Joseph Helmreich

I’m actually surprised that I like this book. The return is one of the few science-fiction that I enjoy and wish it was longer.

To my utter astonishment, the blurb contains a lot more detail and potential spoilers, though I suppose with the sheer number of twists and turns in this book, they probably figured revealing a couple of them wouldn’t hurt. If I recommend this book, I would say avoid the summary.

While The Return is a science fiction novel, its style, format, and pacing are more in a line with suspense thriller. A lot of Point of View jumps and incidental characters, cliffhangers at the end of the chapters. A large part of the story is the mystery, keeping the readers guessing in anticipation at what the big picture is.

At first, the story is told from two different points of view. One is Shawn Ferris in America and the second takes place in Spain, with no hints of how they are related. But as events develop in each storyline, the connection forms. And despite the amount of scientific jargon, reading this never felt like a chore thanks to the writing being very readable and the fast pace keeping me from putting the book down.

Perhaps the only part I felt unsure about was the ending, which wrapped up much too quickly. Even though the ending wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been, I wouldn’t say I was disappointed.

Science Fiction is a genre I often struggle with, but The Return draws me in with its intriguing premise. While it is not completely without its flaws, for a debut it is impressive, featuring a story that frequently kept me perched on the edge of my seat. Joseph Helmreich’s writing is also solid and very “cinematic” in its quality—sharply vivid and immediate, delivering maximum thrills and entertainment. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it for readers who enjoy a kick of an adrenaline rush with their sci-fi.

Find me elsewhere: Dreamwidth | Blogger… (mer)

I have mixed feeling about this book. I was intrigued by its premise, and enjoyed the mystery aspects of the story .Not knowing which factions story to believe and support was another source of enjoyment. Yet despite all that I found myself hating the characters. I found their motivations and actions far fetched and even nonsensical . I was not pleased with nor could I believe even in the context of the overall story the ending of this book. Judging from the reviews of this book on Goodreads, readers really hated this book, or embraced it whole heartedly. I found myself disliking the book. I think the author however is worth following. This is his first published novel and it had some good ideas. Despite my dislike of the characters he wrote, he did elicit an emotional response from me. That connection is the sign of an author with potential.… (mer)

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Title: The Return
Series: ----------
Author: Joseph Helmreich
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 256
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

Andrew Leland was abducted by aliens on national tv. Six years later, he is found wandering in the desert but claims to have no memory of ever being abducted.

College student, and genius, Shawn Ferris practically worshipped Leland for his ideas in whatever science they both are in. But being a Millennial, Shawn doesn't believe that Leland has any right to keep his experience a secret. So he begins a correspondence under false pretenses and discusses theory and such stuff with Leland. Shawn then hunts Leland down only to be abducted himself by a super secret agency that Leland ran away from.

Shawn is convinced to work for them to help defend Earth against an alien invasion. But when he is chased and shot at by security for not toe'ing the company line, Shawn realizes somethin is off. On the run, Shawn is rescued by Leland and together they try to avoid detection by Ambius. It turns out Leland built a protective barrier for the aliens to keep humans out and Ambius used Shawn to reverse engineer it and figure out how to invade the aliens planet. Meanwhile, the aliens want to invade Earth to put a stop to the threat that humanity poses but they can't because of the barrier. So when Ambius invades, they'll be opening Earth up to an invasion as well.

Shawn and Leland kill some people, steal the artifact that it was all about and Shawn destroys the artifact. Leland realizes too late that the artifact is actually the alien he was in love with while on the planet.

The End.

My Thoughts:

What a piece of trash this was. While I noticed absolutely nothing wrong with the grammar, etc, both Shawn and Leland are Grade A jackasses. And since they are the supposed good guys, you can imagine what the bad guys are like.

Shawn is a know it all, butt hurt little prick. His insistance that Leland has no “right” to keep what he knows to himself is the epitomy of everything I despise today. Privacy, phhhh. I did not like Shawn at all. Leland was even worse though. He was super powered due to something the aliens had done to him and could almost literally walk through a hail of bullets but all he could think about was his lost alien love back on Planet X. He wouldn't talk, he wouldn't even try. He just wanted humanity to die. He made the choice to come back and then does nothing but wish he had stayed.

I enjoyed the idea of the story and if the characters had been more likeable or sympathetic, I probably would have enjoyed this and recommended it. But as it is, I won't recommend this to anyone and will be staying away from anything that Joseph Helmreich may write in the future.

★★☆☆☆… (mer)

Viewers watching a live broadcast of a lunar eclipse during the winter solstice, see astrophysicist Andrew Leland lifted into the sky and taken away in a giant spaceship. Found wandering in a South American desert some six years later, he denies ever having ben abducted.

It doesn’t take long for devotees and wannabe-followers, including Shawn Ferris, to become obsessed with Leland. When Shawn, determined to learn about the abduction, finally tracks down Leland, he learns that the astrophysicist has been running for years. Soon Shawn is on the run with him, both men hunted by a secret organization determined to force Leland to reveal what he knows.

Exactly what did happen to the astrophysicist? Will Shawn convince Leland to share the truth about his abduction? And what about the conspiracy that threatens their planet . . . and more?

Interesting characters and an intriguing, fast-paced plot combine to create a compelling page-turner readers will be hard-pressed to set aside before the story reaches its climax.

Recommended.… (mer)