Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Three

I feel that in this book, Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley that there are only a few sections in the story that contain enough action to spark an interest, or in my case, re-engage me in the novel. The excerpt that I have chosen comes from the end of the book where you feel like the author is just prolonging the ending to meet a page length requirement, and then suddenly he slams a door in your face that is just filled with action. I have decided to exclude the name of the captor since that would nearly spoil the entire colliding of the two worlds that effect each other in the end.

The section of the book that would hopefully hook potential readers says, “With that, (the captor’s name) sat down on the edge of the bed, looked down at Gabriel Witter and his bleeding scalp, and said nothing. He looked over to the television to see a shot of a news program being broadcast from Lily, Arkansas. A small caption appeared under an image of a reporter standing before a patch of swampy woods. The caption read NO SECOND CHANCES IN LILY, ARKANSAS. (The captor’s name) began to laugh. He got louder and louder and finally stopped, abruptly, as he looked back down at the motionless figure on his floor. ‘It’s times to say good-bye, Gabriel,’ (the captor’s name) muttered, standing up and switching off the television.” (Pg 223)

In this excerpt from the book, Gabriel is with his captor and is being grilled with questions of whether he himself is doing the right things in life, and if he is the chosen one from God.  The captor asked  why Gabriel killed all of the fallen angels, and also if Gabriel was the Angel Gabriel from the left hand of God who had prevented humankind from being as smart and powerful as God himself, and also that Gabriel must go home to heaven. During the excerpt, Gabriel is also being thrown about like a rag doll and being abused until finally telling his captor that he is not the chosen one of God. To which his captor’s response is that Gabriel must say good-bye and go home. What really keeps the interest of the audience is that we do not know which home he is going to. Is it Gabriel’s actual home in Lily, Arkansas or heaven to go be with God like his captor thinks is his true home? To find out you’re going to have to read the book. (Or you could just skip to the ending!)

Click on the link for a trailer of the book that gives a good perspective of what the novel is about http://vimeo.com/30104827