History Literature / Rewind

''"They did something to us."''

The year is 2008. Six years ago, [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Holn]] arrived on Earth, bringing amazing technological gifts and fostering good relations with mankind. They even allow one of their ships to be used as a tourist attraction, letting the curious and skeptical explore one of their vessels under their watchful eyes.

Then one day, the ship abruptly takes off, while seventeen tourists are still on board. All adults of varying ages. Soon afterwards, they are dropped off safely -- but all seventeen are now nine-year-old children. Their minds and memories are still intact -- mentally, emotionally, they're still adults -- but physically, they're all the same age. Their former lives have been irreparably shattered by the Holn's [[BlessedWithSuck incomprehensible 'gift']]. And the Holn have disappeared off the face of the planet, offering no answers whatsoever for their actions.

The author, Terry England, juggles the stories of the seventeen adults-turned-children, dubbed the Rewound Children, as they struggle with their new bodies and the chaos they've been thrown into, along with the trials and tribulations of the Holn Effect Task Force -- a group founded to study the children and figure out just what the hell happened. Interspersed with this are news reports, medical files, and various other documents that flesh out the world, illustrating the stark, cruel reality the children face. The sheer amount of ''crap'' they end up going through is just ''staggering'' in scope, and the gruesome fates some face is pure NightmareFuel. [[HarmfulToMinors Definitely not a story for kids]].

Should not be confused with WilliamSleator's ''Literature/RewindWilliamSleator'', which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, and [[ChildrensLiterature definitely]] ''[[ChildrensLiterature is]]'' [[ChildrensLiterature for kids]].
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!! Tropes in ''Rewind'':
* AnyoneCanDie: Not all seventeen Rewound make it to the end. [[NightmareFuel What happens to them...]] ''[[NightmareFuel Brr.]]''
* ArcWords: "I am Aaron Lee Fairfax. I am forty-three years old. I am married to Janessa, but she wants a divorce. I work for Thagg, Morgan, and Edwards Brokerage Group in Kansas City, Missouri. I own a Maserati." Repeated throughout the novel in various permutations, depending on recent events.
* AuthorFilibuster: Happens several times. For instance, [[spoiler: Dr. Innes ripping [[StrawmanPolitical Reverend van Kellin]] a new one on ''Crosshairs''. Followed immediately by Miranda and ''her'' speech about everyone's hypocrisy.]]
* BadassGrandpa: Earl.
* BlandNameProduct: Mostly averted; from the very start of the book actual networks like ABC and NBC are named. [[ClusterFBomb And call each other names]]. [[spoiler: Later, the ''Soldiers of God'' call for the deaths of the Rewound, and claim credit for the deaths that follow.]]
* BlessedWithSuck: The seventeen Rewound Children.
* FanDisservice: ''Rewind'' opens with the seventeen being hauled in and forced to pose and get photographed while completely nude. [[spoiler: The photographs show up later in a tabloid.]]
* FieryRedhead: Earl.
* HumansAreBastards: '''Yes'''.
* HumanSacrifice: The fate of [[spoiler: poor Myra Caslon. Among others.]]
* InhumanableAlienRights
* MediaScrum
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The news media turn public opinion against the government over their (certainly quite bad) treatment of the seventeen victims, forcing them to release them into the custody of their families. This opens up all ''kinds'' of problems. [[spoiler: And eventually leads to several tragic deaths.]]
* {{Paparazzi}}: What the media as a whole turns into regarding the seventeen.
* PointyHairedBoss: Harrison.
* PsychoExGirlfriend: Janessa. Oh dear God, ''Janessa''. After her husband is turned into a child, she wastes no time in seizing everything he owns... [[spoiler: and selling him out to 'Horseface' for more money. She doesn't even flinch when 'Horseface' and his cronies start pounding the crap out of him right in front of her.]]
* SecretProjectRefugeeFamily: [[spoiler: Aaron, Marian, and the tenents of Grid Manor.]]
* StrawmanNewsMedia: Practically every reporter is a slavering vulture eager to drag all seventeen children kicking and screaming into the spotlight, ravage them, then pick over their corpses. ...And that's a rather ''tame'' description, really. Plenty of Strawman Religious Nuts around, too.
* WriterOnBoard: ''Very much so''.
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Should not be confused with WilliamSleator's ''[[Literature/{{Rewind-WilliamSleator}} Rewind]]'', which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, and [[ChildrensLiterature definitely]] ''[[ChildrensLiterature is]]'' [[ChildrensLiterature for kids]].

The author, Terry England, juggles the stories of the seventeen adults-turned-children, dubbed the Rewound Children, as they struggle with their new bodies and the chaos they've been thrown into, along with the trials and tribulations of the Holn Effect Task Force -- a group founded to study the children and figure out just what the hell happened. Interspersed with this are news reports, medical files, and various other documents that flesh out the world, illustrating the stark, cruel reality the children face. Several times it drifts into IdiotPlot territory for the sake of heaping still more drama onto their shoulders and wringing every last drop of angst out of it. The sheer amount of ''crap'' they end up going through is just ''staggering'' in scope, and the gruesome fates some face is pure NightmareFuel. [[HarmfulToMinors Definitely not a story for kids]].

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The news media turn public opinion against the government over their (certainly quite bad) treatment of the seventeen victims, forcing them to release them into the custody of their families. [[ItGotWorse This opens up all]] ''[[ItGotWorse kinds]]'' [[ItGotWorse of problems.]] [[spoiler: And eventually leads to several tragic deaths.]]

The author, Terry England, juggles the stories of the seventeen adults-turned-children, dubbed the Rewound Children, as they struggle with their new bodies and the chaos they've been thrown into, along with the trials and tribulations of the Holn Effect Task Force -- a group founded to study the children and figure out just what the hell happened. Interspersed with this are news reports, medical files, and various other documents that flesh out the world, illustrating the stark, cruel reality the children face. Several times it drifts into IdiotPlot territory for the sake of heaping still more drama onto their shoulders and wringing every last drop of angst out of it. The sheer amount of ''crap'' they end up going through is just ''staggering'' in scope, and the gruesome fates some face is pure HighOctaneNightmareFuel. [[HarmfulToMinors Definitely not a story for kids]].

* AnyoneCanDie - Not all seventeen Rewound make it to the end. [[NightmareFuel What happens to them...]] ''[[NightmareFuel Brr.]]''
* ArcWords - "I am Aaron Lee Fairfax. I am forty-three years old. I am married to Janessa, but she wants a divorce. I work for Thagg, Morgan, and Edwards Brokerage Group in Kansas City, Missouri. I own a Maserati." Repeated throughout the novel in various permutations, depending on recent events.
* AuthorFilibuster - Happens several times. For instance, [[spoiler: Dr. Innes ripping [[StrawmanPolitical Reverend van Kellin]] a new one on ''Crosshairs''. Followed immediately by Miranda and ''her'' speech about everyone's hypocrisy.]]
* BadassGrandpa - Earl.
* BlandNameProduct - Mostly averted; from the very start of the book actual networks like ABC and NBC are named. [[ClusterFBomb And call each other names]]. [[spoiler: Later, the ''Soldiers of God'' call for the deaths of the Rewound, and claim credit for the deaths that follow.]]
* BlessedWithSuck - The seventeen Rewound Children.
* FanDisservice - ''Rewind'' opens with the seventeen being hauled in and forced to pose and get photographed while completely nude. [[spoiler: The photographs show up later in a tabloid.]]
* FieryRedhead - Earl.
* HumansAreBastards -- '''Yes'''.
* HumanSacrifice -- The fate of [[spoiler: poor Myra Caslon. Among others.]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero - The news media turn public opinion against the government over their (certainly quite bad) treatment of the seventeen victims, forcing them to release them into the custody of their families. [[ItGotWorse This opens up all]] ''[[ItGotWorse kinds]]'' [[ItGotWorse of problems.]] [[spoiler: And eventually leads to several tragic deaths.]]
* {{Paparazzi}} - What the media as a whole turns into regarding the seventeen.
* PointyHairedBoss - Harrison.
* PsychoExGirlfriend - Janessa. Oh dear God, ''Janessa''. After her husband is turned into a child, she wastes no time in seizing everything he owns... [[spoiler: and selling him out to 'Horseface' for more money. She doesn't even flinch when 'Horseface' and his cronies start pounding the crap out of him right in front of her.]]
* SecretProjectRefugeeFamily - [[spoiler: Aaron, Marian, and the tenents of Grid Manor.]]
* StrawmanNewsMedia - Practically every reporter is a slavering vulture eager to drag all seventeen children kicking and screaming into the spotlight, ravage them, then pick over their corpses. ...And that's a rather ''tame'' description, really. Plenty of Strawman Religious Nuts around, too.
* WriterOnBoard - ''Very much so''.

Should not be confused with WilliamSleator's ''[[Literature/{{Rewind-WilliamSleator}} Rewind]]'', which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, and [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature definitely]] ''[[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature is]]'' [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature for kids]].

* {{Anvilicious}} - We treat children like shit.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming - {{Narm}}y as it may be, considering the treatment the other Rewound receive, [[spoiler: Earl's]] happy life with [[spoiler: his]] family is fueled by this. Just seeing ''one'' of the victims have a ''real'' family helps ''immensely''. Also, [[spoiler: the tenents of Grid Manor protecting Aaron and Marian.]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel - ''Loads''. The insane treatment the seventeen-turned-children receive from ''everyone'' -- including their family and friends, many of whom turn on them.
** [[spoiler: Harold and Alisa's fates: being trampled to death on live television by a mob during a faith healing session GoneHorriblyWrong.]]

* ToyShip - ...Does it count when they're mentally adults, but ''physically'' children? Anyway, [[spoiler: Aaron and Marian.]]

* SecretProjectRefugeeFamily - [[spoiler: Aaron, Marian, and the tenes of Grid Manor.]]
* [[StrawmanPolitical Strawman Newscrew]] - Practically every reporter is a slavering vulture eager to drag all seventeen children kicking and screaming into the spotlight, ravage them, then pick over their corpses. ...And that's a rather ''tame'' description, really. Plenty of Strawman Religious Nuts around, too.

Should not be confused with [[Creator/WilliamSleator William Sleator's]] ''[[Literature/{{Rewind-WilliamSleator}} Rewind]]'', which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, and [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature definitely]] ''[[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature is]]'' [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature for kids]].

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Should not be confused with [[Creator/WilliamSleator William Sleator's]] ''[[Literature/{{Rewind-WilliamSleator}} Rewind]]'', which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, which [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature definitely ''is'' for kids]].

Should not be confused with [[Creator/WilliamSleator William Sleator's]] [[Literature/{{Rewind-WilliamSleator}}]], which is about a boy trying to prevent his own death via MentalTimeTravel, which [[YoungAdultAndChildrensLiterature definitely ''is'' for kids]].