The Return

The Return is a masterpiece of emotive writing.

This book wrecked me emotionally. It is the only novel where after reading a chapter I went to my husband and cried. I am not a naturally sappy person, so to have read something that caused that kind of deep,
guttural reaction in me is a powerful thing.

The Return is told in the present day and in flashbacks from the 1980s. The connections between the young gay men of the 80s (Stanton, the love of his life, 'Hutch,' or Chris, and their small, close-knit group of friends)
and Topher and his small, close-knit group of friends/ bandmates transcend probabilities in the most unique and special way. Both groups of friends have their share of laughs,
love, successes, and problems. The
profound, complicated relationships in this novel-and in the "Austin Series" as a whole-are so effective they have never left my mind.

I feel I know these characters as people. Boney's writing is efficacious in its desire to be relatable to the reader even if they have never experienced any of his characters'
feelings, situations or traumas.
The rise of HIV and AIDS in the 80s flashback scenes and how it affects that group is raw and powerful. And it destroyed me. But it is this unfairness, this thievery of love and life that propels the unique theme of this novel, what a dying Hutch so mysteriously writes to a young, distraught Stanton: "Play the long
game." You will seriously tear up.

This novel is as magical as it is heartbreaking. I can't recommend it enough. I would still suggest reading the first novel in the series, The Nothingness of Ben before The
Return; even though it's a self-contained story. The three novels' overall connectivity will be much more meaningful if you do.