Ryan shows up in his room unexpectedly, Steven is beyond freaked especially when Ryan tells him that he didn’t commit suicide but was murdered. Badgered into finding out the truth, Steven goes in search of answers but the more Steven investigates, the more he realizes he didn’t know Ryan at all. Even still, Steven is determined to get answers and in doing so, he may have discovered way more than he bargained for.
It’s hard for me to write this review because there’s aspects of the story I really enjoyed and there’s parts that I didn’t.What I loved about the story is the author’s writing. It’s very engaging and fast-paced so, even though I struggled at times (for very different reasons), I still had that urge to continue reading and to see what would happen next. The other thing I loved is Tyler, the second love interest. I really liked that he was a jock but also a little hesitant and eager when it came to Steven. He didn’t let other students dictate who his friends were or who he would talk to and it didn’t seem like he really cared if people found out he was gay. I honestly was hoping that Steven would end up with Tyler because he was such a great character and I was really bummed when that didn’t happen :(
My biggest issue, though, is that I didn’t like Steven or Ryan. To me, it felt like Ryan was just using Steven and I never actually felt any of the supposed love that he had for Steven. I just couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that Ryan has loved Steven for so long yet he never gave any hints of that love to Steven and, in fact, pretty much screwed every gay person at the school. Which made me wonder how rumors of Ryan being gay didn’t circulate. Not to mention that Ryan had been lying to Steven for years and keeping some other pretty huge secrets as well.
Beyond that, though, I didn’t like Steven as a character either. He was brash, stubborn and determined, which are great qualities in a character but every time Steven would land himself in a bad situation, it almost felt like he just surrendered and didn’t fight to get out of it until he literally was about to die. It aggravated me to the point that I yelled at my kindle for him to use the box cutters or to kick the guy in the balls, or to do ANYTHING to get out of the situation but he never did until he was on death’s door or captured. Even then, though, I didn’t really like that he would just rush into something without thinking or the fact that he was just as selfish as he was accusing his mom of being.
In the end, I struggled with my rating on this one because disliking the main characters is a huge problem when I read books. At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the fact that while I didn’t like the characters, I still couldn’t put the book down because it was so intense and suspenseful at times. I struggled in some parts but that was because I didn’t like the over-analyzing Steven would do when it came to Ryan and all his lies. So, I’m going neutral on this one and I encourage readers to pick this one up anyway because if the blurb intrigues you, give it a try and figure out for yourself whether it’s something you’ll like or not. With that said, I really hope the author considers giving Tyler a story of his own because I seriously loved that boy!
Read
November 21, 2014What I enjoyed the most about When Ryan Came Back is Steven’s characterisation. He is a well-balanced, realistic, and believable character. He is a teenage boy through and through, and I liked that he is not perfect. I really enjoyed the underlying sarcastic commentary in his head. He ended up thinking exactly what I would be thinking in several of the situations he found himself in. It provided a light heartedness throughout the story that is not overdone, and is perfectly timed.
Ryan held less interest for me than Steven. In comparison, he is much more one dimensional, no pun intended.
It is easy to mistake the story for a contemporary with no paranormal aspects, and I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I forgot that Ryan is a ghost, and Steven seems to as well, based on his commentary. The reality lines are a little blurred, and occasionally this made me neglect to keep options open for anything to be possible, given that it is a paranormal story.
The red herring plot line is so dull that even the main character comments on how ridiculous it is. For me, it was a little why-am-I-reading-this-why-do-I-care, making it rather hard to endure at times—until it cleverly ends up playing a main part in the greater plot.
The one drawback—and this is a bit of a spoiler—is that although there are plenty of female characters, they are mainly plot devices, used to move the story along but having no real agency of their own. Those who did not have minor roles, were cast in a very negative light. I found it to be a little imbalanced.
Overall, the characters and the story were memorable. And I think most importantly, Devon McCormack’s representation of gay teenaged boys was really spot on. It was very natural, it was not overdone or glamourised or romantised, it was very realistic. The way that he handled Ryan being in the closet was rather well done. Ryan’s dual existence, him not admitting anything to anyone—even to himself to a degree—is what a lot of teenagers do go through. Because he was popular, the last thing he wanted to do was admit that he was gay. And even though he acted upon it, ultimately, being gay and pretending not to be gay, made him unable to fit the pieces of himself together. Of course, I think part of the reason the representation is so spot on is due to the author being gay himself—he knows of what he speaks. This always makes a huge difference in how the material is presented, in my opinion.
Ryan held less interest for me than Steven. In comparison, he is much more one dimensional, no pun intended.
It is easy to mistake the story for a contemporary with no paranormal aspects, and I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I forgot that Ryan is a ghost, and Steven seems to as well, based on his commentary. The reality lines are a little blurred, and occasionally this made me neglect to keep options open for anything to be possible, given that it is a paranormal story.
The red herring plot line is so dull that even the main character comments on how ridiculous it is. For me, it was a little why-am-I-reading-this-why-do-I-care, making it rather hard to endure at times—until it cleverly ends up playing a main part in the greater plot.
The one drawback—and this is a bit of a spoiler—is that although there are plenty of female characters, they are mainly plot devices, used to move the story along but having no real agency of their own. Those who did not have minor roles, were cast in a very negative light. I found it to be a little imbalanced.
Overall, the characters and the story were memorable. And I think most importantly, Devon McCormack’s representation of gay teenaged boys was really spot on. It was very natural, it was not overdone or glamourised or romantised, it was very realistic. The way that he handled Ryan being in the closet was rather well done. Ryan’s dual existence, him not admitting anything to anyone—even to himself to a degree—is what a lot of teenagers do go through. Because he was popular, the last thing he wanted to do was admit that he was gay. And even though he acted upon it, ultimately, being gay and pretending not to be gay, made him unable to fit the pieces of himself together. Of course, I think part of the reason the representation is so spot on is due to the author being gay himself—he knows of what he speaks. This always makes a huge difference in how the material is presented, in my opinion.
January 18, 2018
Cela fait quelques mois que j’avais lu ce bouquin mais je n’avais pas eu le temps de faire la chronique. Et quand Ash m’annonce qu’une version FR sera bientôt disponible et bien je me suis : Let’s go!
J’avais déjà lu un livre de Devon McCormack et je vous assure que j’ai trop, mais trop aimé son écriture. Alors quand on me propose l’un de ses livres, je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de le prendre.
Au début, j’étais un peu sceptique car j’ai dû m’y prendre à deux reprises avant de bien entrer dans l’histoire. Non pas qu’il soit lent ni quoi que ce soit, juste que ça change totalement de ce que j’ai pu voir chez cet auteur. Ouais, ce mec m’a surprise !
Steven est un ado comme les autres qui d’entrée de jeu nous annonce qu’il est gay et qu’il aimait son meilleur, Ryan. Sauf que ce dernier est mort. Aoutch ! Jusque là, rien d’anormal sauf qu’on se retrouve dans un cas où on devrait appeler les Ghoshbuster !
Bon, ce qui est intéressant à suivre ce n’est pas la relation qu’entretient nos deux protagonistes mais tout simplement l’enquête qui a lieu pour découvrir la vérité.
Steven part d’un point A qui est vraiment rien et se retrouve avec des points B, C, D, voir Y. Franchement, je m’y attendais pas vraiment à une telle situation qui parfois me semblait assez improbable. On se pose toujours l’éternelle question : Pourquoi ? Ouais, rien que ça.
Et les réponses sont toutes aussi *fiou*. Sincèrement, j’ai vraiment aimé l’ambiance mis en place par l’auteur, tous ces rebondissements. Comment il a amené la vérité, comment il a fait éclater au grand jour certains points obscurs, et surtout, comment il a développé la relation entre Steven et Ryan (même si j’ai trouvé cela un peu chelou… quoique, le film Ghost a eu un très grand succès, non ?)
Bref, je n’entre pas dans les détails sinon ça sera vous spoiler mais sachez que When Ryan Came Back est un roman à lire si on veut découvrir la plume de Devon. Et pour ceux qui nous suivent, n’hésitez pas à lire ma chronique sur son autre roman Clipped
J’avais déjà lu un livre de Devon McCormack et je vous assure que j’ai trop, mais trop aimé son écriture. Alors quand on me propose l’un de ses livres, je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de le prendre.
Au début, j’étais un peu sceptique car j’ai dû m’y prendre à deux reprises avant de bien entrer dans l’histoire. Non pas qu’il soit lent ni quoi que ce soit, juste que ça change totalement de ce que j’ai pu voir chez cet auteur. Ouais, ce mec m’a surprise !
Steven est un ado comme les autres qui d’entrée de jeu nous annonce qu’il est gay et qu’il aimait son meilleur, Ryan. Sauf que ce dernier est mort. Aoutch ! Jusque là, rien d’anormal sauf qu’on se retrouve dans un cas où on devrait appeler les Ghoshbuster !
Bon, ce qui est intéressant à suivre ce n’est pas la relation qu’entretient nos deux protagonistes mais tout simplement l’enquête qui a lieu pour découvrir la vérité.
Steven part d’un point A qui est vraiment rien et se retrouve avec des points B, C, D, voir Y. Franchement, je m’y attendais pas vraiment à une telle situation qui parfois me semblait assez improbable. On se pose toujours l’éternelle question : Pourquoi ? Ouais, rien que ça.
Et les réponses sont toutes aussi *fiou*. Sincèrement, j’ai vraiment aimé l’ambiance mis en place par l’auteur, tous ces rebondissements. Comment il a amené la vérité, comment il a fait éclater au grand jour certains points obscurs, et surtout, comment il a développé la relation entre Steven et Ryan (même si j’ai trouvé cela un peu chelou… quoique, le film Ghost a eu un très grand succès, non ?)
