janethorne16's review against another edition
3.0
Had promise I liked the premise and found over all it was good but as with many books poor ending and alot of unexplained plot lines. Made me want to see the TV programme as I imagine it is very visual
woolfardis's review against another edition
1.0
Picking this up for the first time, you'd be forgiven for thinking the French TV series Les Revenants was based on this book, and you'd be further forgiven for thinking that, after you find out the book is instead based on the TV series, it would be a nice accompaniement to the show.
Sadly, neither of these things are true. It cannot be denied that it is written well and that, to begin with, the mystery of the dam emptying and the dead children returning to their old lives after a good few years has passed is nothing but intriguing. And for those who watched the TV series before picking this up, it excites you. It draws you in and almost suffocates you with the mystery of this small Alpine French town, exploring the relationships of everyone living there and the awful catastrophe they had to endure.
Unfortunately, the book tried too hard to be the TV series. The series was incredibly French in that every scene was a marvel, it was breath-taking scenery, slow-motion wonder and beautifully directed visions. Even the French broadcast of the 6 Nations has slow-motion in-sets and wonderfully directed captures. It's what they do. But that can't be put in to a novel: it needs to be novelised; as in, good description and compelling story-telling.
As far as I remember, it also followed the television series so closely I could imagine every single scene in perfect clarity. Some may say this is a good thing, but alas television and books are two completely different mediums and those things that work so well on cinematic French ridiculousness does not work in novels. It was flat and boring in black and white, the characters were flat and boring and the mystery was not explained well. It was slow-paced, which worked nicely on the screen, but that did not translate so well to the written word.
I feel it would have been better to perhaps take the plot and the concept as a whole and move it to England and try and work it as an original story with strong influences. Having French names and ways of living in what is just a book written in English and not one translated from the French-which is such a different way to tell a story-really left what was a great television series as an incredibly boring and flat novel.
Sadly, neither of these things are true. It cannot be denied that it is written well and that, to begin with, the mystery of the dam emptying and the dead children returning to their old lives after a good few years has passed is nothing but intriguing. And for those who watched the TV series before picking this up, it excites you. It draws you in and almost suffocates you with the mystery of this small Alpine French town, exploring the relationships of everyone living there and the awful catastrophe they had to endure.
Unfortunately, the book tried too hard to be the TV series. The series was incredibly French in that every scene was a marvel, it was breath-taking scenery, slow-motion wonder and beautifully directed visions. Even the French broadcast of the 6 Nations has slow-motion in-sets and wonderfully directed captures. It's what they do. But that can't be put in to a novel: it needs to be novelised; as in, good description and compelling story-telling.
As far as I remember, it also followed the television series so closely I could imagine every single scene in perfect clarity. Some may say this is a good thing, but alas television and books are two completely different mediums and those things that work so well on cinematic French ridiculousness does not work in novels. It was flat and boring in black and white, the characters were flat and boring and the mystery was not explained well. It was slow-paced, which worked nicely on the screen, but that did not translate so well to the written word.
I feel it would have been better to perhaps take the plot and the concept as a whole and move it to England and try and work it as an original story with strong influences. Having French names and ways of living in what is just a book written in English and not one translated from the French-which is such a different way to tell a story-really left what was a great television series as an incredibly boring and flat novel.
titania86's review against another edition
3.0
In a small French village, people's lives go on as usual although many of them have experienced tragedies and trauma. All of their lives are overshadowed by someone who has died, whether they know it or not. When the dead come back exactly as they died, the sleepy town is thrown into chaos. If that weren't enough, brutal murders occur, eerily similar to unsolved cases of years ago. The town's scars are reopened and raw. Only time will tell who will be strong enough to continue, who will die, and if the dead are here to stay.
When the novel opens, the cast of characters are stuck in some aspect of their lives or on the cusp of moving on. Jerome is separated from his wife Claire because both of them never recovered from her daughter's death. Jerome pushed everyone away and now lives alone, clinging to a psychic for solace. Claire is with sanctimonious, creepy Pierre. Their remaining daughter Lena throws herself into drink and drugs to forget. Adele is about to get married when her previous lover died on the day they were supposed to be married. Julie throws herself into work and rejects her former girlfriend after being attacked years ago. Toni continues to be haunted by his past choices and his mother's judgment for them. While their day to day lives are fairly normal, their pasts are with them every single day.
