Recommend Me is a weekly event hosted by Kate at The Neverending Shelf. It's a chance to highlight your favorite reads. It could be a book you just read or one you read years ago
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
Published in 1992
Literary Awards: Bram Stoker for Best Novel (1991) and World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (1992)
isbn 0833587994 (isbn13: 9780833587992)
This tale of an 11-year-old's struggle between innocence and evil begins with the discovery of a gruesome murder and ends with the revelation that, even in Zephyr, Alabama, life is not safe and simple--and most things and people are not what they seem to be. "Recaptures the magic of being a child in a world of possibilities and promise. . . ".--Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Information above retrieved from GoodReads
Whenever I am asked the question, "What is your favorite book?" Boy's Life is usually the title I give. While most bookstores shelve it under adult horror, I would consider it more along the lines of realistic fantasy despite the fact that this is an oxymoron. Set in the 60's in Zephyr Alabama, a small rural town on the verge of major change due to development of chain stores, Zephyr is also a town divided by the racial unrest of the times. It tells the story of Cory, an eleven-year-old boy who finds himself crossing the imaginary line between youthful fantasy, and adulthood. It has several elements that appealed to me. First, the fantasy is interwoven into a very realistic story, with believable characters and setting. The magic includes a river monster, a mystical woman who hears the dead and can manipulate the living, a ghost who drives a dragster, and the imaginative adventures of boyhood. Secondly, the story begins with a horrific murder mystery that pervades the tale and climaxes to a surprise ending. This is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish the book and its power pulls you back again and again. If you have never read it, then trust me this is a book you need to add to your must read list! If you have, then perhaps it is time to read it again. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Here are a few links to read more about Boy's Life
My Years of Serious Reading has a great summary with some fantastic quotes from the book
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