Gone and Back Again

by Jonathon Scott Fuqua

Caley’s family is on the move again. His mother and stepfather have made another in a series of bad decisions, and once again, Caley, his older brother Fulton, and little sister Louise are pulling up stakes. With each move, Caley’s mental state grows a little worse. This time they’re living in Naples, Florida, where Caley’s stepfather has finally found a job. Sad and confused, Caley attributes his problems to Star Trek, the glow from his clock radio, anything but the root family dynamics, including his love/hate relationship with Fulton. Working together at a Pancake Palace, the simmering tension between the two boys finally explodes. The episode cracks the pall of sadness that has enveloped Caley for so long, enabling him to understand the journey, both literal and figurative, that the family has taken. Written from a survivor’s standpoint, Gone and Back Again describes Caley’s descent into severe depression with humor, hope, and poignancy.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Jonathon Scott Fuqua has written the highly praised and Alex Award-winning novel, The Reappearance of Sam Webber, as well as the critically acclaimed and recently published book, Gone and Back Again.

He is also the author of three much lauded, award-winning young adult novels: King of the Pygmies, DARBY, and The Willoughby Spit Wonder.

For teenagers and adults, he penned a groundbreaking graphic novel, In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe. All of his published books are available nationally and internationally.

Most recently, Fuqua published his children's book, Calvert The Raven in the Battle of Baltimore. The first installment in his Flying Through History Series, the book commemorates the Battle of Baltimore in the war of 1812, which led to the retreat of the British Armada and inspired the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Fuqua has received two Maryland State Arts Council Awards for fiction writing, and is the writer-in-residence at the Carver Center for the Arts. Both his writings and paintings have appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, on book covers, posters, limited edition prints, postcards, and stationery. A teacher of fiction writing, literature, and art, he lives in Baltimore with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Susan Katz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book because it was short and very well written, but OMG IT WAS SO DEPRESSING! Terrible parents, kids left on their own to try to figure things out, people treating each other badly. I'm not really glad I read it.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Katie Hayes for TeensReadToo.com

Eleven-year-old Caley has every reason to keep to himself. After his parents' divorce, he and his two siblings keep moving every couple of months. His father is an unpredictable, emotionally abusive alcoholic. His mother is paralyzed by depression to the point of negligence. He doesn't get along with either of his stepparents. And when he finally makes a friend, it's one whose problems are even worse than his own.

But things are even worse inside his own head, where severe depression has taken hold. Every time his family moves, Caley's mental state deteriorates.

While this book is intense and so heavy in some places that it's hard to read, that only goes to show how effective Jonathon Scott Fuqua is at capturing Caley's depression. He also works a bit of black humor in to keep the story from getting too melodramatic, and he never overstates things.

Also, the language is at times beautiful. Lines such as, "The gray clouds appeared stuck like gray cement on a board," provide some lovely description devoid of cliché, as do observations such as Caley's about his mother: "She'd changed after the divorce. It was like her goodness and affectionateness seemed to be hibernating or were gone."

I would recommend GONE AND BACK AGAIN to mature teenagers who don't mind a book with heavy subject matter.

[ABC Group · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fuqua's first stab at a novel geared for adults. Traditionally a young adult writer, Fuqua's narrative of an adolescent boy struggling with depression, divorced parents and simply being a pubescent kid is surprisingly upbeat. An odd book b/c there are time when this reads like a series of vignettes that don't always seem to have a solid narrative structure. By the end of the book though, I realized that much of this seemingly scattered approach is much like an 11 or 12 yr old would think about things. A solid novel overall. I'd say anyone who has grown up with depression or had to buy clothes in the husky section...this is a good book for you.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea how this book landed on my night stand. I took it along on a two day birding trip because it was short. Fuqua tells the story of three children whose parents have divorced and both married again while the children were adolescents. The story was filled with calamity of step parents and their children. It was believable but tragic. On to something different!

[Eden Bowditch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw and honest, the young narrator takes you with him as his world tilts and he struggles to keep from falling. You cannot help but want to reach into the pages to give Caley a helping hand. It takes a true artist to create that for the reader. This is a book that would be embraced by YA as well as adults.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, oddly compelling book. The main character Cay is so sad, dejected and demoralized. You want to hug him and tell him his life wont always be crap, he'll someday grow up and be happy. But then again, nobody can promise that. Not a feel good book at all, but a worthwhile read.

[Jamie E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I felt about this book. I'm quite sure I didn't dislike it but it's not very memorable. I left it with Georgia, so I'll be interested to see how she feels about it.

[GK · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, if not totally absorbing, look at divorce through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy.

[Shonda Grimes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed.