The Return
A group of friends reunite after one of them has returned from a mysterious two-year disappearance in this edgy and haunting debut.
Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return—except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She’s right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she’s been or what happened to her.
Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong—she’s emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who—or what—is she?
- Pages
- 304
- First published
- 1920
- Language
- English
- Edition
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Shelved by 3 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished March 26, 2026
*☆5 stars☆* Some authors broaden your perspective. Some authors show you exactly what doesn’t work for you. And then there are the rare ones who just get it—like they’re speaking directly to your brain. For me, that’s Rachel Harrison. We’re clearly fluent in the same emotional and mental language. Rachel Harrison has a knack for exploring female relationships, mental health, grief, and tragedy—all through the lens of horror. The Return is no exception. We’re dropped right into the start of a mystery: Julie, a member of a tight-knit friend group, has gone missing. Then, just as mysteriously, she returns… and she’s a little off. I mean, sure—she’s been gone for two years and has no memory of what happened to her. That’s to be expected. So naturally, the only reasonable next step? A girls’ trip. If you’re familiar with how Rachel Harrison writes, you can probably guess where this is headed. But that’s never really the point—the magic is in the journey and the little breadcrumbs she leaves along the way. And of course, she delivers her signature brand of terrible, iconic women—the kind you love and hate in equal measure. I also love that she never just hands you the answers… even though, somehow, she does. She’s always using horror as a metaphor for life—and all the messy, uncomfortable, downright ugly ways we try to survive it. Highly recommend this if you’re already a Rachel Harrison fan—or if anything even remotely paranormal is your thing. You’ll absolutely eat this up. [Find my reviews on Bookstagram too!](https://www.instagram.com/literarily_laurynn?igsh=aTh6eTZ6dGwxMXpy&utm_source=qr)
Finished September 30, 2024