Boy's Life by robert mccammon

99 reviews All reviews

KillTheFuture42

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This book was like the most beautiful return to the carefree childhood.

It took me back to those days when life was simple and full of joy.

The stories and characters in the book seemed to come alive, making me feel as if I was right there with them.

As I turned the pages, I was filled with a sense of nostalgia and warmth.

It was a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the present.

The author's vivid descriptions and engaging writing style made it impossible to put the book down.

Each chapter was like a new adventure, leading me deeper into the magical world of childhood.

I found myself laughing, crying, and feeling all the emotions that I had long forgotten.

This book truly was a treasure, a reminder of the beauty and innocence of our younger years.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to relive their childhood or simply enjoy a heartwarming story.

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JinseiKuu

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This is a truly magical story about a boy named Cory. He takes us on a journey through his life in the year 1964 in the small town of Zephyr, Alabama. In this town, anything and everything seems to happen. His experiences and friendships are so vivid that they can make you both tearful and joyful. Cory is on a path of self-discovery, uncovering mysteries that haunt his father and the lake. It's a highly recommended read that has earned a place on my list of must-reads. Robert McCammon is an underrated writer, a master craftsman of storytelling.

In a recent re-read (May 2012), I felt like I discovered even more in this wonderful story. The dead, the lake, the dog, the bicycle, and the girl in the water are just some of the parts that I remember well and loved to revisit. There were also many details that I had forgotten, and reliving them was a truly joyful experience. It never gets old to read those amazing sentences that McCammon weaves together in this story.

When an author writes a story about youth and coming of age, they sometimes draw from their own experiences. In this novel, we can see glimpses of the writer, Robert McCammon. For example, "Golden Apples of the Sun" by Ray Bradbury is mentioned as one of Cory's cherished reads, and McCammon has also said that it's a book he holds dear and recommends. There are other elements that I've picked up on, and they only add to my respect for how talented and respected a writer he is.

This story holds a special place on my bookshelf, right alongside classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Bottoms" by Joe Lansdale, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury, and "Stand by Me" by Stephen King. As McCammon says in the final pages of this novel, in the acknowledgments, I too bid you farewell in his words: "Your lake will always be deeper and sweeter than mine, your jar hold greater mysteries, your rockets travel truer to the heart."

The excerpts below are ones that I felt echoed a thousand heartfelt feelings. They capture the essence of the story and the emotions that it evokes.

Visit my webpage to read the interview during March 2012 >>> http://more2read.com/review/interview-with-robert-r-mccammon/

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Rocitaku

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

You know,

it's an incredibly weighty thing when you've read as many books as I have throughout my 41 years of life and you finish a book that becomes your new favorite of all time.

I never in a million years thought I'd read anything that could impress me as much as a Stephen King book. I mean,

for a long time Salem's Lot was the gold standard,

then it was The Shining,

and then IT. My favorite book for many, many years was IT. Until just now.

Boy's Life is my new favorite, standalone novel.

It's literally everything you could ever want in a book.

It's an adventure,

it's a mystery,

it's a thriller,

it's paranormal,

it's supernatural,

it's a coming of age tale,

it's nostalgic and modern at the same time.

It's personal and intimate but it's also a book for everyone. The protagonist, Cory and his dad,

remind me of the father/son relationship in Roald Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World,

one of my most beloved stories.

There are so many memorable scenes and lovable characters.

There are quotes that you could write down for days! I couldn't keep up with them all.

There were times when I laughed out loud and I'd tell my family what happened.

There was one time where my hubby was making dinner in the kitchen and I was sobbing,

reading a scene that nearly killed me--it just stopped my heart and I was bursting with emotion. My husband came in and was like,

"Oh no, what's wrong, what happened"....I told him and he let me cry on his shoulder while he laughed at me for crying over fictional characters.

I kept stopping after like 50 pages because I knew the more that I read,

the closer I would be to finishing and I never wanted it to end.

But it won't end will it? Not for me,

because I'll read this one a dozen more times and cherish it always. A beloved favorite story of all time. Thank you Mr. McCammon.

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-Anokata

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Boy's life is an enchanting and complex tapestry. It's like a crazy patchwork, vivid and multilayered, stitched together from boyish dreams and desires. There's a touch of magic and that long-forgotten power to fly that adults have left behind. It's a delicious dish, a blend of the sweet smiles and bitter tears of children. It's an entrance into a secret garden of our dreams, a realm filled with bloodthirsty monsters and noble sheriffs, heroes that once filled our childish imaginations. It's a nostalgic journey back to a time before TV, computers, and cell phones, when we truly talked to each other, made up stories, and let our imaginations run wild.

Boy's life is also a foray into a place where we lose some illusions and innocence. We realize that life isn't like a comic book, that even children can be hurt or die in accidents, and that our beloved four-footed friends can't follow us into adulthood. But who said everyone gets a happy ending? It's a brutal lesson of life, a clash with a world of the stronger, bullies, unjust laws, and racial prejudices. And yet, through it all, Cory, the sensitive and imaginative teenager, is the perfect narrator and guide. He opens the doors to the distant land of childhood, allowing us to shed the stiff corset of adulthood and responsibility for a precious moment. He takes our hand and gently leads us through this lost kingdom. In him, we can embrace our younger selves and immerse in those magical childlike years.

