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Christopher Coake
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You Came Back: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Christopher Coake (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 136 ratings
Thirty-something midwesterner Mark Fife believes he has successfully moved past the accidental death of his young son Brendan, as well as his subsequent divorce from his college sweetheart Chloe. He's successful, he's in love again, and he believes he's mastered his own memories.

But then he is contacted by a strange woman who tells him not only that she owns his old house, but that she believes it to be haunted by Brendan's ghost. Will Mark--who does not believe in ghosts--come to accept the mounting evidence that Brendan's is real? Will his engagement to his new love Allison be threatened by the reappearance in Mark's life of Chloe--who does believe? If the ghost is real, what can these two wounded parents do to help their son?

You Came Back examines the beauty and danger of belief in all its forms--not only belief in the supernatural, but in the love that binds parents and children, husbands and wives.
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  1. Print length
    421 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  4. Publication date
    January 4, 2012
  5. File size
    3.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

In his striking debut collection, Coake considers how character is revealed under pressure...With unadorned but dramatic, economical prose, Coake explores the human capacity for altruism and cowardice in these high-stakes tales.

-- "Publishers Weekly"

Gripping reading from a talented newcomer.

-- "Booklist"

Uncanny, clear-eyed...[Coake] is wildly engaging as he explores one theme-love in the face of harrowing death (or near-death)-from seemingly every angle.

-- "Entertainment Weekly"

You Came Back will stay with me forever. What an incredible writer.

-- "Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of I'm Looking Through You"

Sometimes when you're reading these stories, you forget to breathe...They're beautifully written, and they have bottom, but they're never dull and they all contain striking and dramatic narrative ideas.

-- "Nick Hornby, New York Times bestselling author"

About the Author

Christopher Coake is the author of We're In Trouble, which was chosen for the PEN/Bingham Award of 2005. In addition, Coake was among "Granta's Best of Young American Novelists" in 2007. His stories have been published in several literary journals. A native Hoosier, he received his M.F.A. in fiction from Ohio State University. He now lives in Reno, where he teaches creative writing at the University of Nevada.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005UK9PHE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; 1st edition (January 4, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 4, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 421 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 136 ratings

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Christopher Coake

Christopher Coake

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
136 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a great read with an emotional story that explores grief. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how the author portrays a father's grief vividly. Customers appreciate the character development.

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14 customers mention "Readability"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, with one mentioning they finished it in one sitting.

"...A great read!" Read more

"...That said, I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the last quarter of the book very much. The middle was really long and a struggle to get through...." Read more

"Chris Coake has written a deeply moving and spellbinding book. I couldn't put it down. I am quieted at the depth of sorrow he describes...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book and was in great suspense while reading it. In terms of the ending, I don't dislike it as much as can't understand it...." Read more

14 customers mention "Suspense level"10 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's suspense level engaging, with one describing it as a taut psychological thriller and another noting it's an amazingly gripping exploration of grief.

"...are perpetuating a hoax The dynamics between Mark and Chloe are interesting and plausible while the problems that this scenario cause for Mark and..." Read more

"Thi novel was alternately chilling, heartbreaking, gripping, and warm. Coake is quite an accomplished writer...." Read more

"...First off- it is not a thriller! The subject matter handled differently definitely could be thriller material but thats not where Coake takes it...." Read more

"...premise that draws you in, fully realized characters that provide a deep insight into what it means to be human, and a writing style that gives you..." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing style"11 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, with one noting how it portrays a father's grief vividly, while another describes how the ferocity of life is woven through the pages.

"Do you believe in ghosts? This book lived up to its hype. It's well written and explores the worst scenario a family can face: the loss of a child...." Read more

"...Coake is quite an accomplished writer. His biggest strength is in creating deeply felt characters...." Read more

"...that provide a deep insight into what it means to be human, and a writing style that gives you the feeling you're in the hands of a talent that wo..." Read more

"...I thought he did a very good job crafting his tale and setting the stage...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...His biggest strength is in creating deeply felt characters...." Read more

"...say anymore to avoid giving anything away, but Mark Fife is one terrific character and I think any reader would enjoy spending 400 pages inside his..." Read more

"...The author did such a great job of describing the characters that I felt like I knew them and I wanted continue reading about their lives...." Read more

