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I'll Bring You Back
To save the boy she loves, she must do the impossible.Ìý
Londyn and David's friendship bloomed under an oak tree. Through the years they endured hardships, triumphs, and the awkwardÌýtransition from friends to something more. But a sudden accident on a snowy mountain road, changes everything.Ìý
Instead of celebrating the end of her senior year and acceptance to college, Londyn spends her days at David's hospital bedside, squeezing his handÌýand urging him to wake from a prolonged coma. It's during one of these visits that Londyn slips into another world—a mirror of her own, only it’s decaying and threatened by an encroaching darkness. A world that might all exist within David’s dying mind.
Navigating the treacherous landscape leads Londyn through memories of her past, of her relationship with David—adventures,Ìýheartbreaks, first kisses. Each memory seems to draw her closer to David, to bringing him back. But the world around Londyn is crumbling, getting darker by the minute. And what if David isn’t the only one lost?
Alternating between past and present, love and tragedy,ÌýI'll Bring You BackÌýis a portrait of hope in the face of hopelessness. An emotionally powerful story with universal themes that will stay with the reader long after the last page.
360 pages, ebook
First published December 17, 2019
28 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Richard Brown
12Ìýbooks62ÌýfollowersNew YA book, I'LL BRING YOU BACK, coming Dec 17, 2019.
Richard Brown is the author of five novels, including the post-apocalyptic series, Dead Highways. He has also published a collection of poetry and a short graphic novel. When he’s not writing, Richard enjoys spending time with his family, studying history and economics, and playing board games.
Richard Brown is the author of five novels, including the post-apocalyptic series, Dead Highways. He has also published a collection of poetry and a short graphic novel. When he’s not writing, Richard enjoys spending time with his family, studying history and economics, and playing board games.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 27, 2020
Read this book. NOW. That's an order.
December 10, 2019
I received a free ARC from Joe Hart via his Facebook Fan Page, noting this review is completely voluntary. (Also note: I try to avoid outright spoilers below but some plot 'hints' may appear in my review. You have been warned!)
4+ stars. An extremely well-written, heart-wrenchingly tragic love story! Keep your tissues handy!
Although this book would not normally fall under my usual selection criteria - I don't consider myself a fan of "gooey" love tales and have lost a great deal of my interest in the YA genre over the past years (too many "Divergent" wanna-be's) - I am very familiar with Joe Hart's work, from his 'spookier than expected but top-notch' "Obscura" scifi adventure, his breath-taking apocalyptic trilogy of 'The Last Girl' series and what to me is a vastly under-appreciated horror tale, namely, "Cruel World". And though I haven't read any of Richard Brown's work yet, he is now very much on my immediate TBR list! So what hath these two gentlemen wrought, you might ask?
Well, I can't tell you WHY they teamed up for this tale but I can without fear of contradiction state that this is a beautifully written story. Whereas you might argue that it is ultimately a depressing tale and about as uplifting as 'Romeo & Juliet', hopefully you will still marvel at the "word-building" that is created. Read that carefully again please. It is rare indeed that you can open a book to almost any random page and find an excellent example of metaphor-shaping or descriptives that are worth quoting for a myriad of uses. This is a factor in rating a book that never goes UNDER my radar and I can only give top marks in this case. Putting it in my own blue collar words: the prose is awesome!
What is a tad bizarre to me is that both authors - again, from my experience with Hart's work and just flipping through Brown's catalogue - are not known for this style of story. We are treated to literally the lives of two young people growing up together through all the ups and downs that life throws at them. And though one could argue that various clichés of young love do appear, they do not in any way come across as tired or over-used in these cases.
I will also confess that the characters become so real through this 'process' that I openly wept during one especially poignant and tragic part of the tale (I lost a dear relative to the same disease with almost the same word-for-word diagnosis). Though there are not a lot of characters that play major roles in this tale, you will find yourself caring a great deal about those we are allowed to get to know. And though perhaps a large portion of the eventual audience won't recognize this, I am at least old enough to remember when you really did know your neighbours well enough to understand their own hardships and struggles and would do anything to help them out through these times.
What then, is the book "missing" (not a good descriptive, I know)... or otherwise stated, why was I so stingy with that last star? Well, there were a few things that kept this from being quite a "5-star, knock my socks off" experience:
- first - and admittedly this is the nature of this particular 'plot beast' - there is a great deal of this book that follows AT MOST 2 characters along their paths and for a lot of the time it's only Londyn we can "hear". Yes, we are faced with the ultimate mortal dilemma throughout, but the lack of an antagonist (besides Death?) and the sheer dark and increasingly gloomy degradation around us makes it difficult to push through the thick ash and choking rot (literally and figuratively speaking). H&B make up for this by cleverly adding 'not chapters' throughout that help explain why some of the imagery we're faced within this other realm (PAY ATTENTION during un-numbered sections!), but again, as Londyn struggles to make headway, so do we.
- secondly, I feel the authors revealed the big 'plot twist' - or gave enough hints as to make it oh-so-obvious - a little too soon. I was barely into my second night of reading when I sat up and said 'oh this isn't what we think it is, it's really....' And lo and behold, a few chapters later and I learned I was right. Really, all it would have taken would have been leaving out one or two little sentences that dealt with the 'ghost in white's' identity or perhaps better said identifying traits. Oh well, to each their own;
- finally, and this is purely my own personal preference, I would have upped not only the spooky factor but have tried to work out some way to make this even more - and truly - horrifying. I know, I know: this is a conundrum when you're trying to work through a YA story: you can't really bring in a lot of stabby, bitey or dismembery bits. But the shock factor was right there. I thought it just needed a little less physical struggle and a little more "ok, now I'm well and truly fudged" terror beyond the brief bits of 'ok well now I'm falling into another pit'. Perhaps it is exactly because of their mutual catalogues that this aspect was toned back, but again, I know in Hart's case, he managed to work in a wonderful emotional story in "Cruel World" while still scaring a great deal of the beejeebus out of the reader!
But a lot of that is mere quibbling at best and if anything, I am known for my quibbling. If B&H set out to write this book in order test their under-developed writing prowress or to test the waters of other genres, well, all I can say is that they passed with flying colours (no matter how many mixed metaphors that encompasses). I have no idea how a combined writing effort works - and have seen many cases where it doesn't - but these guys get it right! Enjoy this book!
4+ stars. An extremely well-written, heart-wrenchingly tragic love story! Keep your tissues handy!
Although this book would not normally fall under my usual selection criteria - I don't consider myself a fan of "gooey" love tales and have lost a great deal of my interest in the YA genre over the past years (too many "Divergent" wanna-be's) - I am very familiar with Joe Hart's work, from his 'spookier than expected but top-notch' "Obscura" scifi adventure, his breath-taking apocalyptic trilogy of 'The Last Girl' series and what to me is a vastly under-appreciated horror tale, namely, "Cruel World". And though I haven't read any of Richard Brown's work yet, he is now very much on my immediate TBR list! So what hath these two gentlemen wrought, you might ask?
Well, I can't tell you WHY they teamed up for this tale but I can without fear of contradiction state that this is a beautifully written story. Whereas you might argue that it is ultimately a depressing tale and about as uplifting as 'Romeo & Juliet', hopefully you will still marvel at the "word-building" that is created. Read that carefully again please. It is rare indeed that you can open a book to almost any random page and find an excellent example of metaphor-shaping or descriptives that are worth quoting for a myriad of uses. This is a factor in rating a book that never goes UNDER my radar and I can only give top marks in this case. Putting it in my own blue collar words: the prose is awesome!
What is a tad bizarre to me is that both authors - again, from my experience with Hart's work and just flipping through Brown's catalogue - are not known for this style of story. We are treated to literally the lives of two young people growing up together through all the ups and downs that life throws at them. And though one could argue that various clichés of young love do appear, they do not in any way come across as tired or over-used in these cases.
I will also confess that the characters become so real through this 'process' that I openly wept during one especially poignant and tragic part of the tale (I lost a dear relative to the same disease with almost the same word-for-word diagnosis). Though there are not a lot of characters that play major roles in this tale, you will find yourself caring a great deal about those we are allowed to get to know. And though perhaps a large portion of the eventual audience won't recognize this, I am at least old enough to remember when you really did know your neighbours well enough to understand their own hardships and struggles and would do anything to help them out through these times.
What then, is the book "missing" (not a good descriptive, I know)... or otherwise stated, why was I so stingy with that last star? Well, there were a few things that kept this from being quite a "5-star, knock my socks off" experience:
- first - and admittedly this is the nature of this particular 'plot beast' - there is a great deal of this book that follows AT MOST 2 characters along their paths and for a lot of the time it's only Londyn we can "hear". Yes, we are faced with the ultimate mortal dilemma throughout, but the lack of an antagonist (besides Death?) and the sheer dark and increasingly gloomy degradation around us makes it difficult to push through the thick ash and choking rot (literally and figuratively speaking). H&B make up for this by cleverly adding 'not chapters' throughout that help explain why some of the imagery we're faced within this other realm (PAY ATTENTION during un-numbered sections!), but again, as Londyn struggles to make headway, so do we.
- secondly, I feel the authors revealed the big 'plot twist' - or gave enough hints as to make it oh-so-obvious - a little too soon. I was barely into my second night of reading when I sat up and said 'oh this isn't what we think it is, it's really....' And lo and behold, a few chapters later and I learned I was right. Really, all it would have taken would have been leaving out one or two little sentences that dealt with the 'ghost in white's' identity or perhaps better said identifying traits. Oh well, to each their own;
- finally, and this is purely my own personal preference, I would have upped not only the spooky factor but have tried to work out some way to make this even more - and truly - horrifying. I know, I know: this is a conundrum when you're trying to work through a YA story: you can't really bring in a lot of stabby, bitey or dismembery bits. But the shock factor was right there. I thought it just needed a little less physical struggle and a little more "ok, now I'm well and truly fudged" terror beyond the brief bits of 'ok well now I'm falling into another pit'. Perhaps it is exactly because of their mutual catalogues that this aspect was toned back, but again, I know in Hart's case, he managed to work in a wonderful emotional story in "Cruel World" while still scaring a great deal of the beejeebus out of the reader!
But a lot of that is mere quibbling at best and if anything, I am known for my quibbling. If B&H set out to write this book in order test their under-developed writing prowress or to test the waters of other genres, well, all I can say is that they passed with flying colours (no matter how many mixed metaphors that encompasses). I have no idea how a combined writing effort works - and have seen many cases where it doesn't - but these guys get it right! Enjoy this book!
September 16, 2021
A solid read with imagery, emotion, and humanity that explores loss, recovery, family, poverty, and more. The journey to bring a lost loved one back has a few twists and turns as it approaches the end, but this is one story that proves the journey IS the destination. The reality of flashback is often more terrible than the battle in the other realm to bring those back. Without spoiling anything, it is difficult to say more, but this definitely had scenes and moments that stayed with me that varied between darkness and hope. An effective read.
December 29, 2020
You think you know how a book is going to end, you Spode through the pages with anticipation and hold your breath but convinced it’s ok I know this will turn out! Londyn shows such strength and determination as she takes you on the journey of her life the highs and lows with beautiful writing placing you right there. The images so strong and descriptive you visualise each scene, you feel each pain. I don’t want to spoil the ending so I will leave it here. Well done to the authors you outdid yourself.
December 2, 2022
I read this book only because of the author. I have really liked Hart and bought this book because of that and the reviews. That said it was t really my genre and I have mixed feelings about it. All in all I would say it was definitely an interesting read with a fascinating ending that surprised me. But there were just some things that were too cheesey and smarmy for me. Overall though I’d say that people that enjoy this genre will love this book and should read it.
April 2, 2023
This book was made out of three 'parts' - firstly, the present which felt like the author was trying to re-write IF I STAY. Second, a dream state that bored me to tears. Thirdly, flashbacks that were vaguely interesting but thrown in among the other parts.
There was a twist to the story that went a tiny way to redeeming the story, but I did guess it about halfway through.
The story overall did little to hold my attention.
There was a twist to the story that went a tiny way to redeeming the story, but I did guess it about halfway through.
The story overall did little to hold my attention.
December 17, 2019
An ethereal journey
I always look forward to a Joe Hart book and even though this was a collaboration it still had that certain mystic that Mr. Hart is known for. This one was a story of a strange and mysterious journey on that thin unbalanced line between life and death. Which wins. Good read!
I always look forward to a Joe Hart book and even though this was a collaboration it still had that certain mystic that Mr. Hart is known for. This one was a story of a strange and mysterious journey on that thin unbalanced line between life and death. Which wins. Good read!
December 21, 2019
Truly beautiful
Typically I don't write reviews. I can also go years between tears, and I'm still crying. This was a truly beautiful story. Londyn's struggle throughout the book never seems to turn her bitter, and while I definitely wasn't expecting the story to end the way that it did, I was never left doubting her unconditional love for David.
Typically I don't write reviews. I can also go years between tears, and I'm still crying. This was a truly beautiful story. Londyn's struggle throughout the book never seems to turn her bitter, and while I definitely wasn't expecting the story to end the way that it did, I was never left doubting her unconditional love for David.
December 23, 2019
¹ó°ù¾±±ð²Ô»å²õ...😅
Kept me guessing until the end...then I cried...not horror, not zombies...just a really good read. Could not put down. It's more of a love story, just different.
These two authors together are fantastic...😊
Kept me guessing until the end...then I cried...not horror, not zombies...just a really good read. Could not put down. It's more of a love story, just different.
These two authors together are fantastic...😊
January 11, 2020
I want to write bad things because I am so upset that these authors got me to cry that much but I have to say this was an awesome book! I loved the prose, I loved the characters, wow this story just threw me right through the ringer.
February 12, 2020
This book. I wish more people knew about it. I wish I could scream at the top of my lungs for everyone to read this. It is amazing!!!! This starts off as your typical romance teen novel but morphs into this absolutely beautiful story. A story of a past and how things connect to each other. A story about family and the different dynamics. A story about the relationship between friends, lovers. A story about death and grief. A story about struggle. A story about living your life even when things are at their absolute worst. The writing style is absolutely gorgeous. So many good quotes to extract from it. The best part is the ending. You are in for such a wow wow wow wow book. A book to rival The Fault in Our Stars or any other equally heart wrenching absolutely stunning YA out there. Amazing.
December 26, 2019
Great read!
This was a really great story. I developed a true love of the characters and even cried a few times.
This was a really great story. I developed a true love of the characters and even cried a few times.
April 29, 2020
I truly enjoyed this book, so many parts grabbed my souls, some holding it tight, some crushing it. Truly wonderful!
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