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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
To bardzo dziwna książka. Z jednej strony chciałabym ją nazwać powieścią grozy, z drugiej kryminałem, a z trzeciej historią o magicznym dzieciństwie. Tak naprawdę tym ona właśnie jest, wszystkim jednocześnie. Straszy, wciąga, cieszy i smuci. Od końcowych rozdziałów nie mogłam się oderwać, a na ostatnich kartach zakręciła mi się łezka. 4.25/5 ⭐
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This would probably make my top 10 of all books I've read. For me, McCammon with Boy's Life created much more than a horror novel. It transcends any genre. As good as S. King is at giving us characters who take us back to our own youth, this book made me remember what life was like at a young age much more than King ever did. I felt as if I was reading or more precisely reliving my own childhood. Read it and you will remember what it was like when you were young and all around you the world promised so many adventures and things before we became cynical and we found that life was not all fun and games. Young and still innocent, playing games and interacting with other kids, especially our best buddies or "pals" the world was a different and magical place. Boy's Life made me want to be able to go back and live that life again and feeling sad that those days were gone forever. McCammon knew all the things I had mostly forgotten and what makes this book head and shoulders above anything I've read is he reawakened feeling I had forgotten about. I felt like he knew more about me than I knew about myself. Don't let the title put you off if you are a woman. I talked about how great this book was and insisted that my mother and sister read it. I realized by insisting I had probably oversold it and that usually leads to a letdown yet they both said it was excellent. My sister was over 50 when she read it and she identified with the way our family was as we grew up.
I like McCammon's work in general but Swan Song, for example, is not even on a level close to his writing in this work. It's a brilliant piece of writing and it definitely evokes feelings you forgot you had. That's the miracle of it. I have a good memory and recall most of the details of my childhood but have never been able to conjure up how I felt then but McCammon took me there emotionally. Thank you Mr. McCammon for whisking me back to the past and allowing me to relive those wonderful feelings I had then.
I like McCammon's work in general but Swan Song, for example, is not even on a level close to his writing in this work. It's a brilliant piece of writing and it definitely evokes feelings you forgot you had. That's the miracle of it. I have a good memory and recall most of the details of my childhood but have never been able to conjure up how I felt then but McCammon took me there emotionally. Thank you Mr. McCammon for whisking me back to the past and allowing me to relive those wonderful feelings I had then.
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
A beautiful book about one boy's childhood and the world he saw through his eyes. Magic realism on full display...or was it? I loved how the author weaved a world seen through a young boy's eyes filled with tragedy and triumph as only a young child could recount.
There was one quote that stood out to me and I think sums up all the goodness this book has to offer as our main character is thinking back on his childhood:
If you like long, sprawling stories centered around hard topics that explores inequality in a really beautiful manner...if you like books that give you a front seat view to a world that we all observed many years ago and have a hard time discerning down the line what was real and what was embellished...if you like books that wrap you up and make you feel at home with an intimate sadness...then this book is for you.
I read this as part of a buddy read with Scott Reads and I am so happy I did because I probably would not have picked it up otherwise. If you are not following him and like books...do yourself a favor and get on it. Thanks Scott for managing a bookclub with over 500 participants and making it feel so intimate.
There was one quote that stood out to me and I think sums up all the goodness this book has to offer as our main character is thinking back on his childhood:
Of course the world is tougher now, no doubt about it. There are harder choices to be made, with more terrible consequences. Kids need guidance, for sure. I did and I'm glad I got guided because it helped me miss making a lot of mistakes. But I think parents aren't teachers anymore. Parents—or a whole lot of us, at least—lead by mouth instead of by example.
If you like long, sprawling stories centered around hard topics that explores inequality in a really beautiful manner...if you like books that give you a front seat view to a world that we all observed many years ago and have a hard time discerning down the line what was real and what was embellished...if you like books that wrap you up and make you feel at home with an intimate sadness...then this book is for you.
I read this as part of a buddy read with Scott Reads and I am so happy I did because I probably would not have picked it up otherwise. If you are not following him and like books...do yourself a favor and get on it. Thanks Scott for managing a bookclub with over 500 participants and making it feel so intimate.
Brilliant! Story of a "Boy's Life" over the span of approximately a year in 1963/1964. Lots of ordinary events mixed with exciting real-life crime and paranormal events. Excellent story-telling and wonderful characters. Very reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's writing.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
No
I don't have a ton to add here that the other esteemed reviewers on this page haven't already said. It is a very good book and an easy read. It reminded me a LOT of Stephen King. Unlike most books to me, its ending was a highlight. It does a wonderful job of transporting you to childhood.
The reason I didn't give it five stars is that it sets up a huge plot line early on, the main plot line of the story, and then essentially puts that on hold for 90% of the book with only a tiny bit of progress there, before returning to it. I found that frustrating. To go that deep into the main mystery of the book and then spend 80% of the book only briefly touching on it was an odd choice, to me, that's all. I would have preferred steady progress instead of one-off adventures that didn't move the overall plot very much. But otherwise, very solid book.
The reason I didn't give it five stars is that it sets up a huge plot line early on, the main plot line of the story, and then essentially puts that on hold for 90% of the book with only a tiny bit of progress there, before returning to it. I found that frustrating. To go that deep into the main mystery of the book and then spend 80% of the book only briefly touching on it was an odd choice, to me, that's all. I would have preferred steady progress instead of one-off adventures that didn't move the overall plot very much. But otherwise, very solid book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced