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Boomerang
Michael Sterling disappeared from his Maine town five years ago. Everyone assumed he was kidnapped. Everyone was wrong.
Now, at seventeen, he’s Sean Woodhouse. And he’s come “home,” to the last place he wants to be, to claim the small inheritance his grandparents promised him when he graduated high school, all so he can save Trip, the boy he developed an intense and complicated relationship with while he was away.
Sean has changed, but so has his old town and everyone in it. And knowing who he is and where he belongs is more confusing than ever. As his careful plans begin to crumble, so does everything he’s believed about his idyllic other life.
Told in gorgeous prose, Boomerang is an honest, authentic exploration of coming to terms with who you are, what you want, and how vast the distance can be between the two.
Now, at seventeen, he’s Sean Woodhouse. And he’s come “home,” to the last place he wants to be, to claim the small inheritance his grandparents promised him when he graduated high school, all so he can save Trip, the boy he developed an intense and complicated relationship with while he was away.
Sean has changed, but so has his old town and everyone in it. And knowing who he is and where he belongs is more confusing than ever. As his careful plans begin to crumble, so does everything he’s believed about his idyllic other life.
Told in gorgeous prose, Boomerang is an honest, authentic exploration of coming to terms with who you are, what you want, and how vast the distance can be between the two.
322 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2018
4 people are currently reading
1013 people want to read
About the author
Helene Dunbar
9 books298 followersCalled the "queen of heartbreaking prose" by Paste Magazine, Helene Dunbar is the author of WE ARE LOST AND FOUND (Sourcebooks, September 2019), PRELUDE FOR LOST SOULS (August, 2020), and THE PROMISE OF LOST THINGS (2022), as well as BOOMERANG, THESE GENTLE WOUNDS, and WHAT REMAINS. Over the years, she's worked as a drama critic, journalist, and marketing manager, and has written on topics as diverse as traditional Irish music, court cases, and theater. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 9, 2023
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“I reached up for the boomerang and held the charm so tightly I could feel it cutting into my skin. It doesn’t matter how far you throw a boomerang, Trip told me when he gave it to me.
If you throw it right, it’ll always come back to you.”
The uniqueness of a Boomerang is that when it's thrown, it, somehow, always comes back to you. And when you look at it metaphorically, it can even be said that when you point a finger at someone - unquestionably, four are always pointing back at you. It's not easy to write about a character who starts off by doing something so unforgiving and appear so apologetic about it, and then have the readers connect with his thoughts and actions. And it's what made it so very difficult for me to know what exactly I was supposed to feel for Michael - who ran away from the dismal state of his home and the lack of attention and care from his mother - only to return five years later, and see the repercussions of his actions on those he walked away from and those he left behind - in more ways than one.
“Then he said, “I’m never going to hate you, Sean. Stop trying to make me.”
My mother’s letters, without meaning to, made it clear that anything lacking in my character was my own fault; any fear of what I was capable of was well deserved.
The only person I had to blame was myself.”
I did not like Sean, previously known as Michael - and maybe, we weren't supposed to. I was neither empathetic or sympathetic to Sean; maybe, it was because he was only fixated on himself and how he was seeing things from only his perspective. As much as his intentions seemed noble for returning, inevitably, it always seemed to be for his benefit. 😔 I appreciated that he slowly got to see how much his decision hurt those he left behind, but I never felt that he was truly remorseful about it.
“Love makes people lie. Even to themselves.”
Maybe, since his mind was so preoccupied with trying to find a way to save the person he sacrificed so much for - his friend and neighbor, Trip. It was evident that there was some history and lingering feelings between the two of them, so imagine my surprise, when majority of the story centers around his awakened feelings not for Jenny, the girl who was his best friend during his childhood and who he shared his first kiss with, but for the beautiful, enigmatic Emery, who he felt drawn to, the minute they met upon his re-attendance at school.
It was as if I was hanging on a tether; I don't mind love triangles too much, but I still wondered what was the purpose with all the flirtations and the fascination he felt for her, when he kept finding ways to push her away and draw his attention back to Trip and his 'lessons'. Emery did help him see things in a clearer light as one who offered an outsider perspective to his situation, but there was --- even with the rather ambivalent way his relationship with Emery was portrayed, I mean, that comment about the red tulips representing 'perfect love' is like, insinuating that he and Emery could have been perfect together if not for Trip. 🤨
And that was such a dismissal to Trip's own admittance of affections, that I felt the sting of betrayal. But, as always, my reasoning sense argues with me that for someone who has been isolated for so long, it is natural for him to experience these new feelings and awaken new interests for himself; it was also necessary for him to re-examine his own relationship with Trip and how precarious their friendship was, considering the way they left it at. For that fact, it made for a rather difficult read to get through, even if it was a compelling one.
I spoke without thinking, a quote Maggie had loved that had been incorrectly linked to Anaïs Nin that I hadn’t known I’d memorized. “And the day came when the risk it took to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
The writing - honestly, it had it's good moments, please don't think that there weren't any poignant moments that Helen Dunbar delivered very well. However, I would have liked more showing than telling; scenes that would have benefited from having actual dialogue, rather than a recount of the scene failed to add depth to them. I know that it was being told from Sean's POV and considering he was so distant to everything that didn't perpetually affect him in the long run, but it failed to hit the mark. Even more-so, that in the end, when Sean received some satisfactory closure - a bout of being happy - it didn't matter very much; and that's never a good sign. 😣😣
“Emily Dickinson wrote, “Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need to know of hell.”
She was wrong, though. Hell wasn’t when you left something. It was when you realized, too late, what it meant to you.”