"...But either this is not Coake's metier or he needs another go. He is brilliant, and some of the scenes of human interaction between the wife and..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Martha Bryce
    5.0 out of 5 stars Taut Psychological Thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Do you believe in ghosts? This book lived up to its hype. It's well written and explores the worst scenario a family can face: the loss of a child. When the new family living in the house sold after the divorce resulting from the loss of their child comes forward with the tale that their son is still in rehouse, calling for his father, Mark Fife and his ex-wife must decide if they believe that the ethereal essence of their son is still in their former home or if , for some unknown reason, the young boy and his mother are perpetuating a hoax The dynamics between Mark and Chloe are interesting and plausible while the problems that this scenario cause for Mark and his fiancée are even more fascinating. Mark's guilt and turmoil about his son's death run true and the dissolution of the marriage between a man and the woman he loved more than life rings with resonance. A great read!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • dawgdish
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very satisfying read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Thi novel was alternately chilling, heartbreaking, gripping, and warm. Coake is quite an accomplished writer. His biggest strength is in creating deeply felt characters. This certainly applies to Mark, the protagonist, but I felt even more so with his fiance, Allison. The "ghost story" aspect should be satisfying to sceptics and believers alike, and turns out to be a very clever way to deal with the themes of love and grief. Coake's prose and description never get in the way of the narraitive, which really moved along nicely once it picked up. I'm very glad I took a chance on this and will go out and get the autor's other book based on the strength of "You Came Back" - he's certainly a talent worth keeping an eye on.
    One person found this helpful
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  • cicadanymph
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ambivalent
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    So, as my title suggests, I am torn in my feelings in regards to this book. First off- it is not a thriller! The subject matter handled differently definitely could be thriller material but thats not where Coake takes it. There were some brief moments of suspense and maybe one that was ever so slightly spooky but that was not the pervading atmosphere of this book. This book doesn't provoke fear or even suspense so much as sadness. Its a novel about grief and love.

    That said, I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the last quarter of the book very much. The middle was really long and a struggle to get through. I found myself so bored becauuse at one point I felt like I was rereading the same scenes over and over. The accident that kills the little boy is described multiple times. The father's guilt is rehashed over and over as were his feelings about the women in his life and his former wife's grief. There were two scenes where the father gets drunk in the house that I had to read about and the same thing bascially happens in both which made the second one boring to read. I think some of this middle could have been edited down. Yes, in real life grief and guilt can be tedious and constant but I don't think they have to be written about that way. I will concede that handling the subject matter this way did perhaps add to the gloomy sense of opression but it made the book less entertaining. I did like that it was difficult to tell in which direction the author was going to take the story and how the relationships were going to play out. I was even more interested to find out who was going to wind up with whom than I was to find out if there was a ghost or not. I also like that the author gave us a fairly definite answer about the ghost instead of leaving it open to interpretation which in this story I think would have been the easy way out and less satisfying.

    My second complaint besides the repetitive nature of the middle of the book was the main character. I just found him really unlikeable. Its not that anything he did was so terrible, I have read plenty of books where the main character is much more flawed and yet found them likeable. I gues this guy just didn't have the spark to make me overlook his bad qualities. He is always talking (whining in my opinion) in the book about how terrible a person he is but he continues to do not very nice things right up to the end which made it all come across as kind of insincere. He reminded me of one of those guys that comes across as a spineless but nice guy at first and present that way until you realize they are really not so nice. The type that lies and then tells you they are sorry and don't deserve you and cry and then lies again the next day....I think Coake tried to make him change for the better at the end but to be honest I didn't see any great change made on his part willingly, the change was sort of forced on him because one of the women cuts him out of her life.

    Its a small detail but I liked that in this book the women argue with him the way people often do in real life, including swearing and hanging up on him. Sometimes books with flawed male characters have a tendancy to either make the women perfect victims or demonize them and this book didn't do either. This book felt really true to life, not everything is resolved or happy and the characters didn't all grow or even learn from their mistakes.

    I can't say it was an enjoyabe read. At times it was dull and when it wasn't it stirred up emotion and hit on some topics I'm dealing with now so that after I finished it I felt kind of disturbed and depressed but it is a pretty powerful book.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • J. Luiz
    5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely brilliant novel about grief and the challenge of getting on with life after a tragedy
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    You Came Back is everything you want a literary novel to be - a great premise that draws you in, fully realized characters that provide a deep insight into what it means to be human, and a writing style that gives you the feeling you're in the hands of a talent that won't let you down. Here Coake explores the ramifications of parents who suffered the loss of a child and had their marriage crumble as a result. The novel picks up seven years later when their lives have started to pick up again, and the husband, Mark Fife, has made a new love and is ready to get married again. All that gets turned upside down, though, when the owner of the house he used to live in - where his son died falling down steps - finds him to tell him that her son has heard a ghost in the house that seems to be Mark's dead son, calling for his father. The novel offers an amazingly gripping exploration of the personal havoc that news brings. Mark resists at first, trying to stay committed to his new love and trying not to be overcome once again by grief and the guilt he still carries for his imagined responsibility in his son's death. Complicating matters further is that his first wife, before grief soured their relationship, was the great love of his life.

    As serious as the topic, this is not a depressing story or one overcome with explaining the mechanics of inhabitants of a ghost world. It's all about living a life when your most precious dreams and loved ones have been taken from you. There are surprises along the way, and I wouldn't say anymore to avoid giving anything away, but Mark Fife is one terrific character and I think any reader would enjoy spending 400 pages inside his minds as he struggles with these issues. I normally enjoy strict realism, and got a little concerned when I heard this was a "ghost" story. But my mind had been opened by reading David Long's brilliant "The Inhabited World." Like that novel, this one is much more about the emotional struggles of living a life full of setbacks and tragedies than it is about ghoulish presences. Coake wrote a brilliant short story collection a few years back and I hope this novel will give him enough success to continue writing plenty more novels and collections.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Pat
    4.0 out of 5 stars With an unexpected twist or two
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book whilst on a long flight and staying in hotels and it kept me hooked all through - how life repeats itself and people get locked into behaviour patterns and that it takes some people time to realise this. Intense descriptions of real emotions espcially dark ones.
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  • Beniko Mason
    5.0 out of 5 stars 面白かったので一気に読みました
    Reviewed in Japan on September 15, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    主人公の男の人が別れた妻と一緒になるのか、それとも今婚約している女性を結果として選ぶのかが気になって一気に読みました。階段から転げ落ちるという事故で死んでしまった７才の息子が霊として戻ってきているのかも気になって、本から目が離せませんでした。You came back　という題は、登場人物達、それぞれに当てはまるのだということが最後に分かり、話の構成がうまく出来ている事に感心しました。少し、気になったことは、作者の人柄が出たのだと思いますが、この作者にとって、女性は「美しい」ということが大切なのだという事が、登場してくる女性を描写する仕方で強く伝わってきた点です。作者が男性ですから当然でしょうが、男性の目線から主人公の父親の新しい恋人についての描写のされ方にも美しい女性への憧れを感じました。結局、常識的な結果に落ちついたという意味では面白くありませんでしたし、特別なメッセージがあるというのではなかったのですが、読み手の興味を掴んで放さないように次々と事件が起こって最後まで引っ張って行ったという点では面白い本でした。英語も適当なレベルで、多読用ライブラリーの中に含めるとよいのではないかと思います。
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  • Paul A. Oliva
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ok
    Reviewed in Canada on October 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Hi,

    Great premise, however, could have more editing - something like 75/100 fewer pages.

    This said, would like to read to read more works from this promising writer.

    Cheers,
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  • P. Barclay
    5.0 out of 5 stars A haunting novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2017
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    The story line centers round Mark, Chloe and their young son, Brendan who dies tragically young from an accident. The devastating fall-out from this loss has repercussions on both parents and their love for each other struggles to survive. It is only when Brendan seemingly reappears on the scene as a ‘shadow boy’ that both Mark and Chloe begin to realise what they have truly lost. Despite the ghost aspect of the novel, this book weaves a convincing story and as a reader, you are pulled into the emotional turmoil and devastation that is wreaked on parents when losing a young child. The prose is well written and you feel empathy for each of the characters as they struggle to move on with their lives and come to terms with their sad loss.
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  • Cazza100
    3.0 out of 5 stars okay....but not a ghost book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I was told this was a good book so I thought I would give it a go. I did read the other reviews and wanted this to be a ghost book even though many had said it wasn't. As I read the book I realised this wasn't 'what it said on the cover'. Once I got over the fact that it was more a book on relationships I felt it was an okay read, until the end. What a weak ending.....what he would say to his child when it was born. That was disappointing.
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