Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had really high hopes for this book, and it was good, but it wasn't as good as I expected based on reviews. I came looking for something a bit like the Blackwater Series, and it is in some ways, but more than anything this is a nostalgia trip. I guess it's hard to understand the nostalgia of being a 12 year old Alabaman boy in the 1960s when you're a 30 year old English woman in 2025.
I can see why so many people love it, because if what you're after is boyhood nostalgia, then Boy's Life does an excellent job.
It's well written and I finished it in 4 days (fast for me, for a 600+ page book), so I can't say I didn't enjoy it. But I would say it reads like a YA written for adults, which just isn't really my vibe.
Nonetheless, I don't regret reading it. The paperback is £22 in the UK, but I read it for free on Kindle Unlimited. I'm glad I didn't pay £22. I'd have felt a bit scorned.
There are some nasty racial slurs and some very unpleasant animal abuse that I really wasn't expecting. I'd say they're the main trigger warnings in my opinion.
I can see why so many people love it, because if what you're after is boyhood nostalgia, then Boy's Life does an excellent job.
It's well written and I finished it in 4 days (fast for me, for a 600+ page book), so I can't say I didn't enjoy it. But I would say it reads like a YA written for adults, which just isn't really my vibe.
Nonetheless, I don't regret reading it. The paperback is £22 in the UK, but I read it for free on Kindle Unlimited. I'm glad I didn't pay £22. I'd have felt a bit scorned.
There are some nasty racial slurs and some very unpleasant animal abuse that I really wasn't expecting. I'd say they're the main trigger warnings in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Murder
This book is part murder mystery and part the adventures of a 12-year-old boy. Some of these adventures are real, some are imagined, some are fantastical (but only imagined or dreamed) and some are fantastical (yet REAL!). So the book is a mix of life-in-small-town-America, fantasy and mystery.
Many chapters appeared to be simply a collection of separate events that occurred in 12-year-old boy’s life. Some chapters appeared to simply be a short story whose events had little, if any, impact on the rest of the story. But appearances can be deceiving as some chapters’ events resulted in unexpected consequences a few chapters later.
Basically, when an author writes a book that combines the imaginings of a 12-year-old boy with fantastical plot elements, the readers have to keep asking themselves “is this real or imaginary?”
Bottom line: Interesting concept. Interesting writing style. Highly imaginative. But I didn’t find it a pager-turner.
Many chapters appeared to be simply a collection of separate events that occurred in 12-year-old boy’s life. Some chapters appeared to simply be a short story whose events had little, if any, impact on the rest of the story. But appearances can be deceiving as some chapters’ events resulted in unexpected consequences a few chapters later.
Basically, when an author writes a book that combines the imaginings of a 12-year-old boy with fantastical plot elements, the readers have to keep asking themselves “is this real or imaginary?”
Bottom line: Interesting concept. Interesting writing style. Highly imaginative. But I didn’t find it a pager-turner.
Fun, frightening, happy, sad, exciting, goofy and everything else a boy’s life should be. Also loved the meta subplot of forcing a murder mystery into a book within the book that was supposed to just be about life in a small town. Well done on all fronts.
This one was a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended. It was very much a "Stand by Me" type of boy's coming-of-age in the 1960's story with a little magic thrown in. I would have given this five stars except for a couple of issues. First, it didn't really grab me until I was about 20% into the book. Another 'boy coming-of-age book', A Prayer for Owen Meany, got me on the very first line. Secondly, I'm not a big fan of omniscient narrators, especially when they're also the main protagonist in the novel. Other than that, it was a great read.
Wow. It's been 30 years since I've read a McCammon book, and I'd forgotten how great a writer he is. I'm glad I picked this one up - it's epic.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Well written, thoughtful and melancholic I should've enjoyed this way more then I did. Unfortunately it was once described to me as McCammon's take on Stephen King's 'It' and considering he had done this once before with'The Swan Song' I went in expecting Kingesque character horror, but got coming of age memoir instead. It's like someone gives you a shot of vodka, you brace yourself and end up slamming ice water. Nothing wrong with ice water, in fact I love it, but if I'm expecting vodka I want vodka.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No