It's also never a good sign when you feel more invested in the side characters than the main one - Trip is a great example of that. He bore the brunt of being an orphan at the mercy of his mother's abusive brother - he faced the struggles at school because he was dyslexic - he cared for Sean, but didn't know the full extent of how much he returned his affections. There was so much more to his character that we barely got to scratch the surface of; even keeping Sean's relationship with him at surface-level made their story less impactful. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
There's a lot more to unpack from this story - at times, I thought it would resemble When Jeff Came Home, but in essence, this was simply the story of one boy who ran away from home, who lived a happy life for many years, and then was compelled to return home, because the family he had been staying with, had other personal plans to set into motion. Sean learns how to accept the changes in life, that people are capable of change, that actions do have consequences, and that people are not beholden to him - that they have stories of their own that they have to tell. It is the harsh reality that he learnt the hard way, and for as noble as he felt he may have been in staying with Trip and then returning home for Trip - it was worth seeing him endure the pain, in order to find hope again. That does sound heartless, I know, but it had to be said. 🤷
I apologize for the distorted thoughts; I'm frustrated, alright? I don't deny that this kept my attention, because I wanted to know what fate awaited Sean and Trip,but I can't disregard the rather disappointing way the character dynamics were handled and the moments where the story could have benefited from better writing to make it stand-out more for me. 😞😞
“I reached up for the boomerang and held the charm so tightly I could feel it cutting into my skin. It doesn’t matter how far you throw a boomerang, Trip told me when he gave it to me.
If you throw it right, it’ll always come back to you.”
The uniqueness of a Boomerang is that when it's thrown, it, somehow, always comes back to you. And when you look at it metaphorically, it can even be said that when you point a finger at someone - unquestionably, four are always pointing back at you. It's not easy to write about a character who starts off by doing something so unforgiving and appear so apologetic about it, and then have the readers connect with his thoughts and actions. And it's what made it so very difficult for me to know what exactly I was supposed to feel for Michael - who ran away from the dismal state of his home and the lack of attention and care from his mother - only to return five years later, and see the repercussions of his actions on those he walked away from and those he left behind - in more ways than one.
“Then he said, “I’m never going to hate you, Sean. Stop trying to make me.”
My mother’s letters, without meaning to, made it clear that anything lacking in my character was my own fault; any fear of what I was capable of was well deserved.
The only person I had to blame was myself.”
I did not like Sean, previously known as Michael - and maybe, we weren't supposed to. I was neither empathetic or sympathetic to Sean; maybe, it was because he was only fixated on himself and how he was seeing things from only his perspective. As much as his intentions seemed noble for returning, inevitably, it always seemed to be for his benefit. 😔 I appreciated that he slowly got to see how much his decision hurt those he left behind, but I never felt that he was truly remorseful about it.
“Love makes people lie. Even to themselves.”
Maybe, since his mind was so preoccupied with trying to find a way to save the person he sacrificed so much for - his friend and neighbor, Trip. It was evident that there was some history and lingering feelings between the two of them, so imagine my surprise, when majority of the story centers around his awakened feelings not for Jenny, the girl who was his best friend during his childhood and who he shared his first kiss with, but for the beautiful, enigmatic Emery, who he felt drawn to, the minute they met upon his re-attendance at school.
It was as if I was hanging on a tether; I don't mind love triangles too much, but I still wondered what was the purpose with all the flirtations and the fascination he felt for her, when he kept finding ways to push her away and draw his attention back to Trip and his 'lessons'. Emery did help him see things in a clearer light as one who offered an outsider perspective to his situation, but there was --- even with the rather ambivalent way his relationship with Emery was portrayed, I mean, that comment about the red tulips representing 'perfect love' is like, insinuating that he and Emery could have been perfect together if not for Trip. 🤨
And that was such a dismissal to Trip's own admittance of affections, that I felt the sting of betrayal. But, as always, my reasoning sense argues with me that for someone who has been isolated for so long, it is natural for him to experience these new feelings and awaken new interests for himself; it was also necessary for him to re-examine his own relationship with Trip and how precarious their friendship was, considering the way they left it at. For that fact, it made for a rather difficult read to get through, even if it was a compelling one.
I spoke without thinking, a quote Maggie had loved that had been incorrectly linked to Anaïs Nin that I hadn’t known I’d memorized. “And the day came when the risk it took to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
The writing - honestly, it had it's good moments, please don't think that there weren't any poignant moments that Helen Dunbar delivered very well. However, I would have liked more showing than telling; scenes that would have benefited from having actual dialogue, rather than a recount of the scene failed to add depth to them. I know that it was being told from Sean's POV and considering he was so distant to everything that didn't perpetually affect him in the long run, but it failed to hit the mark. Even more-so, that in the end, when Sean received some satisfactory closure - a bout of being happy - it didn't matter very much; and that's never a good sign. 😣😣
“Emily Dickinson wrote, “Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need to know of hell.”
She was wrong, though. Hell wasn’t when you left something. It was when you realized, too late, what it meant to you.”
It's also never a good sign when you feel more invested in the side characters than the main one - Trip is a great example of that. He bore the brunt of being an orphan at the mercy of his mother's abusive brother - he faced the struggles at school because he was dyslexic - he cared for Sean, but didn't know the full extent of how much he returned his affections. There was so much more to his character that we barely got to scratch the surface of; even keeping Sean's relationship with him at surface-level made their story less impactful. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
There's a lot more to unpack from this story - at times, I thought it would resemble When Jeff Came Home, but in essence, this was simply the story of one boy who ran away from home, who lived a happy life for many years, and then was compelled to return home, because the family he had been staying with, had other personal plans to set into motion. Sean learns how to accept the changes in life, that people are capable of change, that actions do have consequences, and that people are not beholden to him - that they have stories of their own that they have to tell. It is the harsh reality that he learnt the hard way, and for as noble as he felt he may have been in staying with Trip and then returning home for Trip - it was worth seeing him endure the pain, in order to find hope again. That does sound heartless, I know, but it had to be said. 🤷
I apologize for the distorted thoughts; I'm frustrated, alright? I don't deny that this kept my attention, because I wanted to know what fate awaited Sean and Trip,but I can't disregard the rather disappointing way the character dynamics were handled and the moments where the story could have benefited from better writing to make it stand-out more for me. 😞😞
January 30, 2018
Intentionally, it takes a while to get your bearings in this book.
Michael disappeared 5 years ago and suddenly shows back up now going by the name Sean. We get bits and pieces of Sean’s story of what happened slowly. It takes a bit to piece together what happened. Everyone thinks Michael was kidnapped, but really he ran away to escape his addicted mother. He wanted to find somewhere he felt he was noticed and mattered.
He convinced an older couple a town over to keep him hidden. He changed his hair color and barely left their property. He grew to love this couple as his family. What he wasn’t expecting was Trip, the boy next door. Trip’s parents died and now he is living with his abusive uncle. Trip visits Sean’s new house to escape his uncle. The boys become close quickly, a very strong bond between them.
Then Trip sets a plan for Sean to go home in motion earlier than expected. Sean has a trust fun from his grandparents that they plan to use to get away from Trip’s uncle. Problem is, Sean wasn’t aware of the stipulations of the trust, which very clearly state that the money is only to be used to go to a specific college or it gets donated to a charity.
While trying to figure out a loophole to gain access to his trust Sean must deal with what he left behind years ago. His mother seems to have gotten her life back together. She’s been sober for a while, is in AA, and has a steady job. His old best friend, Jenny, has been holding on to 12 year old Michael and is in love with him. He meets a new girl who was at a party shortly before he came back who knows some of his secrets. He is feeling pressure from the cops to press charges against the couple who “kidnapped” him even though he has told them several times he wasn’t kidnapped.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that Sean’s sexuality wasn’t a major plot point. Yes, he struggles with what he had with Trip and some feelings he has for another girl. But his sexuality isn’t ever really a problem. He knows he likes Trip (just not to what extent) and he knows he likes the girl. I feel like more of his problem with who he wanted to end up with was if he should take the easy route and be with the girl or the more complicated route with baggage and be with Trip. I don’t really ever think he was worried about the fact that he was choosing between a girl and a boy. The only indication that he even thought about it was when he says he’s not really surprised his mom isn’t disappointed when he tells her he loves a boy.
This book had me on edge the entire time. For a long while I was unsure we were going to get a clear cut ending. I was worried it was going to leave a lot of things unsettled. But everything was tied up nicely for the most part and I was very happy with the ending and the way things with Trip and his uncle were handled.
There is a lot of stuff in this book I didn’t touch on in this review. There is just so much good stuff packed in it’s almost hard to cover it all. But, go read this book!!
Michael disappeared 5 years ago and suddenly shows back up now going by the name Sean. We get bits and pieces of Sean’s story of what happened slowly. It takes a bit to piece together what happened. Everyone thinks Michael was kidnapped, but really he ran away to escape his addicted mother. He wanted to find somewhere he felt he was noticed and mattered.
He convinced an older couple a town over to keep him hidden. He changed his hair color and barely left their property. He grew to love this couple as his family. What he wasn’t expecting was Trip, the boy next door. Trip’s parents died and now he is living with his abusive uncle. Trip visits Sean’s new house to escape his uncle. The boys become close quickly, a very strong bond between them.
Then Trip sets a plan for Sean to go home in motion earlier than expected. Sean has a trust fun from his grandparents that they plan to use to get away from Trip’s uncle. Problem is, Sean wasn’t aware of the stipulations of the trust, which very clearly state that the money is only to be used to go to a specific college or it gets donated to a charity.
While trying to figure out a loophole to gain access to his trust Sean must deal with what he left behind years ago. His mother seems to have gotten her life back together. She’s been sober for a while, is in AA, and has a steady job. His old best friend, Jenny, has been holding on to 12 year old Michael and is in love with him. He meets a new girl who was at a party shortly before he came back who knows some of his secrets. He is feeling pressure from the cops to press charges against the couple who “kidnapped” him even though he has told them several times he wasn’t kidnapped.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that Sean’s sexuality wasn’t a major plot point. Yes, he struggles with what he had with Trip and some feelings he has for another girl. But his sexuality isn’t ever really a problem. He knows he likes Trip (just not to what extent) and he knows he likes the girl. I feel like more of his problem with who he wanted to end up with was if he should take the easy route and be with the girl or the more complicated route with baggage and be with Trip. I don’t really ever think he was worried about the fact that he was choosing between a girl and a boy. The only indication that he even thought about it was when he says he’s not really surprised his mom isn’t disappointed when he tells her he loves a boy.
This book had me on edge the entire time. For a long while I was unsure we were going to get a clear cut ending. I was worried it was going to leave a lot of things unsettled. But everything was tied up nicely for the most part and I was very happy with the ending and the way things with Trip and his uncle were handled.
There is a lot of stuff in this book I didn’t touch on in this review. There is just so much good stuff packed in it’s almost hard to cover it all. But, go read this book!!
September 11, 2018
I just finished this beautiful, character driven story of finding oneself and the complex experiences of becoming an adult. I am broken and rekindled all at once. This book will definitely make my top 10 this year.
“You need to know,” he started, and I closed my eyes waiting for him to punch me or tell me that he never wanted to see me again. “Even when we’re old, like Maggie said … every time I look at you, I’m going to be thinking of doing that again.”
Sean is a character readers won't easily forget. Throughout his life, he's had to make some tough decisions, some of which seem selfish and selfless at the same time. He's dealt with trauma and loss and goes through much heartache before getting some answers. Some answers he never gets - and isn't that life?
I appreciate Helene following through on the ending and giving us a bit more. I had accepted a different path for Sean and was happy to get the best of both worlds.
Sometimes we can't save others, we just have to save ourselves and hope it all comes together.
“You need to know,” he started, and I closed my eyes waiting for him to punch me or tell me that he never wanted to see me again. “Even when we’re old, like Maggie said … every time I look at you, I’m going to be thinking of doing that again.”
Sean is a character readers won't easily forget. Throughout his life, he's had to make some tough decisions, some of which seem selfish and selfless at the same time. He's dealt with trauma and loss and goes through much heartache before getting some answers. Some answers he never gets - and isn't that life?
I appreciate Helene following through on the ending and giving us a bit more. I had accepted a different path for Sean and was happy to get the best of both worlds.
Sometimes we can't save others, we just have to save ourselves and hope it all comes together.
December 25, 2018
There are two types of multilayered stories: those who have to be unravelled in pretty much the same way one peels an onion, if not with growing irritation at least with alacrity at the pains required, since the entire peel sticks together and cannot easily be torn apart into neat pieces, and those who most resemble a Russian doll, or Matryoshka, in which every embedded layer mirrors the overlapping one while subverting and thematically deepening it, the whole being far richer and more beautiful than each of the parts could ever hope to be. Boomerang belongs to this latter class - beautifully yet crisply and lucidly written, lavish where it counts with a sharp eye both for minute details, the characterization of small-town atmosphere and the citizens' judgmentalities, and the orverarching structure of the plot, deep in ways that were subtly foreshadowed whenever they have not been left for the reader's smarts to guess at, with impressively complex characters the nuances of whose seldom feel contrived despite the sheer difficulty of creating a strong love triangle and maintaining it for hundreds pages, it progresses along a tantalizing pace until the inevitable, yet hard to fathom, conclusion. I will not say more so as not to spoil this finely crafted slice of life by a wonderfully talented writer. Bravo! Reading it went quite a long way towards repaying me for my dry spell (for it seems that I only got attracted to terrible books for the past month or so - blurbs do have a way of misleading even a seasoned reader of romance).
December 13, 2017
I can’t tell you exactly where the idea for BOOMERANG came from. One day it didn't exist and the next I knew I wanted to tell the story of a boy who everyone assumed had been kidnapped, but who really hadn’t been. A boy who left a bad situation and ended up with something he thought was perfect. Until it wasn’t, because nothing really is.
The story was originally told in two points of view until I realized that Sean’s story wasn’t the story of the friends and family he’d abruptly left and then just as abruptly returned to. It was the story of a boy who sees things only in black and white, even though his entire life is filled with greys. A boy who loves and judges everything so deeply that he isn’t able to step back and determine whether or not that love or those judgements are well-placed.
Something about Sean’s story struck me at my core. Long before the book was chiseled into its current form, I knew it was the book of my heart. I knew that something in Sean’s story wasn’t going to let me go. Something in his difficult, complicated love for Trip and his easy, but no less complicated love for Emery had gotten into my bloodstream. Something about the way that Sean so blindly wrestles to figure out what “home” means and to learn that loving people doesn't make either them or yourself perfect, made me feel responsible for this story in a way I hadn’t felt before (in much the same way that Sean feels responsibly for Trip, actually).
I’m thrilled to finally be able to share them with you.
The story was originally told in two points of view until I realized that Sean’s story wasn’t the story of the friends and family he’d abruptly left and then just as abruptly returned to. It was the story of a boy who sees things only in black and white, even though his entire life is filled with greys. A boy who loves and judges everything so deeply that he isn’t able to step back and determine whether or not that love or those judgements are well-placed.
Something about Sean’s story struck me at my core. Long before the book was chiseled into its current form, I knew it was the book of my heart. I knew that something in Sean’s story wasn’t going to let me go. Something in his difficult, complicated love for Trip and his easy, but no less complicated love for Emery had gotten into my bloodstream. Something about the way that Sean so blindly wrestles to figure out what “home” means and to learn that loving people doesn't make either them or yourself perfect, made me feel responsible for this story in a way I hadn’t felt before (in much the same way that Sean feels responsibly for Trip, actually).
I’m thrilled to finally be able to share them with you.
March 28, 2018
Was expecting more of a "when jeff came home" vibe but it was very different. still a good book. very complicated but had a nice hea so i am content with it
December 30, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Boomerang is a bit of a different animal in that this isn't a romance so much as a collection of people with very messy lives coming to terms with their life choices and the mistakes they've made. There are absolutely no black and white characters; each acts according to their desires and situations, for better or worse. The crux of the story is main character Sean returning to the life he ran away from when younger - and seeing the repercussions of that action on the community.Story: With a mother who was rarely home and danced at the local strip club (when not drunk), 12 year old Michael Sterling recognizes that he can't face going home another day to a cold and empty home. He runs away with the help of a woodcrafter and his wife - who take care of the boy and give him what he did not get from his mother. But he did not have typical teen years - hidden in the home in the forest he was homeschooled and only had next door neighbor Trip as a companion. Now almost 18, he is forced to return home to claim a small inheritance from his grandparents; an inheritance he hopes to use to free Trip from an abusive home with his uncle. From his mother to his next door neighbor, to the whole small town in Maine, all have had to deal with the boy who disappeared and was thought to be kidnapped and killed but has now returned.
Most of the story is about Michael (now going by the name Sean) dealing with a mother he no longer knows, a next door neighbor best friend who carried a torch for her lost friend all these years, and the community that doesn't know what to do with the boy who suddenly reappeared. As well, Sean wants to protect the couple who raised him and keep his friend Trip out of the spotlight. He also finds himself attracted to a girl at the school who has her own crosses to bear in the relationship department.
Although it may sound like there are love triangles and an unwelcome addition of a boy with another boy as a lover suddenly being attracted to a girl, neither of those are really an issue here. Author Dunbar has made every character highly complicated and none follow an easy or linear path. It can be a bit much at times to have every single person be so overly nuanced but it is also a welcome from most YA books where the characters are over idealized or two dimensional.
There's no real romance here though there are a few love stories. It's a slow set of reveals as we learn eventually why Michael left, the life he lived, how his mother and friends' situations have changed during the years he was gone, and especially his complicated relationship with Trip. It can be very somber and morose most of the time but the pathos does lift it above dreary, fortunately.