The message that we can't let the magic of life slip away, with all its naivety, is something I'll cherish. Boy's life is refreshingly free from unnecessary didacticism or moralizing. The truth is that we can't protect kids from every evil in the world. What we can do is listen to them, both to what they say and what they don't. We can't wrap them in cotton wool; we have to let them learn from their own mistakes, get cuts and bruises, experience failure and broken hearts. But we can guard and guide them, lead them through life, and one day, let them go to fly into the big wide world. And it's up to us to send them off without breaking their wings. 4.5/5

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sh3kh4wat

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Wow! To say that I loved this book is truly an understatement.

I don't know why it took me so many years to decide to read it. Perhaps it was the length that initially put me off; after all, the book is over 600 pages. However, I really shouldn't have let that stop me.

Once I got started, the story simply flowed and held my attention firmly until the very end.

The book begins with the narrator prefacing his story as an adult. He tells us that he firmly believes in magic, and then he proceeds to regale us with the events of the year when he was twelve years old in a charming little town called Zephyr.

It's the captivating story of Zephyr and its diverse assortment of colorful characters. It's not just a murder mystery; it's also a tale about monsters, both human and otherwise. It delves into themes of love and prejudice, ignorance and the grace of making good decisions.

It's about a boy who has the ability to fly with his friends, and it's about dreams that blend seamlessly with life to provide profound answers.

Most of all, it's about the journey of growing up and yet never losing the sense of magic that makes life truly wonderful.

Many thanks to the kind person who bought me this book. It is indeed a precious treasure that I will cherish for a long time.

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Jdstaff

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

See, this is my opinion: we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our ages. Told to grow up, for God's sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they'd allowed to wither in themselves.

Zephyr, Alabama, is an idyllic hometown for eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson - a place where monsters swim the river and friends are forever.

If you haven't read Boy's Life yet, if you don't even have a copy, drop everything you're doing and get a copy and read it. It's not everyday when a book comes along and burrows itself into your heart and soul. Stephen King couldn't have put it better when he said "Books are a uniquely portable magic" and this book IS magic. It's right in there, glittering between the pages.

Nothing I have read has so accurately and poignantly portrayed growing up. There's (hopefully) lots of joy and happiness and magic dispersed throughout your younger years, but unfortunately there can also be some heartbreak and loss, and McCammon beautifully presents all these different emotions seamlessly.

Cory's coming-of-age tale is intertwined with the unravelling of the mystery of a dead body in his small town. The two different threads are woven together so intricately and McCammon does an incredible job of moving both storylines along at a pace that feels natural. Boy's Life is not ABOUT the mystery, but it's about Cory as an adult looking back at the magical place where he grew up. McCammon's writing itself is some of the best I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and he manages to cover so many themes with such ease - childhood, realism, racism, fantasy, death - I am truly in awe.

You will laugh and you will undoubtedly cry (unless you have a cold black stone residing in your chest instead of a heart). And when I say cry, I mean UGLY cry. There's no beautiful solitary tear rolling down the cheek. There is full-on sobbing. There was a particular scene towards the end involving Cory's father that was really personal for me and what I took away from it will stay with me forever.

Not only one of my favourite books of 2018, but one of the best books I've read in my life. It's a book that will touch your heart, make you laugh, make you cry, and make you remember the magic of your own childhood. ALL. THE. STARS.

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RanWinged

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating story about Cory Mackenson.

It is a rich and multi-faceted tale that delves into the age-old themes of good versus evil, the power of friendship and family, the ugly face of racism, and the unique charm and challenges of small town life.

Adding an extra layer of intrigue is a touch of fantasy that weaves throughout the narrative.

The town of Zephyr, Alabama is brought to life with a cast of wonderful and diverse characters, both the kind-hearted and the less savory.

The heart of the story lies in the moment when Cory and his dad witness a truly horrible scene one early morning while out on their milk delivery route. This experience deeply haunts Cory's dad, and Cory becomes determined to solve the mystery and restore his dad's well-being.

As we follow Cory on his journey, we are treated to a truly wonderful and engaging tale that keeps us on the edge of our seats.

I am now eagerly looking forward to reading the other book I own by this talented author, Speaks The Nightbird.

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TheLegendOfDan

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

”It seemed to me at an early age that all human communication—whether it’s TV, movies, or books—begins with somebody wanting to tell a story. That need to tell, to plug into a universal socket, is probably one of our grandest desires. And the need to hear stories, to live lives other than our own for even the briefest moment, is the key to the magic that was born in our bones.”

This is truly one of the most enchanting and heartwarming coming-of-age stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is a mesmerizing tale that effortlessly weaves together elements of humor, sadness, and touching moments. It has the power to make you laugh out loud one moment and bring tears to your eyes the next.

Cory Mackenson has quickly become my second favorite narrator of all time, right after Robert Charles Wilson’s Adam Hazzard in his masterpiece, Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America. The way Cory’s childhood memories are presented through the eyes of his 12-year-old self is simply delicious. It allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in his world and experience all the joys, sorrows, and adventures along with him.

This book strongly reminds me of the classic movie Stand by Me. Just like in the movie, we follow the adventures of four friends, their curiosity, the troubles they get into, their hidden treasures, their moments of joy and mischief, and unfortunately, their encounter with death. The similarities are uncanny and add an extra layer of depth and nostalgia to the story.

I had so much I wanted to write about this book, but words seem to fail me. It is just too beautiful for words. You really have to read it for yourself to truly understand and appreciate its magic. So, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Boy's Life

robert mccammon

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