They say one is the loneliest number… At the beginning of Where Things Come Back, Cullen Witter presents himself as somewhat of a lone wolf—he doesn't have that many friends outside of his brother, Gabriel, and their classmate Lucas. But the friends Cullen does have stick by him through thick and thin; when Gabriel goes missing, Lucas and Mena are there every step of the way to help find him. In a parallel story, we get to see the unlikely friendship between Benton Sage and his roommate Cabot Searcy—which changes the course of Cabot's life forever.
Questions About Friendship
- Do you think that the friendship between Cabot and Bentonwas a healthy one? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Lucas is friends with Cullen and Gabriel?
- How does Cullen's impression of Mena Prescott change over the course of the book?
Chew on This
Even though it often seems like Lucas is way too nice to Cullen and doesn't get anything in return, he's had a hard enough upbringing that his friendship with Cullen is actually what keeps him afloat.
Cabot Searcy's friendship with Benton Sage is what brings about his downfall. After Benton's death, Cabot takes on all of the pain, suffering, and loneliness that Benton felt during his lifetime.