Those looking for something a bit different will likely enjoy Boomering - it's definitely not what you'd expect and is solidly written. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
July 17, 2018
In her intricately plotted Boomerang, Helene Dunbar explores themes of identity, self-discovery and the meanings of family and home. Five years prior to the main action, Michael, a blonde boy disappears from his Maine town, leaving an alcoholic mother and a trust fund he could not access. He returns as Sean, a dark-haired boy with equally dark secrets, as well as a mission. Who is and who was Michael? How was Sean formed? And whom does this main character carry in his heart? Every page begs to be turned, every revelation suggests another in this gripping young adult novel.
January 1, 2018
I received an ARC of BOOMERANG, and it's everything I hoped it would be. Flawed, complicated characters are at the heart of this story, and everyone has their own secrets. Michael/Sean's return to the town he ran away from five years before brings more than the anticipated homecoming celebrations, and his feelings for Trip are more complicated than even he realizes.
LGBT+ rep is well done. Michael/Sean is likely bi, and his feelings and attractions are complex and compelling.
LGBT+ rep is well done. Michael/Sean is likely bi, and his feelings and attractions are complex and compelling.
March 4, 2018
I'll edit with something coherent soon. But........ Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip Sean & Trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finished in 1 sitting. What a page-turner. Lots of feels.
November 21, 2018
It was a good book and it was really interesting at every page.
January 4, 2021
Pretty good, action starts later and harder to get into in the beginning.
May 17, 2024
Interesting story with sympathetic characters. A few minor quibbles - ending was not 100% satisfying. This book raises multiple complex nuanced issues and I felt like some of them were not only not resolved, but not fully explored. The "villain" of Uncle Leon was too over-the-top and one note. Still worth a read though.
June 3, 2018
(I'm an amateur book reviewer sorry) This book was one of the best books I've read all year. I am so happy I picked it up at the library. If you really appreciate character driven stories please read this. Sean had this depth of character that made him seem real. Everyone in the book was. I loved this please read it.
February 18, 2018
FULL REVIEW HERE: https://mythoughtsareablog.com/2018/0...
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde
Wilde’s always right, isn’t he?
Trust me when I say I will be reading this book over and over again. I was sent Boomerang by Helene Dunbar for a blog tour which is coming up soon and the synopsis alone had me itching to read this up and coming novel. Boomerang is out March 6th so make sure you preorder it!
I loved how fast paced this books was. There was never a point in which it seemed to drag or get stuck. I, of course, had a lot of questions in the beginning of the book, but by the end they were all answered and I just wanted more. Boomerang was a definite page-turner. I read this in about 36 hours and it felt so good to just devour a book again. I had been in such a slump, but thanks to this beauty, I got my reading mojo back.
When it comes to the characters, I think they were brilliantly written. They were all layered with a multitude of emotions and each one had a story to tell whether it was short or long. Each one from Emery to Jenny to Trip all brought both light and dark to the story.
Dunbar has written a novel that takes you into the complex mind of a troubled teen. Sean’s conflict is both internal and external and as he goes on this journey of figuring it all out, he may just help a few others along the way. I hope when people read this book, they see more than just a kid who got dealt a bad hand. There are such deeper emotions within these pages that I think can resonate with a lot of people.
Throughout the book, Sean recites a lot of quotes and as I was reading, a particular quote by Aristotle kept repeating itself over in my head. The quote says,
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ― Aristotle
I think about this quote a lot, but I haven’t found a book that I can relate it to. But with Boomerang I can definitely see it. Sean goes through a lot in this novel, but in the end I think that even after all the craziness of his life, he returned to himself, or at least the new self he had become. Sean is a very well-read character, but I think he was struggling with the knowledge of knowing himself and it was great to read his journey as he slowly figured that out.
Overall, I give Boomerang 4/5 stars. I know this will be a book I will re-read in years to come just so I can enjoy the story of Trip and Sean again. Go ahead and add it to your TBR ladies and gents because it may just surprise you! I want to just talk and talk, but that wouldn’t exactly make this spoiler-free, now would it? No! So do yourself a favor and pick this book up on March 6th and enjoy!
Let me know if you have already read it or plan to!
Happy Reading!
– Haley
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde
Wilde’s always right, isn’t he?
Trust me when I say I will be reading this book over and over again. I was sent Boomerang by Helene Dunbar for a blog tour which is coming up soon and the synopsis alone had me itching to read this up and coming novel. Boomerang is out March 6th so make sure you preorder it!
I loved how fast paced this books was. There was never a point in which it seemed to drag or get stuck. I, of course, had a lot of questions in the beginning of the book, but by the end they were all answered and I just wanted more. Boomerang was a definite page-turner. I read this in about 36 hours and it felt so good to just devour a book again. I had been in such a slump, but thanks to this beauty, I got my reading mojo back.
When it comes to the characters, I think they were brilliantly written. They were all layered with a multitude of emotions and each one had a story to tell whether it was short or long. Each one from Emery to Jenny to Trip all brought both light and dark to the story.
Dunbar has written a novel that takes you into the complex mind of a troubled teen. Sean’s conflict is both internal and external and as he goes on this journey of figuring it all out, he may just help a few others along the way. I hope when people read this book, they see more than just a kid who got dealt a bad hand. There are such deeper emotions within these pages that I think can resonate with a lot of people.
Throughout the book, Sean recites a lot of quotes and as I was reading, a particular quote by Aristotle kept repeating itself over in my head. The quote says,
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ― Aristotle
I think about this quote a lot, but I haven’t found a book that I can relate it to. But with Boomerang I can definitely see it. Sean goes through a lot in this novel, but in the end I think that even after all the craziness of his life, he returned to himself, or at least the new self he had become. Sean is a very well-read character, but I think he was struggling with the knowledge of knowing himself and it was great to read his journey as he slowly figured that out.
Overall, I give Boomerang 4/5 stars. I know this will be a book I will re-read in years to come just so I can enjoy the story of Trip and Sean again. Go ahead and add it to your TBR ladies and gents because it may just surprise you! I want to just talk and talk, but that wouldn’t exactly make this spoiler-free, now would it? No! So do yourself a favor and pick this book up on March 6th and enjoy!
Let me know if you have already read it or plan to!
Happy Reading!
– Haley
January 12, 2018
This book was really good, you guys.
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
April 2, 2021
I've read all of her books and can surely say that Helene Dunbar is my favourite YA author. This story, so beautiful and complicated, was hard to put down. This is such a special book, with flawed yet compelling characters who struggle toward an ending that was absolutely perfect for the story.
July 19, 2018
This was without a doubt one of the most frustrating books I've ever read. Not because it was bad. It wasn't. But because of the main character aka our first person narrator.
As a reader, I naturally try to sympathize with the character that's telling me the story. I'm actively looking for reasons to like them or relate to them. I want to root for them and their happiness.
But Sean?
Sean was flat-out unlikeable. I actually found myself talking to him out loud. Things like: "What are you doing?" and "WHY are you doing THIS?" and especially "WHY DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?"
I tried really really hard and gave him so many chances, but in the end I had to just give up. I had to admit that I was reading about a self-absorbed teenager with the empathy of a candle stick, trying to find happiness while unconsciously making the lives of the people around him harder by forgetting that he wasn't the only one with hard times in his past.
Now, why didn't I stop reading if I didn't enjoy it should probably be the obvious question and the answer is: I think it was intentional. The book usually gave us his reasons and thought processes, so we could kind of understand where he was coming from, while watching the train wreck as he chose to do/say the most painful thing to the person in front of him. But it didn't present Sean as someone who was automatically right all the time.
Yes, there were a few moments where people reassured him that he was indeed a good person (whatever that means, he definitely wasn't some dangerous ax murderer), but they also occasionally called him out on his very hypocritical habit of making everything about himself.
Most of the other characters also had their messy moments (the author even calls them 'messy characters' in her afterword), which makes me think that this was an attempt at being very realistic about how the world and especially teenagers can be sometimes. I even think it mostly succeeded in that no one really talks about what's important, people try to spare the feelings of someone else and hurting them even more in the process and in that people are often simply very selfish. Or afraid of things outsiders would judge them for. Cause it's always easier when it's not you in the same situation, right? (Something most characters in this book should also learn, while few others already have learned or knew from the beginning.)
Short summary: Everyone probably should have talked to a therapist at some point and likely only one person did. (Hint: It's not Sean.)
The relationships in this story were certainly interesting. At first I thought Sean and his mother would be the most central one, but it ended up being kind of underwritten in some aspects and only with small sparks of development actually happening on page. It was nice, though.
The anchor of this book actually turned out to be the intense more-than-friendship Sean built over the years he was away with another boy - his neighbour Trip. It's a very intense connection full of strong feelings from both sides of the spectrum. There were so many complications and unsaid things and things that got said that shouldn't have been, that I felt my head was spinning at some point. Sean simply couldn't really make up his mind about his feelings during most of the book, while at the same time being absolutely sure about them. It was maddening.
I actually would have loved to have more of Trip, because he seemed to be interesting and apart from Sean's new friend Rory, probably the nicest person in this book.
Which brings us to Amery, Rory's twin sister. Sean's very own manic pixy dream girl. She was not unlikeable at all, but that insta-crush felt kind of weird? I kind of wonder if it was meant to be some sort of exploration of him not really having spent time with girls in the years before he came back that was kind of mangled? Especially since Sean just really waffled around, talking about how important she was for some reason.
For those who hate love triangles and want to know who (if) Shane ends up with (anyone):
His relationship with his former best friend Jen was also very complicated and I really appreciated that there wasn't some instant going back to being the best friends from years ago. There was so much hurt and misinterpretation on both sides, while trying to figure out if they could or even wanted to be friends again. I thought it was very well and realistically done for the most part.
As you can see, I've not mentioned the plot yet and the simple reason is: Those relationships are the plot. Those are not even all of them. We also have a police officer, Trip's father and last but definitely not least, the couple Sean grew up with. Him trying to keep all these people somehow in his life and/or heart while figuring himself out IS the story.
It doesn't always succeed and as a reader, one often has to suspend disbelief to make the story work, but I don't regret reading this story at all. Was it fun? For the most time, not really. But it was definitely very interesting and that's almost the same thing.
As a reader, I naturally try to sympathize with the character that's telling me the story. I'm actively looking for reasons to like them or relate to them. I want to root for them and their happiness.
But Sean?
Sean was flat-out unlikeable. I actually found myself talking to him out loud. Things like: "What are you doing?" and "WHY are you doing THIS?" and especially "WHY DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?"
I tried really really hard and gave him so many chances, but in the end I had to just give up. I had to admit that I was reading about a self-absorbed teenager with the empathy of a candle stick, trying to find happiness while unconsciously making the lives of the people around him harder by forgetting that he wasn't the only one with hard times in his past.
Now, why didn't I stop reading if I didn't enjoy it should probably be the obvious question and the answer is: I think it was intentional. The book usually gave us his reasons and thought processes, so we could kind of understand where he was coming from, while watching the train wreck as he chose to do/say the most painful thing to the person in front of him. But it didn't present Sean as someone who was automatically right all the time.
Yes, there were a few moments where people reassured him that he was indeed a good person (whatever that means, he definitely wasn't some dangerous ax murderer), but they also occasionally called him out on his very hypocritical habit of making everything about himself.
Most of the other characters also had their messy moments (the author even calls them 'messy characters' in her afterword), which makes me think that this was an attempt at being very realistic about how the world and especially teenagers can be sometimes. I even think it mostly succeeded in that no one really talks about what's important, people try to spare the feelings of someone else and hurting them even more in the process and in that people are often simply very selfish. Or afraid of things outsiders would judge them for. Cause it's always easier when it's not you in the same situation, right? (Something most characters in this book should also learn, while few others already have learned or knew from the beginning.)
Short summary: Everyone probably should have talked to a therapist at some point and likely only one person did. (Hint: It's not Sean.)
The relationships in this story were certainly interesting. At first I thought Sean and his mother would be the most central one, but it ended up being kind of underwritten in some aspects and only with small sparks of development actually happening on page. It was nice, though.
The anchor of this book actually turned out to be the intense more-than-friendship Sean built over the years he was away with another boy - his neighbour Trip. It's a very intense connection full of strong feelings from both sides of the spectrum. There were so many complications and unsaid things and things that got said that shouldn't have been, that I felt my head was spinning at some point. Sean simply couldn't really make up his mind about his feelings during most of the book, while at the same time being absolutely sure about them. It was maddening.
I actually would have loved to have more of Trip, because he seemed to be interesting and apart from Sean's new friend Rory, probably the nicest person in this book.
Which brings us to Amery, Rory's twin sister. Sean's very own manic pixy dream girl. She was not unlikeable at all, but that insta-crush felt kind of weird? I kind of wonder if it was meant to be some sort of exploration of him not really having spent time with girls in the years before he came back that was kind of mangled? Especially since Sean just really waffled around, talking about how important she was for some reason.
For those who hate love triangles and want to know who (if) Shane ends up with (anyone):
His relationship with his former best friend Jen was also very complicated and I really appreciated that there wasn't some instant going back to being the best friends from years ago. There was so much hurt and misinterpretation on both sides, while trying to figure out if they could or even wanted to be friends again. I thought it was very well and realistically done for the most part.
As you can see, I've not mentioned the plot yet and the simple reason is: Those relationships are the plot. Those are not even all of them. We also have a police officer, Trip's father and last but definitely not least, the couple Sean grew up with. Him trying to keep all these people somehow in his life and/or heart while figuring himself out IS the story.
It doesn't always succeed and as a reader, one often has to suspend disbelief to make the story work, but I don't regret reading this story at all. Was it fun? For the most time, not really. But it was definitely very interesting and that's almost the same thing.
August 30, 2020
4,5*
the protagonist was a fucking idiot
thank god it ended how I wanted it to, holy shit
also, the writing style was IMPECCABLE
the protagonist was a fucking idiot
thank god it ended how I wanted it to, holy shit
also, the writing style was IMPECCABLE
July 7, 2022
Five years ago, Michael went missing. Now he's back - not that he wants to be - and calling himself Sean. He had run away from his neglectful mother and found a home with Wilson and Maggie. And there was Trip, the neighbor kid who helped Maggie with her pills and sold some on the side for his uncle. Sean wants to help Trip escape his life, but that involves returning to his old life to get the money in his trust fund. Sean didn't count on how his old life had changed over those five years...
This story had an intriguing concept that made me think of Dead to You, only in this case Sean had more agency than a kidnapping victim. The pieces of the story did weave together well, even though part of my brain wanted it to be a little more straightforward as Sean had many secrets about his time with Maggie and his relationship with Trip that were slowly doled out and which eventually didn't feel like the huge bombshells I was expecting. Sean's isolation almost made his inability to know that bisexuality existed make sense. Overall it was an interesting story with a lot going on that made it difficult to get really deep into Sean's emotions.
This story had an intriguing concept that made me think of Dead to You, only in this case Sean had more agency than a kidnapping victim. The pieces of the story did weave together well, even though part of my brain wanted it to be a little more straightforward as Sean had many secrets about his time with Maggie and his relationship with Trip that were slowly doled out and which eventually didn't feel like the huge bombshells I was expecting. Sean's isolation almost made his inability to know that bisexuality existed make sense. Overall it was an interesting story with a lot going on that made it difficult to get really deep into Sean's emotions.
February 4, 2020
Though none of Dunbar's other works will ever surpass my love of These Gentle Wounds (which still ranks among my all-time favorite YA), I do enjoy getting lost in her stories and characters. This one is told part in the present and part in the past (something that seems really popular in contemporary YA these days), but it's done in a way that doesn't make the jumps too hard to follow.
There's typical teen angst along with some pretty heavy topics: our narrator ran away from home thanks in part to his alcoholic mother, his best friend is physically abused by his uncle and forced to help with his uncle's illegal activities, he may or may not be in love with said best friend and another girl he meets along the way, etc.
Overall, another great read from Dunbar. I see her next book is a paranormal/contemporary...not sure if that's up my alley or not, but so far I've liked everything from her.
There's typical teen angst along with some pretty heavy topics: our narrator ran away from home thanks in part to his alcoholic mother, his best friend is physically abused by his uncle and forced to help with his uncle's illegal activities, he may or may not be in love with said best friend and another girl he meets along the way, etc.
Overall, another great read from Dunbar. I see her next book is a paranormal/contemporary...not sure if that's up my alley or not, but so far I've liked everything from her.
June 22, 2021
Morose, withdrawn, almost inarticulate except when he’s quoting others, Sean Woodhouse (née Michael Sterling) is a difficult character to grasp. He’s hiding secrets and desperate to acquire money to save his friend Trip from his murderous, abusive uncle Leon.
Sean’s attempts to help others are foiled at every turn. With his building frustration, you expect an explosion of violence or fury that never quite manifests itself. Instead, you have to witness Sean’s painful efforts to fit into a life and world he once fled, reconnect with old friends and negotiate with new ones.
This novel barely qualifies as a bildungsroman. But it is a harsh look at what it means to come to terms with the outcomes of our decisions, no matter how hard we try to outrun them.
Sean’s attempts to help others are foiled at every turn. With his building frustration, you expect an explosion of violence or fury that never quite manifests itself. Instead, you have to witness Sean’s painful efforts to fit into a life and world he once fled, reconnect with old friends and negotiate with new ones.
This novel barely qualifies as a bildungsroman. But it is a harsh look at what it means to come to terms with the outcomes of our decisions, no matter how hard we try to outrun them.
March 5, 2018
4.5 stars.
In Boomerang by Helene Dunbar, a runaway teenager returns home in order to collect an inheritance to save his best friend.
Five years earlier, twelve year old Michael Sterling felt like he had choice but to run away from home. His alcoholic mother is neglectful and makes her living dancing in a strip club. He stows away in a builder's truck then reinvents himself as Sean Woodhouse. For the next five years, he lives in seclusion with the Woodhouses where he is homeschooled and befriends neighbor, Trip Marchette. Sean and Trip dream of another life far away from Trip's abusive uncle but they need Sean's trust to make their plans come to fruition. With Trip's situation becoming more precarious, Sean returns home but unexpected complications could ruin the future they envision.
Many surprises await Sean once he is back home. He left without fully realizing how his disappearance would be construed by law enforcement, his mom and the rest of the town. Much has changed in his absence and to his shock, his mom is drastically different. Sean is uncomfortable by his next door neighbor and former friend Jenny Gordon's expectations. And underneath all of his uneasiness about being back in town, Sean is worried about Trip and the things that happened between them right before he returned to his mom.
With his friendship with Jenny on shaky ground, Sean unexpectedly finds companionship with Emery Whitman and her twin brother Rory. Unfortunately for him, Emery knows more about his past than he is comfortable with. Despite his apprehension about what she will do with this knowledge, Sean is drawn to her. His feelings for her are conflicted since he has yet to make sense of his relationship with Trip. Sean and Trip were extremely close friends but there is much more to their relationship than just friendship. This conflict over the true nature of what he shared with Trip is tangled up in his desire to keep his promise to save him from his uncle. Needless to say, Sean is struggling on many fronts as he reintegrates to his former life with his mom while desperately clinging to the one he is reluctant to leave behind.
Boomerang is a captivating young adult novel that is heartfelt and engaging. Sean is an extremely sympathetic protagonist whose struggles are realistic and thought-provoking. The secondary characters are colorful and well-developed. The storyline is multi-layered and quite poignant. Helene Dunbar keeps readers on the edge of the seats about how Sean's story will work out right up until the novel's heartwarming conclusion. An outstanding young adult will appeal to readers of all ages.
In Boomerang by Helene Dunbar, a runaway teenager returns home in order to collect an inheritance to save his best friend.
Five years earlier, twelve year old Michael Sterling felt like he had choice but to run away from home. His alcoholic mother is neglectful and makes her living dancing in a strip club. He stows away in a builder's truck then reinvents himself as Sean Woodhouse. For the next five years, he lives in seclusion with the Woodhouses where he is homeschooled and befriends neighbor, Trip Marchette. Sean and Trip dream of another life far away from Trip's abusive uncle but they need Sean's trust to make their plans come to fruition. With Trip's situation becoming more precarious, Sean returns home but unexpected complications could ruin the future they envision.
Many surprises await Sean once he is back home. He left without fully realizing how his disappearance would be construed by law enforcement, his mom and the rest of the town. Much has changed in his absence and to his shock, his mom is drastically different. Sean is uncomfortable by his next door neighbor and former friend Jenny Gordon's expectations. And underneath all of his uneasiness about being back in town, Sean is worried about Trip and the things that happened between them right before he returned to his mom.
With his friendship with Jenny on shaky ground, Sean unexpectedly finds companionship with Emery Whitman and her twin brother Rory. Unfortunately for him, Emery knows more about his past than he is comfortable with. Despite his apprehension about what she will do with this knowledge, Sean is drawn to her. His feelings for her are conflicted since he has yet to make sense of his relationship with Trip. Sean and Trip were extremely close friends but there is much more to their relationship than just friendship. This conflict over the true nature of what he shared with Trip is tangled up in his desire to keep his promise to save him from his uncle. Needless to say, Sean is struggling on many fronts as he reintegrates to his former life with his mom while desperately clinging to the one he is reluctant to leave behind.
Boomerang is a captivating young adult novel that is heartfelt and engaging. Sean is an extremely sympathetic protagonist whose struggles are realistic and thought-provoking. The secondary characters are colorful and well-developed. The storyline is multi-layered and quite poignant. Helene Dunbar keeps readers on the edge of the seats about how Sean's story will work out right up until the novel's heartwarming conclusion. An outstanding young adult will appeal to readers of all ages.
March 11, 2018
Simply a gorgeous book, and I don't even know where to start to explain how much I love it. The characters are flawed and real in ways that alternately make me want to give them giant hugs and then a smack on the head, but the entire time I was cheering them on, hoping that they would, eventually, find their way and make the right choices. The way the main character, Sean, narrates his world is so, so good. I highly recommend this book!
November 19, 2023
It took me a while to get into the story and I thought it was going to be similar to another book but I loved it.
It's so heartbreaking, emotional, realistic and sweet at the same time.
The story of a boy who has been through a lot of complicated situations, him putting walls in his heart to protect himself and questions that needed answers.
I have to say, I wasn't expecting the ending. I thought things were not going to be like I wanted but that ending was so cute.
Loved it.
It's so heartbreaking, emotional, realistic and sweet at the same time.
The story of a boy who has been through a lot of complicated situations, him putting walls in his heart to protect himself and questions that needed answers.
I have to say, I wasn't expecting the ending. I thought things were not going to be like I wanted but that ending was so cute.
Loved it.
February 22, 2023
Never ever had i read a book where the main character / narrator is such a selfish, unlikable person. I really didn't get what is going on in his head. The main goal to "rescue" his best/only friend of 5 years does exactly the opposite - push him as far away as possible.
The language is understandable.. time actual at the present
The language is understandable.. time actual at the present
April 12, 2018
Excellent book. The drama is the kind of pure angst and torment that defined our teen years. I give it my highest recommendation!! More to come here with a full review here and at https://sensedoubt.blogspot.com/
June 21, 2021
A heartwrenching story full of lots of twists and turns. I was always wondering what directions the story were going to go in and I was kept on the edge of my seat by all the different secrets hidden throughout.
March 24, 2018
It was ok but didn't really hold my intrest.
April 8, 2018
A painful read; one of the two MCs, Sean/Michael, is an egotistical, cheating, ungreateful a--h*le.
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