Look, up in the sky!! Is that Lil' Nemo’s baseball hurtling to Earth with such an impact that it’ll wipe out all of mankind?

Sucker! Made you look.

I almost gave this three stars!

Oh, the inhumanity!!

I wasn’t quite as smitten by this book as some of my more learned friends – you know who you are.

McCammon is a fine writer. He creates some evocative characters. He lays out some of the most remarkable scenes that I have ever read. Some of his passages threw me back to my own youth. He can turn a phrase…

…But…

For the first one hundred and fifty pages or so I was lulled into thinking this was going to be a straight up narrative about growing up in the Deep South with a dead body thrown in for kicks. A blurb on the cover compared it to “Prince of Tides”, yet no main character was twisted by repressed, deep seated anger or shame. No Barbara Streisand reference or escaped-convicts-gone-amok scene could I find. There are sweet, lyrical passages about being a boy, and the book is laden with them for sure.

This one starts off like gangbusters. Murder and quaint childhood memories for the win! Then, McCammon starts tossing in one fantasy element after another. I was reeling, my head was spinning and after I sobered up I was still a tad confused and disenchanted. Nobody likes crazy nude characters or booger eating red heads or poo flinging monkeys or literary brothels more than me. If the evil, prancing monkey had been dressed up like Stonewall Jackson…. or had worn a Beatles wig I wouldn’t have hesitated to give this tome a solid four stars.

That said, as McCammon added on each bizarre plot element, it felt like watching Jackson Pollack gone amok with his finger paint set. My enthusiasm took another hit and my desire to continue reading diminished just a bit.

What would be next? Aliens anal-probing the mayor? The Demon red-head creates a killer robot? The Branlin brothers open up a House of Strawberry Pancakes Satan down the street? Cory’s mom pulls a plus one on Sweeny Todd and starts packing her pies with hillbilly meat?

Four stars which is secretly three and a half stars for some fine writing and out-of-the-box plotting that someone smarter than me can appreciate. Plus, it took me back to my own misbegotten childhood.

This was a buddy read with the crème de la crème of Pantless folk – they know who they are.

The year is 1964. The place is a small town named Zephyr in Alabama. It was a time when the start of summer held a certain kind of magic. Cory, Davy Ray, Ben, and Johnny, childhood buddies, were all twelve years old.

As I read this coming-of-age story, it was impossible not to feel a wave of nostalgia. I, too, was twelve in the summer of 1964. There were no cell phones, no cable TV, no PCs. It was a simpler era. We spent our time riding bicycles, exploring the world around us, playing hard, and learning life's lessons one by one. Milk was still delivered to our front porches in the early hours of the morning by the neighborhood milkman. Oxygen tents were used in hospitals, and Moon Pies were extremely popular. School teachers seemed ancient, and the seating arrangement was boy, girl, boy, girl. Long division was taught without the aid of a calculator. There were no superstores in sight, but there were Piggly-Wiggly grocery stores and Woolworth's 5 & 10 stores. Baseball games were broadcast on the radio.

The parallel between the youthful schoolyard bullies, Gordo and Gotha Branlin, who were just mean and stupid, and the Blaylock clan, thugs said to be "meaner 'n horny rattlers", was quite interesting. They were nothing but grown-up bullies.

Kid humor was spread throughout the story, including the observation of farts that were silent but deadly. It all seemed very accurate based on my own recollection. I was also struck by something Cory's dad said to his son, that when it rains while the sun is shining, it means the devil is beating his wife. My own father had shared the same saying with me, with the only difference being that the devil was spanking his wife when this phenomenon occurred.

This is the first time I have read Robert McCammon, and what a storyteller he is! "Boy's Life" is definitely going on my top 10 all-time favorites shelf. It was a stellar read!

If I had to pick JUST ONE book that was my favorite (with a gun to my head, obviously, which is the only way I could ever choose between my favorite books), I would choose this one without hesitation.

It blew me away the first time I read it, and it continues to have that same powerful impact each and every time I pick it up.

I'm getting all shivery right now, just thinking of the joy and inspiration I'll experience when I read it again.

My favorite quote from the book is this: "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 it 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 age. 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."

This quote really speaks to me and makes me think about how society often tries to suppress our natural creativity and imagination.

Update: $1.99 Kindle US 9/21/19


I am truly at a loss for words when it comes to this book. It has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. At first, I thought it would simply be about the mystery of who murdered someone and a father and son's attempts to solve that mystery. However, it turned out to be so much more.


Even though the events in the book took place a little before my time, so many of the things that happened in Cory's childhood were eerily familiar. Growing up, I heard countless stories from my family, and many of the same themes and experiences were present in my own childhood. It was almost like a trip down memory lane.


The mystery that unfolded throughout the book was captivating. I was on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. And when I finally reached the end, it was both satisfying and emotional.


This book had me laughing and crying. Some parts made my heart soar with joy and hope, while others made it plummet at the sight of the atrocities committed by evil people. It truly had a little bit of everything. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone. It is a must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery, a touching story, and a book that will stay with them long after they have finished reading.

What a great rollicking adventure of a book!

The time was 1964 (even though the book was written in 1991) and it takes place in Zephyr in North Alabama. Cory, a youngfella, has all kinds of adventures with his friends and all the quirky characters in town.

There were some bits that did not work for me at all. However, a couple really resonated. One involved a beloved dog and a boy doing everything to keep him alive. It doesn't always come out how we like it, but I thought it was very well done. Another was a best friend dying and how well the author handled that.

Other than that, over 600+ pages, Boy's Life is an ongoing series of one adventure after another. Magical realism (and unrealism) are at the fore. I'm glad I invested in this one. It's well worth it.