Bref, je n’entre pas dans les détails sinon ça sera vous spoiler mais sachez que When Ryan Came Back est un roman à lire si on veut découvrir la plume de Devon. Et pour ceux qui nous suivent, n’hésitez pas à lire ma chronique sur son autre roman Clipped
October 22, 2014
4 star review by Dan
I enjoyed the mystery in this book. Although it is targeted towards young adults, I found it to be very enjoyable for adults as well. The central underlying plot of the story is that Ryan committed suicide. He never knew that Steven was in love with him because he was straight and had a girlfriend; and even though they were friends, Steven never told him. But now Ryan has come back. He shows up at Steven’s house, in Steven’s bedroom and Steven is the only one who can see him or hear him.
Ryan is convinced that he didn’t kill himself. He doesn’t remember the event and feels that his death might be tied to a news article he was writing for the school newspaper which would implicate several local high rollers in a scandal. Steven takes up the investigation, and along the way even greater mysteries show up. Some of them are decades old. Could they be the reason for the murder? What about the very plausible alternate theory Steven comes up with tied to their school? Of did Ryan really kill himself, as circumstantial evidence seems to imply?
The story is a classic whodunit, which keeps you guessing up until the end. I, for one, was surprised when the villain was revealed in the end! Along the way, Steven has a bunch of adventures; is caught talking to himself several times; solves some collateral mysteries; learns things about himself, his friends and his family; and comes to the realization that Ryan will never love him and never did.
Stick around though, there is hope for Steven in the end. Who knew there were other gay guys at their high school? What happens with Ryan once he finds out Steven loves him? No more spoilers. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a gay themed young adult book that you give this one a try. I will be looking forward to reading Mr. McCormack’s other books!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews!
I enjoyed the mystery in this book. Although it is targeted towards young adults, I found it to be very enjoyable for adults as well. The central underlying plot of the story is that Ryan committed suicide. He never knew that Steven was in love with him because he was straight and had a girlfriend; and even though they were friends, Steven never told him. But now Ryan has come back. He shows up at Steven’s house, in Steven’s bedroom and Steven is the only one who can see him or hear him.
Ryan is convinced that he didn’t kill himself. He doesn’t remember the event and feels that his death might be tied to a news article he was writing for the school newspaper which would implicate several local high rollers in a scandal. Steven takes up the investigation, and along the way even greater mysteries show up. Some of them are decades old. Could they be the reason for the murder? What about the very plausible alternate theory Steven comes up with tied to their school? Of did Ryan really kill himself, as circumstantial evidence seems to imply?
The story is a classic whodunit, which keeps you guessing up until the end. I, for one, was surprised when the villain was revealed in the end! Along the way, Steven has a bunch of adventures; is caught talking to himself several times; solves some collateral mysteries; learns things about himself, his friends and his family; and comes to the realization that Ryan will never love him and never did.
Stick around though, there is hope for Steven in the end. Who knew there were other gay guys at their high school? What happens with Ryan once he finds out Steven loves him? No more spoilers. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a gay themed young adult book that you give this one a try. I will be looking forward to reading Mr. McCormack’s other books!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews!
January 1, 2015
Okay, so. After requesting way too many thrillers and busting my ass off to finish them during last summer, I promised not to touch another mystery novel for review ever again, but I then I saw this, saw the unrequited love for the best friend concept, saw the M/M concept and I didn't even bother reading the second paragraph before requesting. Needless to say, I was excited about it.
Then I got approved and started reading it when I had the chance the other day. Dreams crushed.
It's not especially terrible. It doesn't make you want to gouge your eyes out. But it does bring tears of boredom to your eyes. It does repel you enough to just leave it before 30 pages in. It gets just a little exciting after the action parts start, but when you see how many people can want a teenager dead and how many people can betray him, you start saying, "Again?" and rolling your eyes and doing everything you can possibly think of to not read it.
This is not to say I didn't enjoy it at all. Weird enough, as clichéd as everything was in this book, I liked the emotional rollercoaster that the writer put Steven through (I'm a little sadistic, so what?) with all those crap, especially the things about the mothers. I liked that he also found someone for Tyler because I was feeling really shitty for him. Not that I could connect with him, or any other character in the book, enough to get sad for him, but still. I hated that we didn't see much of Ryan's writings, I would love to see stuff on that journal, but oh well, I can live with that.
Overall, it wasn't worth my time, but I survived. 1.5/5
Then I got approved and started reading it when I had the chance the other day. Dreams crushed.
It's not especially terrible. It doesn't make you want to gouge your eyes out. But it does bring tears of boredom to your eyes. It does repel you enough to just leave it before 30 pages in. It gets just a little exciting after the action parts start, but when you see how many people can want a teenager dead and how many people can betray him, you start saying, "Again?" and rolling your eyes and doing everything you can possibly think of to not read it.
This is not to say I didn't enjoy it at all. Weird enough, as clichéd as everything was in this book, I liked the emotional rollercoaster that the writer put Steven through (I'm a little sadistic, so what?) with all those crap, especially the things about the mothers. I liked that he also found someone for Tyler because I was feeling really shitty for him. Not that I could connect with him, or any other character in the book, enough to get sad for him, but still. I hated that we didn't see much of Ryan's writings, I would love to see stuff on that journal, but oh well, I can live with that.
Overall, it wasn't worth my time, but I survived. 1.5/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews