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We Now Return to Regular Life
The Face on the Milk Carton meets The Impossible Knife of Memory in this ripped-from-the-headlines novel that explores the power of being an ally—and a friend—when a kidnapped boy returns to his hometown.
Sam Walsh had been missing for three years. His older sister, Beth, thought he was dead. His childhood friend Josh thought it was all his fault. They were the last two people to see him alive.
Until now. Because Sam has been found, and he’s coming home. Beth desperately wants to understand what happened to her brother, but her family refuses to talk about it—even though Sam is clearly still affected by the abuse he faced at the hands of his captor.
And as Sam starts to confide in Josh about his past, Josh can’t admit the truths he’s hidden deep within himself: that he’s gay, and developing feelings for Sam. And, even bigger: that he never told the police everything he saw the day Sam disappeared.
As Beth and Josh struggle with their own issues, their friends and neighbors slowly turn on Sam, until one night when everything explodes. Beth can’t live in silence. Josh can’t live with his secrets. And Sam can’t continue on until the whole truth of what happened to him is out in the open.
For fans of thought-provoking stories like The Face on the Milk Carton, this is a book about learning to be an ally—even when the community around you doesn’t want you to be.
Sam Walsh had been missing for three years. His older sister, Beth, thought he was dead. His childhood friend Josh thought it was all his fault. They were the last two people to see him alive.
Until now. Because Sam has been found, and he’s coming home. Beth desperately wants to understand what happened to her brother, but her family refuses to talk about it—even though Sam is clearly still affected by the abuse he faced at the hands of his captor.
And as Sam starts to confide in Josh about his past, Josh can’t admit the truths he’s hidden deep within himself: that he’s gay, and developing feelings for Sam. And, even bigger: that he never told the police everything he saw the day Sam disappeared.
As Beth and Josh struggle with their own issues, their friends and neighbors slowly turn on Sam, until one night when everything explodes. Beth can’t live in silence. Josh can’t live with his secrets. And Sam can’t continue on until the whole truth of what happened to him is out in the open.
For fans of thought-provoking stories like The Face on the Milk Carton, this is a book about learning to be an ally—even when the community around you doesn’t want you to be.
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First published August 1, 2017
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July 31, 2017
Have you ever read a book and acknowledged that, yeah, it wasn't a perfect read, but it was the perfect read for you? That was case and point We Now Return to Regular Life for me. While this story is mainly narrated from the POVs of Beth, Sam's older sister, and Josh, his next door neighbor and friend, I could sense other unspoken views being told between the lines that felt as prominent as the ones put into written word. This form of storytelling can only be mastered by a select few and it was pulled off extremely well here; I can only imagine how difficult it was to bring the presence of multiple characters to life without utilizing their own voice. This was a book that was weighted with a sadness most of us cannot comprehend from personal experience, but also left us with a hopeful joy that humans are resilient and are able to overcome immense trauma with the support of a few loved ones.
This story was plopped into my lap in rare form; I wasn't expecting it to come in the mail and when I opened it I realized I hadn't heard of it. I almost never have the opportunity to find such a hidden gem these days, but I'm so glad that I chanced upon this book because it changed me in ways I'm not sure I can put into words. WNRTRL is a book easily devoured in a single sitting, but time didn't allow me this luxury, and I'm glad because I was able to better digest the heavy stuff that I may have glossed over in an unintended rush. I felt I was experiencing this story from all angles; I'm still fairly young and remember most of my childhood and adolescence with great clarity, so I didn't feel far removed from our main characters and their myriad of struggles. I'm also a mother of young children, which caused me to feel with great sorrow what Sam's mother experienced in not only losing her baby boy for three years, but in having a shell of her precious son returned to her as if some sort of cruel joke had been played on her family. My point is that a reader at any age or walk of life can get something out of this book.
I'm not certain what age range for young adults I would recommend this to; as some parents are more strict than others I think it's up to each individual. While a majority of the story had a juvenile overtone (there is only one scene in the entire book that is sensual and it is described in a very mild mannered way), the nature of the content does make it a fairly heavy and somewhat disturbing book for the more sensitive reader. Everything is done tastefully and handled in a classy way; nothing felt done for shock value or cheapening this experience that other people have lived through, but I would feel guilty if I didn't suggest that each parent or reader consider if it's the right read for them before diving in.
As per my usual reviews, I'm not going to go into plot details and spoilers, but there is so much to be learned through this story in terms of surviving trauma and the emotional toll it takes on everyone touched by such tragedy. I was completely caught up in this story; the characters made me feel like a part of their world and I was a little hesitant to put down the book, as I felt the mama bear in me not wanting to lose control and let these kids heal on their own as they needed to. What if they need me? If a book can make me feel THAT, I know there's something special here. There are plenty of aspects of diversity included and done at an age appropriate level which I think will please many discerning readers of the young adult genre today. Highly recommended for those looking for a book to make them feel; all ages welcome!
*Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
This story was plopped into my lap in rare form; I wasn't expecting it to come in the mail and when I opened it I realized I hadn't heard of it. I almost never have the opportunity to find such a hidden gem these days, but I'm so glad that I chanced upon this book because it changed me in ways I'm not sure I can put into words. WNRTRL is a book easily devoured in a single sitting, but time didn't allow me this luxury, and I'm glad because I was able to better digest the heavy stuff that I may have glossed over in an unintended rush. I felt I was experiencing this story from all angles; I'm still fairly young and remember most of my childhood and adolescence with great clarity, so I didn't feel far removed from our main characters and their myriad of struggles. I'm also a mother of young children, which caused me to feel with great sorrow what Sam's mother experienced in not only losing her baby boy for three years, but in having a shell of her precious son returned to her as if some sort of cruel joke had been played on her family. My point is that a reader at any age or walk of life can get something out of this book.
I'm not certain what age range for young adults I would recommend this to; as some parents are more strict than others I think it's up to each individual. While a majority of the story had a juvenile overtone (there is only one scene in the entire book that is sensual and it is described in a very mild mannered way), the nature of the content does make it a fairly heavy and somewhat disturbing book for the more sensitive reader. Everything is done tastefully and handled in a classy way; nothing felt done for shock value or cheapening this experience that other people have lived through, but I would feel guilty if I didn't suggest that each parent or reader consider if it's the right read for them before diving in.
As per my usual reviews, I'm not going to go into plot details and spoilers, but there is so much to be learned through this story in terms of surviving trauma and the emotional toll it takes on everyone touched by such tragedy. I was completely caught up in this story; the characters made me feel like a part of their world and I was a little hesitant to put down the book, as I felt the mama bear in me not wanting to lose control and let these kids heal on their own as they needed to. What if they need me? If a book can make me feel THAT, I know there's something special here. There are plenty of aspects of diversity included and done at an age appropriate level which I think will please many discerning readers of the young adult genre today. Highly recommended for those looking for a book to make them feel; all ages welcome!
*Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
August 22, 2017
The first book to make me cry in a long time, We Now Return to Regular Life reaffirms Martin Wilson's status as one of the most skilled young-adult writers of our time. The novel begins with the return of Sam Walsh, a now fourteen-year-old boy who had been kidnapped for three years. Throughout the book we follow the narratives of two central characters in Sam's life: Beth, Sam's older sister who lived in the ghost of a household ever since Sam got stolen, and Josh, Sam's friend and the last person to have seen Sam before his kidnapper took him. Though many people assume that Sam's return evokes pure joy and elation, it also forces Beth and Josh to confront other feelings too, namely their guilt, sadness, and the boy they both had missed and has now come back in a form they never thought to expect.
I felt so compelled and connected to this book because of the masterful way Wilson writers his characters' emotions. With a novel about a boy who had been kidnapped, one might expect cheap drama that sensationalizes child abduction, or a story filled with gruesome details just to elicit shock and surprise. Instead, Wilson creates quiet, subtle, yet moving and heartrending scenes that convey deep and raw emotions. As I read, I literally felt the searing force of Beth's repressed anger at her parents' inadequacy and Josh's internalized self-punishment over his perceived failure at protecting Sam. These characters stunned me because Wilson just writes so well. Similar to Adam Haslett, he crafts gorgeous, tension-filled scenes and sections of dialogue that suck you in and flood you with his characters' depth and their flawed, beautiful hearts.
Overall, one of the best character-driven works of fiction I have read in a long time. In some ways I wanted more after the ending, and I realize that wish comes from how these characters feel like real people to me; I feel like I could read about their lives forever, really. We Now Return to Regular Life addresses what it means to be an ally and a friend, as well as how to cope with the costs of loving someone who has gone through a lot. I also appreciate Wilson's sensitive portrayal of trauma and Stockholm Syndrome - one scene toward the end of the book literally made me burst into tears because of its sheer vulnerability and compassionate portrayal of self-hatred. Wilson's first novel was the first gay book I ever read, so he will always have a special place in my heart. I am thankful that his second book showcases him at his finest again, with a delicate and gripping story about adolescence, rediscovering others, and finding yourself through learning how to help those around you.
I felt so compelled and connected to this book because of the masterful way Wilson writers his characters' emotions. With a novel about a boy who had been kidnapped, one might expect cheap drama that sensationalizes child abduction, or a story filled with gruesome details just to elicit shock and surprise. Instead, Wilson creates quiet, subtle, yet moving and heartrending scenes that convey deep and raw emotions. As I read, I literally felt the searing force of Beth's repressed anger at her parents' inadequacy and Josh's internalized self-punishment over his perceived failure at protecting Sam. These characters stunned me because Wilson just writes so well. Similar to Adam Haslett, he crafts gorgeous, tension-filled scenes and sections of dialogue that suck you in and flood you with his characters' depth and their flawed, beautiful hearts.
Overall, one of the best character-driven works of fiction I have read in a long time. In some ways I wanted more after the ending, and I realize that wish comes from how these characters feel like real people to me; I feel like I could read about their lives forever, really. We Now Return to Regular Life addresses what it means to be an ally and a friend, as well as how to cope with the costs of loving someone who has gone through a lot. I also appreciate Wilson's sensitive portrayal of trauma and Stockholm Syndrome - one scene toward the end of the book literally made me burst into tears because of its sheer vulnerability and compassionate portrayal of self-hatred. Wilson's first novel was the first gay book I ever read, so he will always have a special place in my heart. I am thankful that his second book showcases him at his finest again, with a delicate and gripping story about adolescence, rediscovering others, and finding yourself through learning how to help those around you.
dnf
December 21, 2017DNF @ pg 66
this book is annoying
---------------
me: [sees hate & discriminatory comments towards LGBTQ+ people]
me: well time to read a gay book!!!!
this book is annoying
---------------
me: [sees hate & discriminatory comments towards LGBTQ+ people]
me: well time to read a gay book!!!!
November 14, 2017
Some books are just too much for me to try to describe in words on a page. I need my hands waving around and facial expressions to help. But obviously I can’t do that here, so I’m just going to pour it all out on the page and see what happens.
Powerful is not a big enough word to describe We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson. This is a raw, scary, heartbreaking read. As readers, I think we accept that sometimes over time the names of characters or details will fade—hell whole books sometimes fade from our thoughts after reading them. BUT this one is mine to keep now. It is stuck in my head and heart. My heart hurt at one point! The emotions were too rough and raw for my heart to process. The way the effects of years of abuse are expressed or not expressed by the characters here is devastating and terrifyingly realistic. There a few scenes I can’t forget even if I tried.
Sam Walsh was kidnaped while out on his bike one hot day 3 years ago. This is the story of his return home. What happens now? How can Sam, his family, or the people around him even try to get back to regular life? The pain, confusion, guilt and what-ifs are overwhelming. All of it is overwhelming for our hearts and heads to deal with. Sam’s big sister, who gave him permission to go out the day he was taken, and the boy who saw him last that same scary day guide us through this story. Two young voices trying so hard to process and understand the abuse, emotional turmoil, and changes in the boy they knew three years before. These are kids—not doctors or specialists. They don’t know what to do or say. Does anyone really? It’s a hard read. Sam is not the same kid. But who is he now? We are not in Sam’s head, which adds to the heartbreak and confusion and frustration. We feel the same worry and frustration as the people around him. What is Sam thinking? How is he really doing?
“He’s told me so much already, but I know there’s so much more he hasn’t talked about. Might never talk about. So much that will only stay in his brain. That must be the loneliest feeling in the world.”
This is my first Martin Wilson read, but it certainly won’t be my last. His language is direct, simple, and brutal. This book is one gut punch after another! I do wish a couple of issues were addressed more or at least mentioned again later on, but overall Mr. Wilson displays huge, difficult issues in a powerful way in voices I will never forget.
“His whole life will be difficult. This place—that man—will never go away, not entirely. Not for any of us, really. People always say, Get over it. Like you can make some leap and then move on. But it’s not like that. Some things you can’t get over, not completely.”
October 16, 2025
✰ 3 stars ✰
I've had this in my tbr for so long that I did not reread the blurb, which does hint towards true crime-inspired; but it was only until after I had read it, did I learn that Sam's traumatic ordeal was inspired by a real-life heartbreaking and harrowing kidnapping did my feelings on the story take a slight turn. 🥺 It also puzzled me why in the author's acknowledgements, he did not address it either; which, perhaps goes to show that he may have received some backlash to his avoidance of it, thus leading to him not writing much after. 🤔
Anyway, that's me thinking more than I should be without any facts to back it up.
Not that I did not feel that it was important to see how Beth's life changed after her brother's disappearance, but I was more interested in Josh's side, especially since it was with him that Sam felt more comfortable unburdening his own emotions and demons that he's been carrying since his rescue. 😟 It's painful and heartbreaking to see how lives have been severely affected since, and the aftermath of each trying to come to terms with it, or even find a semblance of returning to normalcy. As if one could simply just forget and think of how We Now Return to Regular Life.
“Superman, I think. He’s Superman. For surviving. For making it back home.”
It's not. And through hesitant steps we see each of them trying to grasp that hope again, especially with the lingering memory of a moment that forever changed their lives. It is uncomfortable and disturbing, and at times, the writing hits on it hard. I felt Josh's survivor's guilt, Beth's negligence, and most painfully, Sam's own tortured and troubled heart that struggled to fit in again. 😢 Those little moments of escapism where he could bare his soul to Josh, confess his own shame and maybe find a kindred spirit in Josh hurt me. There were a few questionable actions and choices of both their parts, but a part of me understands Sam's reasoning behind it. 😔
The shame of what he had to endure on his own, thus leading him to behave with Josh as he did, when Josh was even struggling with his own self. It's that own pressing anxiety - the need to create a friendship, borne out of a shared grief. 'We’re connected, you and me.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 The comfort and reassurance and safety that Josh willingly offered him, without expectations. It made me agree with Sam's compulsion to go back to the scene of the crime to put those haunting images and thoughts and unresolved feelings to rest, so that there could be a chance for him to be free (well, as much as he could be), before it broke him entirely.
“You’re not Sam Hunnicutt,” I say, “you’re Sam Walsh. And you’re almost fifteen years old.” I smile at him. “And you’re an artist. And you have a whole life ahead of you. And I need you in my life.”
And I understood that need for closure - to face what was stolen from him and see that not all was lost, that there were still people who deeply cared for who he still is and was - not unloved, but treasured. And for that, I really believe a perspective from Sam was necessary. 😥 But, I also understand why the author was unable to do so, considering that this sadly but unfortunately was someone's real life; which, I did not discover till the end, but I get now why.
For as much as I do get Beth's life drastically altered, her own issues were -- yes, ground-breaking to her as a teen who has to deal with the 'regular' angst and drama of a seventeen-year-old, but it did bore me. 🤷🏻♀️ I appreciated how the author allowed the final act to have the siblings' bond deepen, as well as on a hopeful note that Sam was on a forward path to happiness and a chance to find his way back into a life that he could face with his head held high. 🫂
“Sam, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry this happened to you.” I don’t know what else to say—those are the only words that come close to how I feel, and they’re a mile off.”
I've had this in my tbr for so long that I did not reread the blurb, which does hint towards true crime-inspired; but it was only until after I had read it, did I learn that Sam's traumatic ordeal was inspired by a real-life heartbreaking and harrowing kidnapping did my feelings on the story take a slight turn. 🥺 It also puzzled me why in the author's acknowledgements, he did not address it either; which, perhaps goes to show that he may have received some backlash to his avoidance of it, thus leading to him not writing much after. 🤔
Anyway, that's me thinking more than I should be without any facts to back it up.
Not that I did not feel that it was important to see how Beth's life changed after her brother's disappearance, but I was more interested in Josh's side, especially since it was with him that Sam felt more comfortable unburdening his own emotions and demons that he's been carrying since his rescue. 😟 It's painful and heartbreaking to see how lives have been severely affected since, and the aftermath of each trying to come to terms with it, or even find a semblance of returning to normalcy. As if one could simply just forget and think of how We Now Return to Regular Life.
“Superman, I think. He’s Superman. For surviving. For making it back home.”
It's not. And through hesitant steps we see each of them trying to grasp that hope again, especially with the lingering memory of a moment that forever changed their lives. It is uncomfortable and disturbing, and at times, the writing hits on it hard. I felt Josh's survivor's guilt, Beth's negligence, and most painfully, Sam's own tortured and troubled heart that struggled to fit in again. 😢 Those little moments of escapism where he could bare his soul to Josh, confess his own shame and maybe find a kindred spirit in Josh hurt me. There were a few questionable actions and choices of both their parts, but a part of me understands Sam's reasoning behind it. 😔
The shame of what he had to endure on his own, thus leading him to behave with Josh as he did, when Josh was even struggling with his own self. It's that own pressing anxiety - the need to create a friendship, borne out of a shared grief. 'We’re connected, you and me.' ❤️🩹❤️🩹 The comfort and reassurance and safety that Josh willingly offered him, without expectations. It made me agree with Sam's compulsion to go back to the scene of the crime to put those haunting images and thoughts and unresolved feelings to rest, so that there could be a chance for him to be free (well, as much as he could be), before it broke him entirely.
“You’re not Sam Hunnicutt,” I say, “you’re Sam Walsh. And you’re almost fifteen years old.” I smile at him. “And you’re an artist. And you have a whole life ahead of you. And I need you in my life.”
And I understood that need for closure - to face what was stolen from him and see that not all was lost, that there were still people who deeply cared for who he still is and was - not unloved, but treasured. And for that, I really believe a perspective from Sam was necessary. 😥 But, I also understand why the author was unable to do so, considering that this sadly but unfortunately was someone's real life; which, I did not discover till the end, but I get now why.
For as much as I do get Beth's life drastically altered, her own issues were -- yes, ground-breaking to her as a teen who has to deal with the 'regular' angst and drama of a seventeen-year-old, but it did bore me. 🤷🏻♀️ I appreciated how the author allowed the final act to have the siblings' bond deepen, as well as on a hopeful note that Sam was on a forward path to happiness and a chance to find his way back into a life that he could face with his head held high. 🫂
February 23, 2018
This is a book about Sam Walsh. Sam disappeared at the age of 11, but turns back up three years later.
This is a book about Sam, but it follows two other narrators — Beth- Sam’s older sister, and Josh- Sam’s “friend” and next door neighbor— for the entire 370 pages.
The problem here is, both Beth and Josh’s POVs are so completely unnecessary, and honestly boring as all hell. Josh’s is only slightly more interesting because of the secrets he held regarding the day Sam vanished, as well as the guilt he feels, but Beth’s serves no purpose as far as narration goes. Her “troubles” (if you can even call them that) pale in comparison to her brother’s, and I was constantly frustrated when the author dealt more with Josh and Beth’s issues than the actual person who disappeared and came back. Maybe if there were only a few chapters devoted to their POVs, and more from Sam’s perspective, it would’ve made more sense? I don’t know... It was all just so fucking BORING!
It didn’t help that the dialogue is so clipped and stilted; prepare yourself for hundreds of “Yeah”s, “Okay”s, “Sure”s and “Fine”s.
There’s very little substance here.
When I finally came to the last page, I realized that nothing really happened. There is so much left unresolved— I won’t go into details, but a lot of it pissed me off. For how dark the subject matter is on the surface, the author never truly dug in deep to the problems within. It could’ve been handled better with a more deft hand, if I’m being honest. You don’t have to be explicit, sure, but you can’t gloss over abuse, recovery, consent, and questionable acts between teens who are clearly not O-FUCKING-KAY. There is one passage a little over halfway through that is SO PROBLEMATIC ON SO MANY GODDAMN LEVELS! I was screaming, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” at the pages, at Martin Wilson (the author)! I’m beyond livid at how he thought that the scene was okay, and obviously worthy of never being mentioned again for the remainder of the book.
When it came down to it, I found that Mr. Wilson only covered the basest parts of all the problems expressed herein; by never going further than the barest of explanations and emotions, it all fell flat. The characters never truly came alive because of it.
I feel cheated and disappointed, and... yeah, I’m angry.
It sucks when you think you’ve wasted your time with something, but that’s essentially what happened here with this novel.
This is a book about Sam, but it follows two other narrators — Beth- Sam’s older sister, and Josh- Sam’s “friend” and next door neighbor— for the entire 370 pages.
The problem here is, both Beth and Josh’s POVs are so completely unnecessary, and honestly boring as all hell. Josh’s is only slightly more interesting because of the secrets he held regarding the day Sam vanished, as well as the guilt he feels, but Beth’s serves no purpose as far as narration goes. Her “troubles” (if you can even call them that) pale in comparison to her brother’s, and I was constantly frustrated when the author dealt more with Josh and Beth’s issues than the actual person who disappeared and came back. Maybe if there were only a few chapters devoted to their POVs, and more from Sam’s perspective, it would’ve made more sense? I don’t know... It was all just so fucking BORING!
It didn’t help that the dialogue is so clipped and stilted; prepare yourself for hundreds of “Yeah”s, “Okay”s, “Sure”s and “Fine”s.
There’s very little substance here.
When I finally came to the last page, I realized that nothing really happened. There is so much left unresolved— I won’t go into details, but a lot of it pissed me off. For how dark the subject matter is on the surface, the author never truly dug in deep to the problems within. It could’ve been handled better with a more deft hand, if I’m being honest. You don’t have to be explicit, sure, but you can’t gloss over abuse, recovery, consent, and questionable acts between teens who are clearly not O-FUCKING-KAY. There is one passage a little over halfway through that is SO PROBLEMATIC ON SO MANY GODDAMN LEVELS! I was screaming, “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” at the pages, at Martin Wilson (the author)! I’m beyond livid at how he thought that the scene was okay, and obviously worthy of never being mentioned again for the remainder of the book.
When it came down to it, I found that Mr. Wilson only covered the basest parts of all the problems expressed herein; by never going further than the barest of explanations and emotions, it all fell flat. The characters never truly came alive because of it.
I feel cheated and disappointed, and... yeah, I’m angry.
It sucks when you think you’ve wasted your time with something, but that’s essentially what happened here with this novel.
September 29, 2017
4.5 STARS
We Now Return to Regular Life is one of those books that didn’t have a lot of feel-good moments. In fact, it was often difficult to read, caused many tears, and generally hurt my heart. But it was also incredibly impactful and one of the better books I’ve read this year.
Sam Walsh (a nod to Adam Walsh?) was abducted three years ago at the age of eleven. Now Sam has been found… alive… and is back at home. The media swarms, there’s a televised interview, and everyone asks, “How is Sam?” But this isn’t completely Sam’s story. It’s Beth’s story, Sam’s older sister. And it’s Josh’s story, Sam’s childhood friend.
We Now Return to Regular Life is narrated from the points of view of Beth and Josh. For the first half of the book I struggled as to whether that was working for me or not. Then I realized that 1) I probably wouldn’t be able to handle the story from Sam’s point of view and 2) the story being told this way drove home the point that Sam’s kidnapping, and the aftermath, had far-reaching effects beyond his own experience.
Beth imagined Sam was dead, largely because it was easier than imagining what he might be going through otherwise. The knowledge that Sam is alive, and envisioning what he may have endured, is torturing Beth. It’s obvious Sam is changed. It’s obvious he needs to talk. But Beth finds herself pulling away – unable to bear whatever Sam might share. She views school as her escape, the place where things still feel normal. But that changes quickly when she becomes “the girl with the kidnapped brother” and she pulls away from friends as well, anything to avoid the feelings that are pulling her under.
Josh is riddled with guilt and feels responsible for Sam’s kidnapping. There’s information about that day that he never shared with anyone – not his parent’s, not the police, no one. Suddenly Sam is back and obviously in need of a friend. When Josh’s friends refuse to have anything to do with Sam, he has to decide between doing what’s easy and what’s right.
Like I mentioned previously, this wasn’t a happy-go-lucky tale and didn’t have a lot of feel-good moments. But what it did have was complex characters who were so flawed and human and empathetic. Wilson masterfully crafted a family going through what no family should ever have to – the horror of the abduction, the joy of the reunion, and the slow realization that life does not magically return to normal. Their struggle to come to terms with what happened and create a new normal was heart wrenching. Sam’s desperate need to talk about what happened was in direct conflict with those closest to him who couldn’t bear to hear it. Watching as Sam was haunted by his experience but was unwilling to burden his family with his pain absolutely broke my heart.
We Now Return to Regular Life isn’t always an easy read but it is an unforgettable read. Beautifully written and packed with emotion, it is a story of survival, of family, of friendship, of redemption and of love. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
We Now Return to Regular Life is one of those books that didn’t have a lot of feel-good moments. In fact, it was often difficult to read, caused many tears, and generally hurt my heart. But it was also incredibly impactful and one of the better books I’ve read this year.
Sam Walsh (a nod to Adam Walsh?) was abducted three years ago at the age of eleven. Now Sam has been found… alive… and is back at home. The media swarms, there’s a televised interview, and everyone asks, “How is Sam?” But this isn’t completely Sam’s story. It’s Beth’s story, Sam’s older sister. And it’s Josh’s story, Sam’s childhood friend.
We Now Return to Regular Life is narrated from the points of view of Beth and Josh. For the first half of the book I struggled as to whether that was working for me or not. Then I realized that 1) I probably wouldn’t be able to handle the story from Sam’s point of view and 2) the story being told this way drove home the point that Sam’s kidnapping, and the aftermath, had far-reaching effects beyond his own experience.
I turn and look at him and he’s smiling. But something about it is weird. It’s not at all how he used to smile. It hits me that he’s only telling her what she wants to hear. What we all want to hear. That he’s just fine and dandy.
Sam is lying to all of us.”
Beth imagined Sam was dead, largely because it was easier than imagining what he might be going through otherwise. The knowledge that Sam is alive, and envisioning what he may have endured, is torturing Beth. It’s obvious Sam is changed. It’s obvious he needs to talk. But Beth finds herself pulling away – unable to bear whatever Sam might share. She views school as her escape, the place where things still feel normal. But that changes quickly when she becomes “the girl with the kidnapped brother” and she pulls away from friends as well, anything to avoid the feelings that are pulling her under.
Josh is riddled with guilt and feels responsible for Sam’s kidnapping. There’s information about that day that he never shared with anyone – not his parent’s, not the police, no one. Suddenly Sam is back and obviously in need of a friend. When Josh’s friends refuse to have anything to do with Sam, he has to decide between doing what’s easy and what’s right.
Get on with our lives. I want to laugh, or scream, something. Because it’s like Mom thinks our lives are like some TV show that got interrupted, like when something big happens and the news cuts in and once they’re done the announcer says, “We now return to regular programming.
Sam was gone and now he’s back. We now return to regular life.
Like I mentioned previously, this wasn’t a happy-go-lucky tale and didn’t have a lot of feel-good moments. But what it did have was complex characters who were so flawed and human and empathetic. Wilson masterfully crafted a family going through what no family should ever have to – the horror of the abduction, the joy of the reunion, and the slow realization that life does not magically return to normal. Their struggle to come to terms with what happened and create a new normal was heart wrenching. Sam’s desperate need to talk about what happened was in direct conflict with those closest to him who couldn’t bear to hear it. Watching as Sam was haunted by his experience but was unwilling to burden his family with his pain absolutely broke my heart.
We Now Return to Regular Life isn’t always an easy read but it is an unforgettable read. Beautifully written and packed with emotion, it is a story of survival, of family, of friendship, of redemption and of love. I cannot recommend this one highly enough.
January 7, 2018
This was a sad book. We had two points of views...Beth (Sam's sister) and Josh (Sam's convenient friend).
Sam went missing on a hot day in July and three years later is found. Beth and Josh have had guilt over those years on what they think they could have done differently that day.
Beth feels guilty for wanting to have a normal life and Josh feels guilty for not telling anyone everything that happened the day Sam went missing. They both have no idea how to help Sam when he returns home. Beth stays away from Sam and everyone else in her life and Josh seeks Sam out and tries to be his friend.
This book was raw and hard to bare at times. The feelings that everyone in this book had were very emotional.
It would have also been nice to have Sam's point of view. But we got a glimpse of what happened to him while he was confessing to Josh.
This book showed how everyone's lives had changed from the day that Sam disappeared to the day that he was found. It also showed that life would never be the same for any of them, but that they were trying to live a normal life as best as they can.
Sam went missing on a hot day in July and three years later is found. Beth and Josh have had guilt over those years on what they think they could have done differently that day.
Beth feels guilty for wanting to have a normal life and Josh feels guilty for not telling anyone everything that happened the day Sam went missing. They both have no idea how to help Sam when he returns home. Beth stays away from Sam and everyone else in her life and Josh seeks Sam out and tries to be his friend.
This book was raw and hard to bare at times. The feelings that everyone in this book had were very emotional.
It would have also been nice to have Sam's point of view. But we got a glimpse of what happened to him while he was confessing to Josh.
This book showed how everyone's lives had changed from the day that Sam disappeared to the day that he was found. It also showed that life would never be the same for any of them, but that they were trying to live a normal life as best as they can.
August 26, 2017
The subject matter was serious, the things that happened to Sam were beyond horrible, but the story still didn't work for me as whole.
Every single character felt weird somehow, or reacted way off in certain situations, done things that made no sense. Like in the beginning when both Josh and Beth basically lied to their parents, to the police about where they last saw Sam. Why? And how can an 11 and 14 year old kid lie so easily, to law enforcement no less? Wouldn't there be a follow up investigation, more questions? The truth would come out, I'm sure of it. Josh and Beth were good kids, they were only afraid and confused, I'm pretty sure they would have realized that they could help with the truth, if there was anyone who asked the right questions? Especially when they saw how awful things had gotten; you don't keep that to yourself, it just made absolutely no sense to me.
And when Sam got back, what was up with his peers calling him a freak? Kids can be cruel, yes, but this was just way too awful of a reaction, and it made no sense that only Josh would side with him. And the mom character, who immediately went for the interview. That's just fucked-up and unbelievable. What was up with Kaylee, why was she neccessary? What the fuck was that scene in Josh's bedroom? It was beyond disturbing.
No one was talking to each other, everyone was a passive-aggressive asshole; I'm sure the author tried to write things authentic, that people have faults, and do stupid things, but everyone behaving oddly at all times just made things weird and nonsensical for me.
And what irked me the most was that it seemed like Sam became a better person after his abuse and captivity; like the author purposefully made him an asshole in the beginning, just to knock him down and make him more likeable after he was free again.
Again, the story was captivating, the main plot heartwrenching, but these little odd things kept popping up that completely pulled me out of the story.
Seeing other reviews for this book, I'm pretty sure I'm alone with my opinion, and maybe I'm just a horrible person who doesn't get that humans make mistakes, but this book just didn't work for me at all.
Every single character felt weird somehow, or reacted way off in certain situations, done things that made no sense. Like in the beginning when both Josh and Beth basically lied to their parents, to the police about where they last saw Sam. Why? And how can an 11 and 14 year old kid lie so easily, to law enforcement no less? Wouldn't there be a follow up investigation, more questions? The truth would come out, I'm sure of it. Josh and Beth were good kids, they were only afraid and confused, I'm pretty sure they would have realized that they could help with the truth, if there was anyone who asked the right questions? Especially when they saw how awful things had gotten; you don't keep that to yourself, it just made absolutely no sense to me.
And when Sam got back, what was up with his peers calling him a freak? Kids can be cruel, yes, but this was just way too awful of a reaction, and it made no sense that only Josh would side with him. And the mom character, who immediately went for the interview. That's just fucked-up and unbelievable. What was up with Kaylee, why was she neccessary? What the fuck was that scene in Josh's bedroom? It was beyond disturbing.
No one was talking to each other, everyone was a passive-aggressive asshole; I'm sure the author tried to write things authentic, that people have faults, and do stupid things, but everyone behaving oddly at all times just made things weird and nonsensical for me.
And what irked me the most was that it seemed like Sam became a better person after his abuse and captivity; like the author purposefully made him an asshole in the beginning, just to knock him down and make him more likeable after he was free again.
Again, the story was captivating, the main plot heartwrenching, but these little odd things kept popping up that completely pulled me out of the story.
Seeing other reviews for this book, I'm pretty sure I'm alone with my opinion, and maybe I'm just a horrible person who doesn't get that humans make mistakes, but this book just didn't work for me at all.
October 7, 2021
Grade: A
Sam returns home after three years of captivity no longer the mischievous boy he once was. His return throws his sister Beth's life into turmoil as she wrestles with guilt. Also feeling guilty, his friend Josh, who never told all he knew about the kidnapping. Sam's recovery, through the points of view of Beth and Josh, unravels cracks in all their lives and maybe a way forward, if they can learn to trust each other.
WE NOW RETURN TO REGULAR LIFE was one of my most anticipated August debuts, and Martin Wilson did not disappoint. I was thoroughly invested in the three teens and their struggles. While Sam was the main character as the stories revolved around him, I didn't know or understand him as much as I wanted. Wilson probably didn't want readers to know Sam more than he knew himself, Sam's recovery will take a lifetime.
I didn't want WE NOW RETURN TO REGULAR TO LIFE to end. All the characters had so much more story to tell and I would love if Wilson wrote a sequel. The book did have a logical ending, I just didn't want to say goodbye to the characters.
I also listened to the audiobook and preferred the female narrator to the male.
Sam returns home after three years of captivity no longer the mischievous boy he once was. His return throws his sister Beth's life into turmoil as she wrestles with guilt. Also feeling guilty, his friend Josh, who never told all he knew about the kidnapping. Sam's recovery, through the points of view of Beth and Josh, unravels cracks in all their lives and maybe a way forward, if they can learn to trust each other.
WE NOW RETURN TO REGULAR LIFE was one of my most anticipated August debuts, and Martin Wilson did not disappoint. I was thoroughly invested in the three teens and their struggles. While Sam was the main character as the stories revolved around him, I didn't know or understand him as much as I wanted. Wilson probably didn't want readers to know Sam more than he knew himself, Sam's recovery will take a lifetime.
I didn't want WE NOW RETURN TO REGULAR TO LIFE to end. All the characters had so much more story to tell and I would love if Wilson wrote a sequel. The book did have a logical ending, I just didn't want to say goodbye to the characters.
I also listened to the audiobook and preferred the female narrator to the male.
September 5, 2017
Initial post reading thoughts:
I had heard about We Now Return To Regular Life earlier this year and I instantly knew that it would be a book that I enjoyed based on its synopsis alone. Contemporary novels with darker and more serious elements are probably my favourite genre to read and this book fell right into that category. We Now Return To Regular Life explores what it's like for Sam, a kid who was kidnapped three years ago to return home after being found and having to adjust going back to his normal, regular life from before he disappeared. I'm glad I decided to pick this one up as it was right up my alley!
--
What I Liked
The darker & more serious elements. It’s no secret that my favourite books seem to consist of darker elements and storylines. Especially in a contemporary setting. We Now Return To Regular Life deals with a lot of heavier topics, the main focus being on Sam’s kidnapping. The story doesn’t go into too much detail about what happened to Sam while he was gone for 3 years, but what it does mention is hard to think about. On top of that, we have other characters that are trying to figure out their own problems as they try to discover themselves. We Now Return To Regular Life is definitely a darker contemporary novel with a dash of mystery/suspense.
The perspectives. One thing I found super interesting was the way that this story was told from the alternating perspectives of Sam’s sister, Beth, and the person who last saw him before he disappeared, his friend Josh. I thought that this was a really interesting take on how to tell this kind of story. We learned about what happened to Sam through the eyes of the people who were closest to him before his disappearance while we also learn what it was like for them while Sam was gone. At first, I really didn’t think that this would work, but it ended up being something that stood out as a positive in this story for me personally.
The characters. As mentioned above, We Now Return To Regular Life is a story about Sam told by his sister Beth and his friend Josh. These three characters alone were great. We have damaged Sam who is trying to adjust to his old life, Beth who truly believed that her brother was dead and is now trying to understand what happened to him while he was missing and Josh who is dealing with his own guilt as the last person to have seen Sam before he disappeared. We also see Josh struggle with trying to understand himself which feels like a secondary coming of age storyline. All of these characters were interesting and I continuously wanted to learn more about each of them.
The slow unraveling. Slowly, after almost each chapter came to a close, we learned something new…a new piece of the puzzle as to what happened to Sam. I love books that don’t give me everything all at once and I also love books that don’t take forever to get to the point. We Now Return To Regular Life had a great balance and delivered what I needed at exactly the right moment.
--
What I Didn’t Like
Wanted to know more. There were a few things that I wish were focused on a bit more. Because this story was not told from the perspective of Sam, we didn’t really get to see a lot of what it was like to live with his captor for three years. We learned a bit from what he told Josh, but just slightly not enough to satisfy me. I wanted to learn more about his captor and why he did what he did.
--
Overall, I really enjoyed We Now Return To Regular Life. This book is almost 400 pages and I read through it at a super quick pace. It kept me wanting more after each and every chapter!
November 26, 2017
Whoa!!
What an emotional rollercoaster of lives altered by one evil act (and by one, I mean 3 years of sheer Hell). The shell of a boy returns home, trying to find some sort of normalcy in the aftermath of three years of abuse by his captor.
It's hard reading about the abuse of children in any fiction; but when you know that the events in the book you're reading parallel an actual kidnapping case, it makes it that much harder to get through it (emotionally). As I read, the familiarity of Missouri's Shawn Hornbeck kidnapping back in 2002 was at the forefront of my mind. There were way too many similarities to not be certain where the author pulled his inspiration from (in my humble opinion). With a prayer in my heart and tears in my eyes, I pushed through. I was in a constant tug-of-war of not being able to put the book down and knowing that if I didn't I was going to have to go raid my mother's cabinet for one of her Xanax. The former prevailed more often than not.
I believe the book genre is young adult, so I don't want to mislead you that it was full of explicit detail about the character Sam's abuse. The heartache comes more from the aftermath of him trying to overcome the abuse and get his life back. It's a quick read and delves into the lives of Sam's sister and best friend providing two different perspectives, including their backstories. I give it *4 stars* I just don't know if I would have been so into the book if I hadn't known of the true crime. But I would still recommend it. I think everyone could benefit by getting a closer look of how crimes like these affect these children's lives forever, along with their friends and family.
SPOILER
What an emotional rollercoaster of lives altered by one evil act (and by one, I mean 3 years of sheer Hell). The shell of a boy returns home, trying to find some sort of normalcy in the aftermath of three years of abuse by his captor.
It's hard reading about the abuse of children in any fiction; but when you know that the events in the book you're reading parallel an actual kidnapping case, it makes it that much harder to get through it (emotionally). As I read, the familiarity of Missouri's Shawn Hornbeck kidnapping back in 2002 was at the forefront of my mind. There were way too many similarities to not be certain where the author pulled his inspiration from (in my humble opinion). With a prayer in my heart and tears in my eyes, I pushed through. I was in a constant tug-of-war of not being able to put the book down and knowing that if I didn't I was going to have to go raid my mother's cabinet for one of her Xanax. The former prevailed more often than not.
I believe the book genre is young adult, so I don't want to mislead you that it was full of explicit detail about the character Sam's abuse. The heartache comes more from the aftermath of him trying to overcome the abuse and get his life back. It's a quick read and delves into the lives of Sam's sister and best friend providing two different perspectives, including their backstories. I give it *4 stars* I just don't know if I would have been so into the book if I hadn't known of the true crime. But I would still recommend it. I think everyone could benefit by getting a closer look of how crimes like these affect these children's lives forever, along with their friends and family.
SPOILER
December 5, 2017
4.5 stars.
Video review: https://youtu.be/eFW-uQPFwks
Video review: https://youtu.be/eFW-uQPFwks
December 20, 2020
What if the real-life Adam Walsh had come home? I feel like that possibility may have inspired this story.
Sam Walsh was kidnapped at age eleven and has miraculously returned home three years later. Sam's story is an emotional page-turner; the worst has already happened and this book is about the aftermath.
Will Sam be able to 'return to regular life'?
You would think that he would be welcomed back with open arms. Except-- that's not completely the case. Sam is now fourteen, and his age coupled with his horrifying experiences have understandably turned him into someone completely different from the eleven-year-old boy who vanished three years ago. So how do family and friends welcome back a teenager they no longer recognize as the little boy who was kidnapped?
We have two narrators: Beth and Josh. The former is Sam's sister, and the latter is Sam's old friend. Both were the last people to see him the day he was kidnapped, and both are struggling with guilt and regret over actions they took (or didn't take) on the day he vanished. This obviously affects their interactions with Sam- and this is the crux of the story.
As I mentioned, this is a very emotional book: the storyline can't allow for anything less. I loved reading it, but at one point I felt I was getting drenched in constant 'emotional processing' and little insight. I also could not understand why some characters behaved the way they did: some were cold/rude to Sam for no reason other than 'they were weirded out' by what happened to him. And Beth's reactions were especially harsh at times. I realize that she was struggling with her own issues, but there were times when she practically ran away from her brother when he just wanted to connect with her. This may have worked if there was more psychological insight into her character, but...there wasn't.
Still, I'm very happy I found this book. An amazing read.
Sam Walsh was kidnapped at age eleven and has miraculously returned home three years later. Sam's story is an emotional page-turner; the worst has already happened and this book is about the aftermath.
Will Sam be able to 'return to regular life'?
You would think that he would be welcomed back with open arms. Except-- that's not completely the case. Sam is now fourteen, and his age coupled with his horrifying experiences have understandably turned him into someone completely different from the eleven-year-old boy who vanished three years ago. So how do family and friends welcome back a teenager they no longer recognize as the little boy who was kidnapped?
We have two narrators: Beth and Josh. The former is Sam's sister, and the latter is Sam's old friend. Both were the last people to see him the day he was kidnapped, and both are struggling with guilt and regret over actions they took (or didn't take) on the day he vanished. This obviously affects their interactions with Sam- and this is the crux of the story.
As I mentioned, this is a very emotional book: the storyline can't allow for anything less. I loved reading it, but at one point I felt I was getting drenched in constant 'emotional processing' and little insight. I also could not understand why some characters behaved the way they did: some were cold/rude to Sam for no reason other than 'they were weirded out' by what happened to him. And Beth's reactions were especially harsh at times. I realize that she was struggling with her own issues, but there were times when she practically ran away from her brother when he just wanted to connect with her. This may have worked if there was more psychological insight into her character, but...there wasn't.
Still, I'm very happy I found this book. An amazing read.
July 26, 2017
Wow. Just...wow. That I finished this near 400-page novel in a single sitting should say something. Yes, it's extremely gripping and intense, but it's also so gut-wrenching. Three years ago Sam was abducted. Three long years his family searched and made pleas to his captor, ultimately coming to terms with Sam's death...but then Sam is discovered. Alive. He's coming home.
In countless other kidnapping novels, this would be the part where the victim goes home and essentially picks up right where they left off. With this book, however, it's not that simple and THAT was what truly grabbed me. Sam isn't the same boy he was the day he vanished. He's no longer a loud, rambunctious, annoying 11-year-old. He's shy, quiet, spends his days alone with his thoughts and a sketchpad. He grew to actually care for the man who abducted him, even .
I feel like I could ramble about this one for days. Martin Wilson is a new-to-me author and I am absolutely blown away by this one! More thoughts to come!!
For the full, rambly, flaily review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
In countless other kidnapping novels, this would be the part where the victim goes home and essentially picks up right where they left off. With this book, however, it's not that simple and THAT was what truly grabbed me. Sam isn't the same boy he was the day he vanished. He's no longer a loud, rambunctious, annoying 11-year-old. He's shy, quiet, spends his days alone with his thoughts and a sketchpad. He grew to actually care for the man who abducted him, even .
I feel like I could ramble about this one for days. Martin Wilson is a new-to-me author and I am absolutely blown away by this one! More thoughts to come!!
For the full, rambly, flaily review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
January 4, 2021
(3.5)
Rep: gay mc, character with PTSD
CWs: child abduction, past sexual abuse, violence, homophobic slurs
Rep: gay mc, character with PTSD
CWs: child abduction, past sexual abuse, violence, homophobic slurs
August 25, 2017
I just don't know what to think of this book. It was good but it also felt that it wasn't good. In both writing and the story itself. The writing felt a little off, I missed the flow in reading. All the actions of the characters were a little bit choppy to read, they were doing this or that and it switches to next.
The story: I felt heartbroken for Sam and so much annoyance towards everybody else. What he went through must have been so confusing and traumatic. The way that Beth felt al these emotions towards Sam, but didn't say anything. The mom trying to avoid everything, actually everybody was avoiding to speak the truth or speaking their minds or act on their instincts when they want to hug Sam or hold his hand or whatever. The way he just freaked out and they wouldn't let him speak about what was troubling him and chose to drug him instead to calm him down. God, those were the most frustrating parts throughout the whole book. In the end Beth is finally supporting Sam, but it felt unfinished and not completely sincere. Because she said he could tell her everything, the good AND the bad, even though in her mind she doesn't want to hear the bad stuff and hoped he wouldn't tell her.
Throughout the book I also felt that there were a lot of similarities of a real kidnapping from a while back and it was a little disturbing. But I also wonder if the kidnapping and return of Shawn Hornbeck was the inspiration for the author. It's too bad that he doesn't have a message in the book how this story started for him. And was there an underlying message in this book? Because I couldn't figure it out, what I do hope that it teaches people in these kind of situations how NOT to act. Because there are people who are that ignorant and quick to judge, or just ignore that bad stuff thinking that it'll just go away if you don't speak about it. It doesn't and you can't turn a blind eye just because it makes You feel uncomfortable talking about it. If you love someone you do everything to help them, let them trust you so they can open up and tell you the truth about how and what they are feeling or what they are going through even if you don't understand, just try.
The story: I felt heartbroken for Sam and so much annoyance towards everybody else. What he went through must have been so confusing and traumatic. The way that Beth felt al these emotions towards Sam, but didn't say anything. The mom trying to avoid everything, actually everybody was avoiding to speak the truth or speaking their minds or act on their instincts when they want to hug Sam or hold his hand or whatever. The way he just freaked out and they wouldn't let him speak about what was troubling him and chose to drug him instead to calm him down. God, those were the most frustrating parts throughout the whole book. In the end Beth is finally supporting Sam, but it felt unfinished and not completely sincere. Because she said he could tell her everything, the good AND the bad, even though in her mind she doesn't want to hear the bad stuff and hoped he wouldn't tell her.
Throughout the book I also felt that there were a lot of similarities of a real kidnapping from a while back and it was a little disturbing. But I also wonder if the kidnapping and return of Shawn Hornbeck was the inspiration for the author. It's too bad that he doesn't have a message in the book how this story started for him. And was there an underlying message in this book? Because I couldn't figure it out, what I do hope that it teaches people in these kind of situations how NOT to act. Because there are people who are that ignorant and quick to judge, or just ignore that bad stuff thinking that it'll just go away if you don't speak about it. It doesn't and you can't turn a blind eye just because it makes You feel uncomfortable talking about it. If you love someone you do everything to help them, let them trust you so they can open up and tell you the truth about how and what they are feeling or what they are going through even if you don't understand, just try.
June 14, 2018
I devoured this book! It was practically impossible to put down and felt so real and emotionally true. The premise seems outrageous, but when you stop to think about it, there's nothing fantastic about it. I was actually reminded of the Hornbeck case from a decade ago, when a boy who was abducted as a pre-teen was found in a town near my home. I remember watching the news and looking at the vacant look plastered across his face. It's sad that there are probably many cases like this that inspired Martin Wilson's story.
Wilson tells Sam's coming home story with the surest hand. He uses the alternating perspectives of Sam's sister and childhood friend, Josh, expertly (an excellent choice—although I really wish we would have gotten a Sam chapter at some point), and he uses flashback to a devastating effect. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the similarities between Sam Walsh and Jude St. Francis in A Little Life (my favourite book of all time). I really couldn't get away with recommending ALL to any but the most mature high school student, but We Now Return to Regular Life is a way to introduce students to some of that book's important themes. It's a story about regret but mostly about hope. It's a story about the heaviness of lies and the lightness of making things right. It's about the brokenness some of us must carry in our hearts, and the promise of healing.
There is no denying that We Now Return to Regular Life is a book I want to champion, and that Martin Wilson is an author whose other work I want to seek out. I'm so glad for the recommendation!
Wilson tells Sam's coming home story with the surest hand. He uses the alternating perspectives of Sam's sister and childhood friend, Josh, expertly (an excellent choice—although I really wish we would have gotten a Sam chapter at some point), and he uses flashback to a devastating effect. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the similarities between Sam Walsh and Jude St. Francis in A Little Life (my favourite book of all time). I really couldn't get away with recommending ALL to any but the most mature high school student, but We Now Return to Regular Life is a way to introduce students to some of that book's important themes. It's a story about regret but mostly about hope. It's a story about the heaviness of lies and the lightness of making things right. It's about the brokenness some of us must carry in our hearts, and the promise of healing.
There is no denying that We Now Return to Regular Life is a book I want to champion, and that Martin Wilson is an author whose other work I want to seek out. I'm so glad for the recommendation!
September 1, 2017
I found this book incredibly problematic and unauthentic. While the story itself kept me reading until the end, it was disturbing to read sections of this book that had no follow up/no reflection. I'm not sure what the purpose of this book was and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
December 11, 2017
I will say this book was unexpected. So unexpected that I don't really know what to make of it. I loved the story, it follows two perspectives each telling the story of Sam Walsh at heart. Sam had been kidnapped three years ago and now he returns home to his regular life and has to adapt. Only his sister Beth and former friend Josh are the two perspectives we have on it and it's fascinating.
The impact that Sam's return has is like an explosion. It destroys everyone at the beginning, everyone is torn apart and is left with no certainty on how they are meant to be. How do you treat someone who has been abused for 3 years but seemingly has a Stockholm Syndrome type attachment to the whole thing? The answer I think we finally get around to is that you have to treat him like normal.
Beth is the one who really struggles with that, like so much it's painful. Her whole arc revolves around how she has to cope with Sam being back. Because unlike everyone else she gave up and that was heartbreaking to read. In her mind he was dead because that made life easier to cope. Then he's back and everything is different. Everyone is treating her differently and it devastates her. All her friends treat her differently and she struggles. And I think it's fair. Her life has been through upheaval after upheaval and she tried to find stability and then it's torn away. But the one thing I think you could never take away is how much she cares for her brother. The ending scene with Donal and her chasing after him and her comforting him was beautiful.
Other memorable moments for Beth is the Thanksgiving scene. She unleashed hell on Hank and he deserved it, absent father's annoy me. It was hastily patched over but not completely which I appreciated. Her resentment didn't just vanish. But it was getting there. Donal and Beth were cute and I was cheering them on the whole time but god they took their sweet time. I suppose a lot happened but she so obviously liked him. The cafeteria scene was cute and the New year's kiss was adorable. Solid perspective 4/5
Josh's perspective is vastly different. I think Josh spends the most time with Sam and it is through Josh we learn the most about Sam's time with Rusty. But Josh has his own problem to deal with mainly he's gay. And it's like hinted from early on. He's not interested in his date for homecoming and him and Sam get very close. I mean Sam does toss him off at one point like shock twist. That was an interesting scene I must say. I'm on board for it except for the end didn't have them ever talk about it. Which I'm realllyyyyyy pissed off about. That's why I'm giving it 4*'s because why have that happen and then nothing.
Aside from that we get the fun like normal teenagery things from Josh, he's studying hard and worrying about his friends, who are knobs, but that's not the point. Nick and his's friendship is kind of meant to the most important in the beginning. And it tries to be. We get a lot of backstory for them and just overall context of their friendship. But Nick's dismissal of Sam is cruel and kind of not shocking. You wouldn't know what to do and he chose the easiest way out of it. Just ignore. But Josh didn't. He decided he was going to be there for Sam and he was there for it all. They watched movies, played tennis and had portrait sessions. Ya know really normal. But in all of this they are talking they are just talking about all that happened under this cloud that Josh should have been the one. It's Josh's secret for so long but when he tells Sam it all falls apart a bit. It gets stilted until the New Years jolly.
Josh is a sweet kid, he genuinely is. He really tries to be there for Sam and stands by him through all of it. Which I appreciated. You can never count out good friends. But the burgeoning relationship between them should have culminated in a kiss. I'm sorry it should. There friendship and transparency is so much more intimate than other relationships in the book it could have been a 5* sooooo easily.
Sam's story though not a perspective we should touch on. It was dark. We find out early on he was sexually abused and attempted to be murdered and god knows what else. And he is damaged. But we don't see the damage. Not immediately. There's hints of the fractured psyche, the staying up really late. The disjointed responses but it isn't until Rusty dies that we see a broken boy. That scene was hard to read. He was ruined, he tore at everything around him and the worst part is that he misses his captor. Because that's all he really knew for 3 years. It's horrible because you know it happens. But with Josh he's piecing his life back together. With Beth he's piecing his life back together.
I enjoyed this book. I really did. I just wish for two things:
1) The Perspective shifts were clearer.
2) They addressed the handjob. Properly.
Weirdest thing I've ever wrote in a review. Ever.
The impact that Sam's return has is like an explosion. It destroys everyone at the beginning, everyone is torn apart and is left with no certainty on how they are meant to be. How do you treat someone who has been abused for 3 years but seemingly has a Stockholm Syndrome type attachment to the whole thing? The answer I think we finally get around to is that you have to treat him like normal.
Beth is the one who really struggles with that, like so much it's painful. Her whole arc revolves around how she has to cope with Sam being back. Because unlike everyone else she gave up and that was heartbreaking to read. In her mind he was dead because that made life easier to cope. Then he's back and everything is different. Everyone is treating her differently and it devastates her. All her friends treat her differently and she struggles. And I think it's fair. Her life has been through upheaval after upheaval and she tried to find stability and then it's torn away. But the one thing I think you could never take away is how much she cares for her brother. The ending scene with Donal and her chasing after him and her comforting him was beautiful.
Other memorable moments for Beth is the Thanksgiving scene. She unleashed hell on Hank and he deserved it, absent father's annoy me. It was hastily patched over but not completely which I appreciated. Her resentment didn't just vanish. But it was getting there. Donal and Beth were cute and I was cheering them on the whole time but god they took their sweet time. I suppose a lot happened but she so obviously liked him. The cafeteria scene was cute and the New year's kiss was adorable. Solid perspective 4/5
Josh's perspective is vastly different. I think Josh spends the most time with Sam and it is through Josh we learn the most about Sam's time with Rusty. But Josh has his own problem to deal with mainly he's gay. And it's like hinted from early on. He's not interested in his date for homecoming and him and Sam get very close. I mean Sam does toss him off at one point like shock twist. That was an interesting scene I must say. I'm on board for it except for the end didn't have them ever talk about it. Which I'm realllyyyyyy pissed off about. That's why I'm giving it 4*'s because why have that happen and then nothing.
Aside from that we get the fun like normal teenagery things from Josh, he's studying hard and worrying about his friends, who are knobs, but that's not the point. Nick and his's friendship is kind of meant to the most important in the beginning. And it tries to be. We get a lot of backstory for them and just overall context of their friendship. But Nick's dismissal of Sam is cruel and kind of not shocking. You wouldn't know what to do and he chose the easiest way out of it. Just ignore. But Josh didn't. He decided he was going to be there for Sam and he was there for it all. They watched movies, played tennis and had portrait sessions. Ya know really normal. But in all of this they are talking they are just talking about all that happened under this cloud that Josh should have been the one. It's Josh's secret for so long but when he tells Sam it all falls apart a bit. It gets stilted until the New Years jolly.
Josh is a sweet kid, he genuinely is. He really tries to be there for Sam and stands by him through all of it. Which I appreciated. You can never count out good friends. But the burgeoning relationship between them should have culminated in a kiss. I'm sorry it should. There friendship and transparency is so much more intimate than other relationships in the book it could have been a 5* sooooo easily.
Sam's story though not a perspective we should touch on. It was dark. We find out early on he was sexually abused and attempted to be murdered and god knows what else. And he is damaged. But we don't see the damage. Not immediately. There's hints of the fractured psyche, the staying up really late. The disjointed responses but it isn't until Rusty dies that we see a broken boy. That scene was hard to read. He was ruined, he tore at everything around him and the worst part is that he misses his captor. Because that's all he really knew for 3 years. It's horrible because you know it happens. But with Josh he's piecing his life back together. With Beth he's piecing his life back together.
I enjoyed this book. I really did. I just wish for two things:
1) The Perspective shifts were clearer.
2) They addressed the handjob. Properly.
Weirdest thing I've ever wrote in a review. Ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2017
Wow, what another amazing page turner from Martin Wilson! It was nice from the perspective of Josh and Beth looking at Sam. Didn't really know what Sam was ultimately feeling, but everything came through from his sister and friend.
I gravitated more to the chapters from Josh. I liked the idea of a friend realizing his past mistakes and coming to grip with them and then wanting to be there for his friend. Sounds like Sam will always have a great friend in Josh, someone that will always be there, someone I wish I had.
I gravitated more to the chapters from Josh. I liked the idea of a friend realizing his past mistakes and coming to grip with them and then wanting to be there for his friend. Sounds like Sam will always have a great friend in Josh, someone that will always be there, someone I wish I had.
June 28, 2017
I loved this book. It is a complex, thoughtful exploration of trauma and how it impacts survivors and the loved ones of survivors. It also digs into how we, as a society, respond to difficult experiences.
This book follows the story of Sam Walsh and is told in the dual perspectives of his sister Beth and his friend Josh. Sam was kidnapped when he was 11-- now, three years later, he's been found and is coming home.
Sam's sister, Beth, had settled with the fact that Sam was dead. Beth's mom, however, "never gave up hope"-- and life at home has been absolute hell because of it. As her mom obsessively searched for Sam the last three years, Beth has been forced to look after her-- since she was fifteen. Her father hasn't called in years. Her stepdad has been good but they're still not that close.
Then there's Josh-- the last person to see Sam. Holding a traumatic secret about the day that Sam was taken, Josh believes it's his fault. But he, like Beth, has tried his best to move on.
Then, Sam is found. He's been living with the man who kidnapped him for three years. He comes home.
The next 300+ pages are a heart-wrenching depiction of what it means to survive trauma. It's not pretty. It's not flashy. People are quick to label Same as "brave," and his return "miraculous," but no one wants to hear the sticky, difficult, terrifying details of what happened, or what recovery is like for him and his family. At school, Beth is treated like a semi-celebrity, people continuously saying how happy she must be. But she still hasn't come to terms with what she's dealt with the past few years and is nowhere near equipped to help Sam through his trauma. Their mom insists that no one ask Sam about any of the last three years.
So many books simplify the experience of abuse and escape to a simple narrative: the person was in a horrible situation and absolutely hated the person who abused them. Then they escaped/stood up for themselves in a moment of cathartic victory and were able to live in happiness for the rest of their days.
That's... almost never how it works. And this book actually explored the difficult, debilitating experience of recovery, and the authentic hope and humor that can be found in the process. I am so so grateful that this exists and that teens will have access to it-- it's exactly what my sixteen year old self needed.
--
I received an ARC of this at ALA.
This book follows the story of Sam Walsh and is told in the dual perspectives of his sister Beth and his friend Josh. Sam was kidnapped when he was 11-- now, three years later, he's been found and is coming home.
Sam's sister, Beth, had settled with the fact that Sam was dead. Beth's mom, however, "never gave up hope"-- and life at home has been absolute hell because of it. As her mom obsessively searched for Sam the last three years, Beth has been forced to look after her-- since she was fifteen. Her father hasn't called in years. Her stepdad has been good but they're still not that close.
Then there's Josh-- the last person to see Sam. Holding a traumatic secret about the day that Sam was taken, Josh believes it's his fault. But he, like Beth, has tried his best to move on.
Then, Sam is found. He's been living with the man who kidnapped him for three years. He comes home.
The next 300+ pages are a heart-wrenching depiction of what it means to survive trauma. It's not pretty. It's not flashy. People are quick to label Same as "brave," and his return "miraculous," but no one wants to hear the sticky, difficult, terrifying details of what happened, or what recovery is like for him and his family. At school, Beth is treated like a semi-celebrity, people continuously saying how happy she must be. But she still hasn't come to terms with what she's dealt with the past few years and is nowhere near equipped to help Sam through his trauma. Their mom insists that no one ask Sam about any of the last three years.
So many books simplify the experience of abuse and escape to a simple narrative: the person was in a horrible situation and absolutely hated the person who abused them. Then they escaped/stood up for themselves in a moment of cathartic victory and were able to live in happiness for the rest of their days.
That's... almost never how it works. And this book actually explored the difficult, debilitating experience of recovery, and the authentic hope and humor that can be found in the process. I am so so grateful that this exists and that teens will have access to it-- it's exactly what my sixteen year old self needed.
--
I received an ARC of this at ALA.
March 16, 2017
Holy crap!!! I just finished the ARC of this and I'm shaking on the floor in a myriad of emotions from sadness to anger to just cursing some Divine Being for how unfair the world is. We Now Return to Regular Life is basically any child abduction and rescue cases all rolled into one from Elizabeth Smart, Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight, Gina Dejesus, Shawn Hornbeck, and Jaycee Dugard. If anything, it's a bit more of the Steven "I Know My First Name is Steven" Stayner case from the 80's.
The book concerns the return of a missing boy named Sam Walsh who was abducted by a child predator and held captive for three years. Though the story should revolve more about him, it is really about his family, friends, and the community and how their affected by the whole ordeal. At the center are two perspectives, Sam's sister Beth who is trying to deal with her family's personal demons while trying to live her life as a normal teenager and Sam's best friend Josh, a closeted athlete who feels guilty about Sam's disappearance all those years ago.
It is interesting to note that the book handles Sam's situation with sensitivity but with a sense of realism. Certainly, no one truly knows what a trauma victim goes through after such a horrible ordeal but author Martin Wilson handles the scenario with tact and without exploitation. Even the LGBT subplot was done really well as Josh tries to understand his crush on Sam without trying to force the issue and the reader feels sympathy for Sam as he tries to make sense of all of this.
We Now Return to Regular Life is one of those realistic YA's that every teen needs to read. Both a fable and a story with relevant themes, I know it's going to be one of those that could bring about plenty of great discussions.
The book concerns the return of a missing boy named Sam Walsh who was abducted by a child predator and held captive for three years. Though the story should revolve more about him, it is really about his family, friends, and the community and how their affected by the whole ordeal. At the center are two perspectives, Sam's sister Beth who is trying to deal with her family's personal demons while trying to live her life as a normal teenager and Sam's best friend Josh, a closeted athlete who feels guilty about Sam's disappearance all those years ago.
It is interesting to note that the book handles Sam's situation with sensitivity but with a sense of realism. Certainly, no one truly knows what a trauma victim goes through after such a horrible ordeal but author Martin Wilson handles the scenario with tact and without exploitation. Even the LGBT subplot was done really well as Josh tries to understand his crush on Sam without trying to force the issue and the reader feels sympathy for Sam as he tries to make sense of all of this.
We Now Return to Regular Life is one of those realistic YA's that every teen needs to read. Both a fable and a story with relevant themes, I know it's going to be one of those that could bring about plenty of great discussions.
November 20, 2024
there were too many things left unaddressed by the end of the book for me to feel satisfied by the conclusion, i fear. i loved having beth and josh's perspectives, i thought it was unique and very interesting, but there were some moments i desperately needed to know what sam was thinking LIKE
in conclusion, it was alright! i liked the writing and the concept, but it kinda felt empty and unfinished and slightly controversial.... perchance if this had 200 more pages i would feel happier but until then this book gets 3 stars <3
in conclusion, it was alright! i liked the writing and the concept, but it kinda felt empty and unfinished and slightly controversial.... perchance if this had 200 more pages i would feel happier but until then this book gets 3 stars <3
Read
September 25, 2017I have mixed feelings about this book, I listened to the audio and immediately was shocked and by the story. This is a "YA" book, for me the story was really disturbing, even as the book is not graphic about the detail regarding the kidnapping the tone of the book is quite serious. This book had my attention, the narration was well done. After finishing the story I was unclear what the author was attempt to convey through the story, it was told through alternating POV's of the kidnapped boy (Sam's) sister - Beth and his friend Josh. They tell what happened the day he went missing, how it affected each of them, their families, how they coped through the years and both re-connect with Sam.
For me listening to both Beth & Josh's stories this felt like pieces, very unfinished and I was left with a big mess with no conclusion. There was so much left incomplete yet I could not understand where this went as well as why there was not much of a story line from Sam.
Wanting to see if I was odd girl out I read other GR reviews. I found BB's review (link at the bottom) which gave me more insight, I had never hear of the true story of the kidnapping of the Missouri boy Shawn Hornbeck.....to google. Everything from this real life story was almost identical to the book, even the way he appeared when he was found, the how he looked when interviewed. I kept reading and maybe that is why there is no POV from Sam - Shawn has chosen to keep his years in captivity private. I felt misled,or maybe this is news I should have been aware of? I don't know it was such a heartbreaking story but IMO the direction or focus felt off.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For me listening to both Beth & Josh's stories this felt like pieces, very unfinished and I was left with a big mess with no conclusion. There was so much left incomplete yet I could not understand where this went as well as why there was not much of a story line from Sam.
Wanting to see if I was odd girl out I read other GR reviews. I found BB's review (link at the bottom) which gave me more insight, I had never hear of the true story of the kidnapping of the Missouri boy Shawn Hornbeck.....to google. Everything from this real life story was almost identical to the book, even the way he appeared when he was found, the how he looked when interviewed. I kept reading and maybe that is why there is no POV from Sam - Shawn has chosen to keep his years in captivity private. I felt misled,or maybe this is news I should have been aware of? I don't know it was such a heartbreaking story but IMO the direction or focus felt off.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 2, 2024
The ending was good but not really worth 85% of frustration and annoyance.
November 1, 2017
I'm an emotional mess
January 15, 2019
I read Martin Wilson’s What They Always Tell Us when I was in high school and thought it was superb. His sophomore novel, published almost ten years later, We Now Return to Regular Life, is nearly as good—whether or not it is “better” than What We Always Tell Us is impossible to say, given that I read them so far apart and have a soft spot for that book—and certainly a fair sight more disturbing. Not that the depression and suicide of Wilson’s debut weren’t weighty subjects, but in this book we have child kidnapping and sexual and psychological abuse—topics that are handled well within the novel but nevertheless made me feel sick as I read about them. This is a harrowing and bleak story, but it also has just the right touch of hope and the promise of healing, even if that road is going to be extremely rocky for all involved.
I already knew this from What They Always Tell Us, but Wilson is really good at tackling tough subjects. It’s thanks to the story’s refusal to speed up the protagonists’ healing process and shy away from the downright ugly aspects of Sam’s story that We Now Return to Regular Life is so successful. Wilson is arguably even better at depicting how the people closest to the victims in question suffer, in addition to the victim’s own personal trauma. Despite the novel resting on Sam’s kidnapping and return to his family, we never hear from Sam directly—instead, the story is told to us through his older sister, Beth, and his childhood neighbor, Josh, both of whom were indirectly involved with his disappearance. Sam’s recovery and story are certainly at the forefront of this book, but we experience it through Beth and Josh’s eyes, as they try to make sense of the discrepancy between the Sam that disappeared and the Sam that returned—as well as battle their own feelings of guilt over how they could have potentially stopped this horrific situation from occurring three years ago.
Keeping readers out of Sam’s head is a really sharp move: as we see through Beth and Josh’s interactions with him, Sam has been through hell and to try to communicate that through first-person narration would have been an insurmountable challenge. But on top of that, it would have detracted from the overall point of the story, which is less about Sam’s PTSD and more about how Beth and Josh—and everyone else linked to Sam—react to it. Throughout the book, all of the characters experience an unshakable sense of helplessness as they are unable to properly reach or sympathize with Sam’s past or present—and, despite just wanting to “return to regular life,” they are stuck with the knowledge that this is impossible and there will probably always be a cloud hanging over their lives. This is a really difficult position to be in—feeling so close to the victim and yet so far—and I think Wilson explored this feeling in a really bittersweet way that ultimately left me more haunted than a story solely focused on Sam ever could have.
There’s practically nothing We Now Return to Regular Life does wrong, and that’s really saying something, given its loaded premise. I suppose there are moments when it might risk tedium—this is less a thriller about “What happened to Sam?” and more about how the characters try (and fail) to readjust to everyday existence—and there are so many subplots that it risks becoming overstuffed. There’s definitely one scene between Sam and Josh that stuck out as feeling wildly unnecessary, not so much because of the content or the implications but because of how isolated it was within the narrative, with no repercussions or emotional payoff.
This is an ambitious, upsetting novel, and I absolutely tore through it. The way that Wilson refused to sugarcoat or oversimplify his characters or their actions was stunning and every scene felt loaded with human emotion and astute observations. It’s not as quietly moving as What They Always Tell Us, but it’s probably equally unforgettable in its sublime depiction of strained childhood relationships, PTSD, and somehow especially the sibling dynamics. I’ve been waiting to read another novel from Wilson for years, and this was just as brave, unflinching, and heartbreaking as I expected it would be; We Now Return to Regular Life isn’t the kind of book you pick up for escapism or warm feelings, but is an excellent work.
4 stars.
I already knew this from What They Always Tell Us, but Wilson is really good at tackling tough subjects. It’s thanks to the story’s refusal to speed up the protagonists’ healing process and shy away from the downright ugly aspects of Sam’s story that We Now Return to Regular Life is so successful. Wilson is arguably even better at depicting how the people closest to the victims in question suffer, in addition to the victim’s own personal trauma. Despite the novel resting on Sam’s kidnapping and return to his family, we never hear from Sam directly—instead, the story is told to us through his older sister, Beth, and his childhood neighbor, Josh, both of whom were indirectly involved with his disappearance. Sam’s recovery and story are certainly at the forefront of this book, but we experience it through Beth and Josh’s eyes, as they try to make sense of the discrepancy between the Sam that disappeared and the Sam that returned—as well as battle their own feelings of guilt over how they could have potentially stopped this horrific situation from occurring three years ago.
Keeping readers out of Sam’s head is a really sharp move: as we see through Beth and Josh’s interactions with him, Sam has been through hell and to try to communicate that through first-person narration would have been an insurmountable challenge. But on top of that, it would have detracted from the overall point of the story, which is less about Sam’s PTSD and more about how Beth and Josh—and everyone else linked to Sam—react to it. Throughout the book, all of the characters experience an unshakable sense of helplessness as they are unable to properly reach or sympathize with Sam’s past or present—and, despite just wanting to “return to regular life,” they are stuck with the knowledge that this is impossible and there will probably always be a cloud hanging over their lives. This is a really difficult position to be in—feeling so close to the victim and yet so far—and I think Wilson explored this feeling in a really bittersweet way that ultimately left me more haunted than a story solely focused on Sam ever could have.
There’s practically nothing We Now Return to Regular Life does wrong, and that’s really saying something, given its loaded premise. I suppose there are moments when it might risk tedium—this is less a thriller about “What happened to Sam?” and more about how the characters try (and fail) to readjust to everyday existence—and there are so many subplots that it risks becoming overstuffed. There’s definitely one scene between Sam and Josh that stuck out as feeling wildly unnecessary, not so much because of the content or the implications but because of how isolated it was within the narrative, with no repercussions or emotional payoff.
This is an ambitious, upsetting novel, and I absolutely tore through it. The way that Wilson refused to sugarcoat or oversimplify his characters or their actions was stunning and every scene felt loaded with human emotion and astute observations. It’s not as quietly moving as What They Always Tell Us, but it’s probably equally unforgettable in its sublime depiction of strained childhood relationships, PTSD, and somehow especially the sibling dynamics. I’ve been waiting to read another novel from Wilson for years, and this was just as brave, unflinching, and heartbreaking as I expected it would be; We Now Return to Regular Life isn’t the kind of book you pick up for escapism or warm feelings, but is an excellent work.
4 stars.
September 16, 2018
3.8 stars!
We Now Return to Regular Life is a very realistic tale of the return of an abducted 11 year old kid, Sam Walsh, 3 years after the kidnapping.
"Kid missing for three years, living only a few hours away all this time. It’s crazy even if you don’t know the boy in question. And if you do know him? If you were the last person to see him? It’s unbelievable. Like a movie..."
"I don’t know where Sam has been. Where do you go for three years? Without getting in touch, without letting us know you are alive? What happened?"
This is, mostly, a Family drama, as it is told, in parts, in Beth's - Sam's sister - POV. It is told in a Double POV, featuring, also, Josh's - Sam's friend and neighbor - perspective.
We get to, eventually, know what happend to Sam in his 3 years of captivity, through Josh's POV, since Sam gets to confide in him.
It is a deep book, as it deals with lots of emotions like Sorrow, Guilt, Sadness, Regret, Despair and being Hopeful.
Life changed for all of these characters the day Sam was taken...
And life changes again when he is brought back! And this book is about this, the aftermath...the characters dealing with the return of that missing boy and all it entails.
"“All I ever wanted was for Sam to come back,” Mom says. She leans back in her chair. “I never thought about what would happen if he did. Some days, I look at him and I know it’s Sam. But it’s not Sam . Our little rascal. And I just need to get over that. That Sam is never coming back.”"
"This boy—he’s different. But not just his appearance. That bratty kid is nowhere to be seen. The boy in front of me is quiet, shy. Maybe a little afraid. The Sam I knew loved horror movies. He wasn’t afraid of the dark. I feel a lump in my throat and I swallow.
I know some man had Sam. In Anniston. I don’t know much more than that."
"I miss my brother—who he was. Because the Sam at home, I don’t really know him.
But I want to."
"Only someone strong could have lived through all this. We both lived through these awful years. And here we are."
So, why the low rating?
Well, unfortunately, I didn't love this book!
It was very well written and there were realism, contradictory emotions, struggles and copping with what happened here... And that is really good.
BUT, there is No Real Romance here; the book lacks a bit more of Feels (I did Feel a bit, but not as much as I wanted to) and I really would have liked the book to be longer or to have a more detailed ending... The end was abrupt and I was left wanting to see more of how Sam, Josh, and Sam's family would go on.
Also, call me crazy, but I would have liked to see Rusty's side too (just a bit, maybe a chapter in his perspective). Why he did it? Did he ever think of ending it all and giving Sam back?!
And, Maybe some parts in Sam's POV would be good to help the readers connect with him more and understand him better (I did feel for him, though). Most of all, I understood Josh and his feelings; and I enjoyed his POV more than Beth's (which was, at times, a bit boring).
Overall, if you enjoy family dramas, you might like this book. And if you do read it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
(Maybe, I just have no luck with this type of books, or have too higher expectations, since I didn't like Emmy & Oliver either. We Now Return to Regular Life is still way better than that one, though, IMO)
We Now Return to Regular Life is a very realistic tale of the return of an abducted 11 year old kid, Sam Walsh, 3 years after the kidnapping.
"Kid missing for three years, living only a few hours away all this time. It’s crazy even if you don’t know the boy in question. And if you do know him? If you were the last person to see him? It’s unbelievable. Like a movie..."
"I don’t know where Sam has been. Where do you go for three years? Without getting in touch, without letting us know you are alive? What happened?"
This is, mostly, a Family drama, as it is told, in parts, in Beth's - Sam's sister - POV. It is told in a Double POV, featuring, also, Josh's - Sam's friend and neighbor - perspective.
We get to, eventually, know what happend to Sam in his 3 years of captivity, through Josh's POV, since Sam gets to confide in him.
It is a deep book, as it deals with lots of emotions like Sorrow, Guilt, Sadness, Regret, Despair and being Hopeful.
Life changed for all of these characters the day Sam was taken...
And life changes again when he is brought back! And this book is about this, the aftermath...the characters dealing with the return of that missing boy and all it entails.
"“All I ever wanted was for Sam to come back,” Mom says. She leans back in her chair. “I never thought about what would happen if he did. Some days, I look at him and I know it’s Sam. But it’s not Sam . Our little rascal. And I just need to get over that. That Sam is never coming back.”"
"This boy—he’s different. But not just his appearance. That bratty kid is nowhere to be seen. The boy in front of me is quiet, shy. Maybe a little afraid. The Sam I knew loved horror movies. He wasn’t afraid of the dark. I feel a lump in my throat and I swallow.
I know some man had Sam. In Anniston. I don’t know much more than that."
"I miss my brother—who he was. Because the Sam at home, I don’t really know him.
But I want to."
"Only someone strong could have lived through all this. We both lived through these awful years. And here we are."
So, why the low rating?
Well, unfortunately, I didn't love this book!
It was very well written and there were realism, contradictory emotions, struggles and copping with what happened here... And that is really good.
BUT, there is No Real Romance here; the book lacks a bit more of Feels (I did Feel a bit, but not as much as I wanted to) and I really would have liked the book to be longer or to have a more detailed ending... The end was abrupt and I was left wanting to see more of how Sam, Josh, and Sam's family would go on.
Also, call me crazy, but I would have liked to see Rusty's side too (just a bit, maybe a chapter in his perspective). Why he did it? Did he ever think of ending it all and giving Sam back?!
And, Maybe some parts in Sam's POV would be good to help the readers connect with him more and understand him better (I did feel for him, though). Most of all, I understood Josh and his feelings; and I enjoyed his POV more than Beth's (which was, at times, a bit boring).
Overall, if you enjoy family dramas, you might like this book. And if you do read it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did.
(Maybe, I just have no luck with this type of books, or have too higher expectations, since I didn't like Emmy & Oliver either. We Now Return to Regular Life is still way better than that one, though, IMO)
May 22, 2019
So often we hear stories about kidnapping victims being found after years of being missing but this is one of the few instances where we learn what happens to these victims after they’re found. How parents and siblings deal with lost time, how friends feel seeing a friend after so long, and even how people who may have interacted with the victim while they were kidnapped react to the fact that the person they’ve known for years was suffering without anyone knowing. We Now Return to Regular Life begins with the return of Sam Walsh who, after being kidnapped and abused for three years, returns to his home only to found things completely changed. However, though this story is centered around Sam, it isn’t told by him. Instead, the story is told through the perspective of the last people to see Sam on the day of his kidnapping: his older sister Beth and his childhood friend Josh. Both who for years have to deal with the grief that they had allowed Sam to get kidnapped and tried to rebuild their lives from that, only to be completely shell-shocked by his return.
Sam’s time away isn’t touched upon very often. He only talks about some details of his life and only with Josh, but much of the abuse he suffered isn’t discussed in depth. I noticed some finding this ambiguity annoying but in my opinion I found it to be appropriate. You don’t need to know all the gory details of another person’s suffering to acknowledge that they had suffered. And as a matter of fact, the story isn’t just a tale of a kidnapped boy and his time being abused, it’s about a boy coming home from an extremely traumatic and difficult event in his life and how the people around him deal with the time loss.
As mentioned before, the story is told through two perspective: Beth and Josh. To be honest, Beth as a character just fell flat for me. I was sympathetic to her and her problems, but she just wasn’t interesting. Her dialogue was boring and even her introspection was just dull. And I can’t get over the way she blew up at Sam during the Christmas party (and I don’t think she even apologized to him???). Like I completely understood her position of why she was frustrated with her parents and other people, but it’s not Sam’s fault for any of it so there was no reason for her to react that way towards him. And I also dislike how she was kinda like the “hero” of the situation at the end especially since Beth and Sam just had such a lukewarm relationship? Especially after she blew up on him you could tell how uncomfortable Sam was being with her but somehow they managed to patch things up? I mean I’m glad that Sam and Beth can rebuild their relationship but I wished we saw more of those interactions. There were just so many subplots regarding Beth that it just became….annoying: Beth and Grace, Beth and her friends, Beth and Donal, Beth and her dad, and then just a dash of Beth and Sam.
Josh on the other hand I absolutely adored. I love seeing how his relationship with Sam flourished and how he was able to overcome how Sam treated him in the past to become the friend and confidant because sometimes you need people who aren’t your family in your life. Josh keeping that big secret for years and finally telling Sam was such a poignant moment but I’m glad that both boys were able to overcome it and have an even stronger bond. One of the things I was confused about was what happened between Josh and Sam at the sleepover and how it was never addressed again. If there’s ever a sequel to this I would like more focus on Josh and Sam because I just absolutely adore their bond and want to see more of them.
Despite my issue with Beth, I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a span of a few hours on my birthday and honestly? Birthday well spent.
Sam’s time away isn’t touched upon very often. He only talks about some details of his life and only with Josh, but much of the abuse he suffered isn’t discussed in depth. I noticed some finding this ambiguity annoying but in my opinion I found it to be appropriate. You don’t need to know all the gory details of another person’s suffering to acknowledge that they had suffered. And as a matter of fact, the story isn’t just a tale of a kidnapped boy and his time being abused, it’s about a boy coming home from an extremely traumatic and difficult event in his life and how the people around him deal with the time loss.
As mentioned before, the story is told through two perspective: Beth and Josh. To be honest, Beth as a character just fell flat for me. I was sympathetic to her and her problems, but she just wasn’t interesting. Her dialogue was boring and even her introspection was just dull. And I can’t get over the way she blew up at Sam during the Christmas party (and I don’t think she even apologized to him???). Like I completely understood her position of why she was frustrated with her parents and other people, but it’s not Sam’s fault for any of it so there was no reason for her to react that way towards him. And I also dislike how she was kinda like the “hero” of the situation at the end especially since Beth and Sam just had such a lukewarm relationship? Especially after she blew up on him you could tell how uncomfortable Sam was being with her but somehow they managed to patch things up? I mean I’m glad that Sam and Beth can rebuild their relationship but I wished we saw more of those interactions. There were just so many subplots regarding Beth that it just became….annoying: Beth and Grace, Beth and her friends, Beth and Donal, Beth and her dad, and then just a dash of Beth and Sam.
Josh on the other hand I absolutely adored. I love seeing how his relationship with Sam flourished and how he was able to overcome how Sam treated him in the past to become the friend and confidant because sometimes you need people who aren’t your family in your life. Josh keeping that big secret for years and finally telling Sam was such a poignant moment but I’m glad that both boys were able to overcome it and have an even stronger bond. One of the things I was confused about was what happened between Josh and Sam at the sleepover and how it was never addressed again. If there’s ever a sequel to this I would like more focus on Josh and Sam because I just absolutely adore their bond and want to see more of them.
Despite my issue with Beth, I absolutely loved this book. I read it in a span of a few hours on my birthday and honestly? Birthday well spent.
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