diff --git a/lib/deja/neo_parse.rb b/lib/deja/neo_parse.rb
index 63cd214..34f2df7 100644
--- a/lib/deja/neo_parse.rb
+++ b/lib/deja/neo_parse.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module Deja
   module NeoParse
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+    include TypeCaster
 
     module ClassMethods
       def normalize(hash, type = :eager)
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ def sane_hash(hash)
               attr_hash[:start_node] = record['start'].split('/').last.to_i if record['start']
               attr_hash[:end_node]   = record['end'].split('/').last.to_i if record['end']
               record['data'].each do |key, value|
-                attr_hash[key.to_sym] = value
+                attr_hash[key.to_sym] = record['data']['type'].nil? ? value : TypeCaster.reversecast(key.to_sym, value, record['data']['type'])
               end
               attr_hash
             end
diff --git a/lib/deja/node.rb b/lib/deja/node.rb
index c2e4e9c..0a265fd 100644
--- a/lib/deja/node.rb
+++ b/lib/deja/node.rb
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def persisted_attributes
       inst_vars = instance_variables.map { |i| i.to_s[1..-1].to_sym }
       attrs = (self.class.attributes + self.class.composed_attributes) & inst_vars
       attrs.inject({}) do |memo, (k, v)|
-        memo[k] = send(k)
+        memo[k] = TypeCaster.typecast(k, send(k), self.class.name)
         memo
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/deja/relationship.rb b/lib/deja/relationship.rb
index 66f70d7..ab23c96 100644
--- a/lib/deja/relationship.rb
+++ b/lib/deja/relationship.rb
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def persisted_attributes
       inst_vars = instance_variables.map { |i| i.to_s[1..-1].to_sym }
       attrs = self.class.attributes & inst_vars
       attrs.inject({}) do |memo, (k, v)|
-        memo[k] = send(k)
+        memo[k] = TypeCaster.typecast(k, send(k), self.class.name)
         memo
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/deja/schema_generator.rb b/lib/deja/schema_generator.rb
index cc583eb..d7e4cbb 100644
--- a/lib/deja/schema_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/deja/schema_generator.rb
@@ -29,14 +29,8 @@ def attribute(name, type, opts = {})
       def attr_accessorize(name, opts)
         send(:attr_accessor, name)
         define_attribute_methods name
-        define_method("#{name}") do
-          #reversecast(name, instance_variable_get("@#{name}"))
-          instance_variable_get("@#{name}")
-        end
         define_method("#{name}=") do |new_value|
-          casted_value = typecast(name, new_value)
-          send("#{name}_will_change!") if (casted_value != instance_variable_get("@#{name}") && !instance_variable_get("@#{name}").nil?)
-          #instance_variable_set("@#{name}", casted_value)
+          send("#{name}_will_change!") if (new_value != instance_variable_get("@#{name}") && !instance_variable_get("@#{name}").nil?)
           instance_variable_set("@#{name}", new_value)
         end
       end
diff --git a/lib/deja/type_caster.rb b/lib/deja/type_caster.rb
index db979fd..3614dbd 100644
--- a/lib/deja/type_caster.rb
+++ b/lib/deja/type_caster.rb
@@ -2,46 +2,52 @@ module Deja
   module TypeCaster
     extend ActiveSupport::Concern
 
-    included do
-      # cast back to Ruby objects where representation in the graph is different
-      def reversecast(attr_name, value)
-        return nil if value.nil?
+    # cast back to Ruby objects where representation in the graph is different
+    def self.reversecast(attr_name, value, klass)
+      return nil if value.nil?
 
-        data_type = self.class.schema[:attributes][attr_name][:type].to_s
+      data_type = klass.constantize.schema[:attributes][attr_name][:type].to_s
 
-        case data_type
-        when 'Date'
-          Date.parse(value.to_s)
-        when 'Time'
-          Time.at(value)
-        else
-          value
-        end
+      case data_type
+      when 'Integer'
+        value.to_i
+      when 'Float'
+        value.to_f
+      when 'String'
+        value.to_s
+      when 'Deja::Boolean'
+        Boolean.true?(value)
+      when 'Date'
+        Date.parse(value.to_s)
+      when 'Time'
+        Time.at(value)
+      else
+        value
       end
+    end
 
-      # cast to neo4j basic types and raise errors when invalid/unrecognized data type
-      def typecast(attr_name, value)
-        return nil if value.nil?
+    # cast to neo4j basic types and raise errors when invalid/unrecognized data type
+    def self.typecast(attr_name, value, klass)
+      return nil if value.nil?
 
-        data_type = self.class.schema[:attributes][attr_name][:type].to_s
+      data_type = klass.constantize.schema[:attributes][attr_name][:type].to_s
 
-        case data_type
-        when 'Integer'
-          Integer(value)
-        when 'Float'
-          Float(value)
-        when 'Deja::Boolean'
-          raise TypeError, "invalid boolean value passed in: '#{value}'" unless Boolean.boolean?(value)
-          Boolean.true?(value)
-        when 'String'
-          String(value)
-        when 'Date'
-          Date.parse(value.to_s).strftime("%Y%m%d").to_i
-        when 'Time'
-          value.to_i
-        else
-          raise TypeError, "undefined data type #{data_type} for attribute #{name}"
-        end
+      case data_type
+      when 'Integer'
+        Integer(value)
+      when 'Float'
+        Float(value)
+      when 'Deja::Boolean'
+        raise TypeError, "invalid boolean value passed in: '#{value}'" unless Boolean.boolean?(value)
+        Boolean.true?(value)
+      when 'String'
+        String(value)
+      when 'Date'
+        Date.parse(value.to_s).strftime("%Y%m%d").to_i
+      when 'Time'
+        value.to_i
+      else
+        raise TypeError, "undefined data type #{data_type} for attribute #{name}"
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/type_caster_spec.rb b/spec/type_caster_spec.rb
index 342a446..1807dc0 100644
--- a/spec/type_caster_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/type_caster_spec.rb
@@ -8,71 +8,71 @@
   context 'typecast' do
     it 'should typecast a valid string' do
       person.name = 'james bond'
-      expect(person.name).to eq('james bond')
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:name, person.name, 'Person')).to eq('james bond')
     end
 
     it 'should typecast a valid integer' do
       person.age = '-5'
-      expect(person.age).to eq(-5)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:age, person.age, 'Person')).to eq(-5)
 
       person.age = 10
-      expect(person.age).to eq(10)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:age, person.age, 'Person')).to eq(10)
     end
 
     it 'should fail to cast an invalid integer' do
-      expect { person.age = '5a' }.to raise_error
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:age, person.age, 'Person')).to raise_error
     end
 
     it 'should cast a valid float' do
       person.bank_balance = 50000.51
-      expect(person.bank_balance).to eq(50000.51)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:bank_balance, person.bank_balance, 'Person')).to eq(50000.51)
 
       person.bank_balance = '10.25'
-      expect(person.bank_balance).to eq(10.25)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:bank_balance, person.bank_balance, 'Person')).to eq(10.25)
     end
 
     it 'should fail to cast an invalid floating point value' do
-      expect { person.bank_balance = '5a' }.to raise_error
+      expect{TypeCaster.typecast(:bank_balance, '5a', 'Person')}.to raise_error
     end
 
     it 'should cast a valid boolean value' do
       person.vip = 'true'
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(true)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(true)
 
       person.vip = 't'
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(true)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(true)
 
       person.vip = true
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(true)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(true)
 
       person.vip = 1
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(true)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(true)
 
       person.vip = 'false'
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(false)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(false)
 
       person.vip = 'f'
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(false)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(false)
 
       person.vip = false
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(false)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(false)
 
       person.vip = 0
-      expect(person.vip).to eq(false)
+      expect(TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, person.vip, 'Person')).to eq(false)
     end
 
     it 'should fail to cast an invalid boolean value' do
-      expect { person.vip = 'tru1' }.to raise_error TypeError
+      expect { TypeCaster.typecast(:vip, 'tru1', 'Person') }.to raise_error TypeError
     end
 
     it 'should fail on unrecognized data type' do
-      expect { person.tags = ['engineer', 'designer', 'entrepreneur'] }.to raise_error TypeError
+      expect { TypeCaster.typecast(:tags, ['engineer', 'designer', 'entrepreneur'], 'Person') }.to raise_error TypeError
     end
 
     it 'should validate date values' do
       Timecop.freeze do
         person.born_on = Date.today
-        expect(person.instance_variable_get("@born_on")).to eq(Date.today.strftime("%Y%m%d").to_i)
+        expect(person.instance_variable_get("@born_on")).to eq(Date.today)
         expect(person.born_on).to eq(Date.today)
       end
     end
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     it 'should validate time values' do
       Timecop.freeze do
         person.knighted_at = Time.now
-        expect(person.instance_variable_get("@knighted_at")).to eq(Time.now.to_i)
+        expect(person.instance_variable_get("@knighted_at")).to eq(Time.now)
         expect(person.knighted_at.to_i).to eq(Time.now.to_i)
       end
     end