When they return, the dead appear exactly before they died and have no memory of what happened. Outwardly, they appear completely normal and coherent. Inability to sleep and an insatiable hunger plague them. Each of the main characters are visited by a zombie who causes secrets to resurface and their entire lives to change. Each person reacts to them differently. Claire sees the return of her daughter Camille as a gift from god while Pierre sees it as the beginning of the end times. Adele sees the return of her late fiance Simon as a psychological vision because she is remarrying. Julie protects little Victor even though she's never seen him before and sees him as abused and broken as she views herself. Toni falls back into old habits with his unstable brother Serge. One man, Michel, sets his house on fire and kills himself. The dead mean something different to everyone and all transform their lives for better or worse.
While much of the story is a drama between characters, some chilling imagery and eerie events take place. When Camille comes home, a torn up rabbit is found in the garbage and all of the photos with her in them are torn to shreds. A few murders are found with signs that parts of the victims were eaten, mirroring those of years ago. Around the underwater city, animals were so scared that they would rather drown themselves than face whatever scared them. Overall, I wish there was much more horror in this book. So much of it was slow and quiet, focusing on the character's relationships and secrets, but I was truly expecting a huge horrific ending that never came.
The Returned is the heartbreaking story of the dead returning to life, opening old wounds and uncovering buried secrets for the living. Although the story undeniably has flaws and some revelations that come out of nowhere, the book was enjoyable. The anticlimactic ending really through me off and it felt like there was something missing. This book was based on the French television show Les Revenants which was remade into an American TV show The Returned. Although the French show is pretty much universally acclaimed and the American show was cancelled, I will check both out to see the comparisons between each other and the book.
When the novel opens, the cast of characters are stuck in some aspect of their lives or on the cusp of moving on. Jerome is separated from his wife Claire because both of them never recovered from her daughter's death. Jerome pushed everyone away and now lives alone, clinging to a psychic for solace. Claire is with sanctimonious, creepy Pierre. Their remaining daughter Lena throws herself into drink and drugs to forget. Adele is about to get married when her previous lover died on the day they were supposed to be married. Julie throws herself into work and rejects her former girlfriend after being attacked years ago. Toni continues to be haunted by his past choices and his mother's judgment for them. While their day to day lives are fairly normal, their pasts are with them every single day.
When they return, the dead appear exactly before they died and have no memory of what happened. Outwardly, they appear completely normal and coherent. Inability to sleep and an insatiable hunger plague them. Each of the main characters are visited by a zombie who causes secrets to resurface and their entire lives to change. Each person reacts to them differently. Claire sees the return of her daughter Camille as a gift from god while Pierre sees it as the beginning of the end times. Adele sees the return of her late fiance Simon as a psychological vision because she is remarrying. Julie protects little Victor even though she's never seen him before and sees him as abused and broken as she views herself. Toni falls back into old habits with his unstable brother Serge. One man, Michel, sets his house on fire and kills himself. The dead mean something different to everyone and all transform their lives for better or worse.
While much of the story is a drama between characters, some chilling imagery and eerie events take place. When Camille comes home, a torn up rabbit is found in the garbage and all of the photos with her in them are torn to shreds. A few murders are found with signs that parts of the victims were eaten, mirroring those of years ago. Around the underwater city, animals were so scared that they would rather drown themselves than face whatever scared them. Overall, I wish there was much more horror in this book. So much of it was slow and quiet, focusing on the character's relationships and secrets, but I was truly expecting a huge horrific ending that never came.
The Returned is the heartbreaking story of the dead returning to life, opening old wounds and uncovering buried secrets for the living. Although the story undeniably has flaws and some revelations that come out of nowhere, the book was enjoyable. The anticlimactic ending really through me off and it felt like there was something missing. This book was based on the French television show Les Revenants which was remade into an American TV show The Returned. Although the French show is pretty much universally acclaimed and the American show was cancelled, I will check both out to see the comparisons between each other and the book.
napqueeniereads's review against another edition
3.0
I am so confused. I'm not entirely sure what this book is about. There are a lot of loose ends and many things that are unexplained. The writing is good, I just really don't know what is going on. It seems really interesting but things don't exactly tie together. Everything feels rushed towards the end and there are so many things unexplained.
sarahmariah's review against another edition
3.0
did not like. the kind of book you keep reading through in the hopes it goes somewhere or the characters develop/learn something/change but...no...
ashybear02's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I received this book last year in a 3 month subscription box I received for my birthday. I picked it up now because I was matched with someone in a twin read and it was the only book we had in common. I admit, at the beginning, I didn't have high hopes for it, but the moment I actually started reading it, it fascinated me. There was so much suspense from page one, that it had me hooked. There were so many mysteries to solve, so many storylines that occurred at the same time. I just wanted to keep reading so all my speculation could be proved wrong or right.
And then... the ending happened, and I felt so disappointed. Whilst I understand this is based off a TV show, and I am giving the benefit of the doubt that another book will come for season 2 (I have found the show and it says 2 seasons) none of my questions were answered. This was a read that had such intensity to it, that the end left me feeling flat. I think more answers needed to be given at the end.
So, basically, I want to read the next book. My rating is based on the ending of this book, not the book as a whole. For me, it was engaging for most of the way through. The suspense of it all is thrilling.
Also, this is my first experience reading a book based off a show, not the other way around. I will 100% be watching the show now!
And then... the ending happened, and I felt so disappointed. Whilst I understand this is based off a TV show, and I am giving the benefit of the doubt that another book will come for season 2 (I have found the show and it says 2 seasons) none of my questions were answered. This was a read that had such intensity to it, that the end left me feeling flat. I think more answers needed to be given at the end.
So, basically, I want to read the next book. My rating is based on the ending of this book, not the book as a whole. For me, it was engaging for most of the way through. The suspense of it all is thrilling.
Also, this is my first experience reading a book based off a show, not the other way around. I will 100% be watching the show now!
kcmerolling's review against another edition
2.0
I found this book in the clearance section at Barnes and Noble and instinctively picked it up for the cover like the majority of my books. I don’t know why, but I never had an interest in reading the book after buying it. The reason for reading it now after all this time is because I felt guilty for having it sit collecting dust on my shelf.
There’s something about the way this is written that I can’t seem to describe other than saying it’s not good. Nothing hooked me to the story and I was reading at a faster pace than normal as if doing so would make the story more interesting. The concept was great but the characters fell flat and a lot if the time I felt what was going on in the story was said for shock appeal and confusion. That being said, nothing was explained and the plot was nonexistent. This book was one big waste of my time and I can now see why it was in the clearance section.
Based on the summary, the author had a lot if potential for this story but nothing happens. The book just ends making the readers ask for a sequel they didn’t want in the first place just to get some answers. With the book’s ending and crappy writing to begin with, it’s easy to assume the author lost interest in what he was writing but continued for the money.
Seth Patrick should have saved himself the trouble by sticking to his old career as a games programmer. If he wanted to be an author so bad, he should gave gone to school for that instead of being a mathematics graduate. Everyone should read this book to get a better understanding of what not to do when writing.
There’s something about the way this is written that I can’t seem to describe other than saying it’s not good. Nothing hooked me to the story and I was reading at a faster pace than normal as if doing so would make the story more interesting. The concept was great but the characters fell flat and a lot if the time I felt what was going on in the story was said for shock appeal and confusion. That being said, nothing was explained and the plot was nonexistent. This book was one big waste of my time and I can now see why it was in the clearance section.
Based on the summary, the author had a lot if potential for this story but nothing happens. The book just ends making the readers ask for a sequel they didn’t want in the first place just to get some answers. With the book’s ending and crappy writing to begin with, it’s easy to assume the author lost interest in what he was writing but continued for the money.
Seth Patrick should have saved himself the trouble by sticking to his old career as a games programmer. If he wanted to be an author so bad, he should gave gone to school for that instead of being a mathematics graduate. Everyone should read this book to get a better understanding of what not to do when writing.
linyarai's review against another edition
3.0
Good plot and characters, very different concept and I enjoyed reading everything but the ending. So many questions, nothing was resolved, they hinted back to past events but nothing was ever explained. Wasn't impressed with that, I want questions answered.
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