An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain … writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can.
Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t.
Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride.
“Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life, a winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers (Kirkus Reviews).
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Truly and original, enchanting and fun. Boy’s Life transports you to the playground of your own childhood, in this case small-town Alabama; McCammon’s wonderland.
One of the best books I’ve read! A great coming of age saga with a little fantasy/wonderment throw in. What a wordsmith he is!! Highly recommended!
One of the finest books I have ever read. Told through a child’s eye. The boys voice was so real and honest. I felt as thought he were sitting next to me tell his story.
An outstanding, magical coming of age tale with elements of horror and fantasy. A must-read!
This novel resonates with me in a real way. I grew up riding my bike in the back woods with friends and my brother. It was always an adventure. We used to do some crazy things on those bikes. I loved this novel mainly because it was a story and it touched upon imagination and the belief in magic. A great read.
This book has a little bit of everything. A great coming of age story with dark twists.
One of McCammon’s best.
I loved this book. It takes you back to the 60’s,a simpler time.
I’m on my second copy of boy’s life and I recently added the on line version to my Kindle. This book is fantastic! It’s a murder mystery, a coming of age story and also, maybe, a monster story. The depth, the character building, the descriptions, it is literally in a niche of its own. Every time I read it, I find something new to ponder and am …
Extremely well written. An all-round excellent read.
One of my favorite books of all time. Read it over and over again, the detail is unmatched. The magic is so powerful you can feel it with each turn of the page.
I picked up this book as I enjoyed a few of the author’s other titles. I was expecting a straight horror novel but was pleasantly surprised by this story. I was transported back to my own boyhood with the vivid descriptions the author used of the protagonist’s surroundings and thoughts. There was a murder mystery in the story but I was more …
Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon is one of my favorite books. No matter what your favorite genre, this coming of age story with murder, mystery, and magic is sure to captivate.
Terrible. That’s all I have to say .
I’m not usually a coming-of-age fan, but this novel was amazing. McCammon is a fantastic writer, and it is obvious he chose every word very carefully to show how each and every character grows and changes. One of the best books I’ve ever read.
The fear and wonder of childhood form the central themes of Robert R. McCammon’s tale of one boy’s most formative years in a small Alabama town in the early 1960s. McCammon breathes a vibrant energy into the story, making a virtue of his setting by populating it with as much humour as horror, from a psychotic escaped monkey and woods haunted by …
Perhaps my favorite book of fictions. Read several times.
McCammon’s Best
Robert McCammon has specialized in horror fiction, and does so very, very well. Here he’s taken a slight divergence to add in a large dash of murder mystery set in post-WW II America, as seen and experienced by a set of young boys, fast friends and partners in a sweeping variety of occurrences, at turns magical, mystifying and horrifying. I read …
Best book ever. Hard to put into words how much I loved this book