Rating: 
Summary: Quality Writing, Enjoyable Reading
Review: As I've worked my way backwards through Kent Haruf's catalog of books, I've become increasingly impressed with the seeming simplicity of his writing and how he lets his characters come alive on their own terms instead of his. This allows the reader to understand the characters quirks and motivations in a way that reminds us of relationships with real people. We don't know everything about someone the first time we meet them, instead we learn what they want us to know and draw other conclusions from their actions and what other people let us know about them. In Where You Once Belonged, that is exactly how I grew to know Jack Burdette and the people in Holt, Colorado whose lives he so deeply affected. Like Plainsong and The Tie That Binds, the reader is drawn into a seemingly simple story that simmers with local personality and an undercurrent of conflict. Slowly, Haruf lets you in on the complexities and even when the story here doesn't seem as compelling as his later work, you know there's more going on than you're being told. That Haruf can make the reader believe it's for the better not to know is a testament to his unique storytelling style. I don't think Where You Once Belong is as powerfully told as Haruf's next books, which earns it a strong three star rating, but I would highly recommend it to any reader who already knows his style or appreciates subtle stories of lives not too unlike our own.
Rating: 
Summary: A Haunting Tale
Review: Having not had my fix of Haruf's writing after reading Plainsong, I immediately bought this book and found it to be equally satisfying. This is a book with a lot of heart and one that reminds you that no matter where you are right now you are never to far from home and your past, for better or worse. Haruf has an uncanny ability to draw you into his story and allow you to genuinely empathize with his character's emotions. You will be thrilled when the narrator finds his true love and you will be disgusted when you read the bitter and shocking ending. This book can be read in a matter of hours. Give it a chance.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, direct and interesting
Review: Having previously read Plainsong (as I am sure many who read this novel will have done), I was looking for a similarly enjoyable reading experience. Actually, in some ways, I liked this novel better. As much as I liked Plainsong, I found that there wasn't enough of a focus on a single storyline, and, in the end, I found it a disjointed work. Where You Once Belonged is much more of a traditionally structured novel, and the conflicts are clearer to the reader. Haruf's simple style is both deceptive and hypnotic. I read this book in two sittings, and it was the power of the style that kept me going. The story involves a high school football star who is forgiven many of his character flaws by the town where he lives. After a long absence from the town, he returns, and the novel is the story leading up to that fateful return to town. If you're looking for exactly the same feelings of community and warmth you had at the end of Plainsong, then you will be sorely disappointed by this novel. If, however, you are looking for a more compelling plot with a few more twists, then this novel is for you. I can see why many of Plainsong's fans don't like this one, but I see them as two distinct sides of a very good writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Good
Review: I am a big fan of Kent Haruf. Loved Plainsong especially. Am addicted to reading all of his books - HOWEVER - really thought this book was weak. Unrealistic in my mind, too. Just no backbone to this book. Still love Kent Haruf, but this book just didn't make it in my humble estimation.
Rating:
Summary: Not Good
Review: I am a big fan of Kent Haruf. Loved Plainsong especially. Am addicted to reading all of his books - HOWEVER - really thought this book was weak. Unrealistic in my mind, too. Just no backbone to this book. Still love Kent Haruf, but this book just didn't make it in my humble estimation.
Rating:
Summary: Where You Once Belonged
Review: I disagree with some of the other reviewers a bit. While a good effort, I don't find this book as satisfying as Plainsong or Tie That Binds. Granted, Haruf's spare, lean style is what sets him apart from others, but Where You Once Belonged is a bit underwritten as far as I'm concerned. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it definitely has the feel of a first novel, created before the author really perfected his voice and craft.
Rating:
Summary: Great characterization
Review: I read this book after reading Plainsong, which touched my heart. Kent Haruf is skilled at making his characters believable. In this book, he has created someone who is lacking compassion, empathy or any redeeming quality. His sociopathic selfishness affects everyone in his life with disastrous consequences and heartbreak for many who trusted him. Haruf is definitely a writer worth reading since he just seems to get better while maintaining a consistently good style. I sense in him a heart worth knowing.
Rating:
Summary: Left wanting
Review: I was eager to try this book after an enjoyable experience reading "They Tie that Binds" by the same author. I enjoy the sparse writing style of this author and feel that his ability to bring life to the characters and their settings in such few words is very effective. I enjoyed this tale of a local boy gone bad until the last few pages. It had an adrupt and disappointing ending lacking originality and creativity. I am glad this book was short so I don't feel my time was completely wasted.
Rating: 
Summary: Want a sequel
Review: I was so hooked by PLAINSONG, that I went out the next day and bought WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED. Again, I found myself captivated and, in this case, frightened by the menace of one of the characters. It's beautifully written and haunted by another set of young brothers. I loved it--so much that I want a sequel. After you read the book, you'll understand why.
Rating:
Summary: We need a sequel!
Review: I, like many others, have read my way backwards through Kent Haruf's (too few) books since being mesmerized by Plainsong. Having just finished Where You Once Belonged, I am eager to have a sequel. I'm not sure whether Mr. Haruf reads the reviews on amazon.com, but just in case: Please help us get some closure on Jessie and Pat! The book ends quite abruptly, and it certainly left me anxious to know especially what would become of its self-posessed heroine and her two boys. To all of the rest of you, I recommend this, as I recommend any of Mr. Haruf's beautifully simple books. He has a gift for expressing the pathos and triumph of living everyday human life.
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