I found myself completely immersed in Cory's world, experiencing his joys and sorrows along with him. The descriptions of the town and its inhabitants were so vivid that I could picture them clearly in my mind.

The adventures were exciting and full of twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

Overall, Boy's Life is a wonderful read that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good adventure story.

Boy's Life is an outstanding coming-of-age novel intertwined with a murder mystery. Set in south Alabama in 1964, it follows 12-year-old Cory Mackenson as he experiences the joys and terrors of growing up with his friends Davy Ray, Johnny, and Ben, and his pet dog Rebel. The story vividly brings back memories of a time when the world was both exciting and scary, with bullies, bicycles, girls, mean teachers, and awful classmates.

One morning, Cory witnesses a murder while helping his father on his milk round, changing their lives forever. The book is filled with numerous sub-plots, including the KKK, voodoo, dinosaurs, ghosts, and fugitive Nazis. It features many great characters, and my favorite is Vernon Thaxter, a wise fool who is always naked and reminds me of Peter Pan.

This marvelous book means different things to different people and can be enjoyed at any age. It is both humorous and dark, and at 530 pages, it doesn't feel too long. On a personal note, a close friend passed away while I was reading this book, and I stopped for a while. But I was quickly drawn back because Boy's Life is a celebration of all the magical moments and memories we have.

“They will always be there, as long as magic lives. And magic has a strong, strong heart.”

Thank you, Robert McCammon, for writing such a beautiful book and taking me on such a heartwarming journey.

This was one of those books that you come across rave reviews about and immediately think that you'd love to read it. However, it then simply gets added to your ever-growing TBR pile and you end up forgetting about it for a while. That's precisely what happened to me. It took me far longer than it should have to finally pick this up. But oh, what a read it turned out to be!

The story is rather difficult to explain in a concise manner, yet it's easy to draw comparisons to "The Body" by Stephen King due to the numerous similarities. However, doing so would be rather lazy and would do this book a great disservice. There is so much happening within these pages. There are a plethora of interwoven themes, all revolving around a mystery that lies at the bottom of a lake. Some elements are fantastical, transporting you to a world beyond imagination. Some are racial, delving into the complex issues of society. Some are scary, sending shivers down your spine. And some are coming of age, exploring the journey of growing up. All of this is packed into a hefty 600 pages.

On the surface, it may have seemed to amble along at first and not hook me immediately (but it didn't take long, maybe just about 50 pages). And there were perhaps some elements that I would have preferred to be fleshed out a bit more. For instance, I never really got a true sense of the friendship between the group. I knew it was there, but the characters were a bit too interchangeable and nobody but Cory really stood out. However, these are just minor quibbles. I gave this book a rare 5 stars overall. I absolutely loved reading about the town, the relationships, the people, and uncovering the mystery. This was my first book by Robert McCammon, but I really liked his writing style. I'm now more than happy to explore his horror and historical fiction works as it's clear that this man has some serious writing chops!

Why did I put this one off for so long? Why, why, why?

Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Certainly one of the finest novels about the magic of childhood that I've ever read — and probably the most realistic, at least based on my childhood experiences. Maybe it's because I, like the protagonist of this novel (and Robert McCammon himself), grew up in Alabama. Boy's Life is spot-on, and I felt like a child once more while untangling the mystery of the strange murder in Zephyr.

Not much I can say about this one, except it's just friggin' wonderful. I only wish it were longer. Thank you, Mr. McCammon, for reminding me that magic does exist.

The words in the novel, such as “You know, I do believe in magic. I was born and raised in a magic time, in a magic town, among magicians. Oh, most everybody else didn’t realize we lived in that web of magic, connected by silver filaments of chance and circumstance. But I knew it all along. When I was twelve years old, the world was my magic lantern, and by its green spirit glow I saw the past, the present and into the future. You probably did too; you just don’t recall it. 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 age. 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.\\", really touched my heart. They beautifully describe the magic that exists within us as children and how it gradually fades away as we grow up. It makes me reflect on my own childhood and the magic that I may have lost along the way. This novel is not just a story about a mystery, but also a journey into the essence of childhood and the importance of holding onto that magic.

**Boy's Life: A Journey of Magic and Growing Up**

In 1964, Cory Mackenson, a 12-year-old boy in Zephyr, Alabama, witnesses a tragic event. One cold morning, while helping his father deliver milk, they see a car plunge into a lake. His father dives in to save the man, only to find him beaten, strangled, and handcuffed to the wheel. The car sinks, and the mystery of the dead man's identity and origin remains unsolved. Cory's father is haunted by this, and the family is drawn into his suffering.

While Boy's Life is a mystery novel, it's primarily a coming-of-age story. Cory struggles to hold onto the magic of childhood as he faces growing up. The book covers about a year of his life, filled with encounters with friends, bullies, and the charming townspeople of Zephyr. It's a treat to follow Cory's journey and see what he learns about people and life.

This book brought back memories of the magic I forgot in my own childhood. Growing up in the '80's, before the internet and cell phones, my childhood was like Cory's. We explored our neighborhood on bikes, free from the constant connection of technology. Technology is great, but it makes me sad that kids today may never experience life without that tether.

I highly recommend this book. It's enjoyable storytelling with a great mystery. I couldn't put it down.

"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 age. 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."

We are in the 1960s in Zephyr, a small town in Alabama. The twelve-year-old Cory accompanies his father during the delivery shift. Suddenly, a car emerges and plunges into Saxon Lake, disappearing into its depths. Inside is a lifeless man, without identity. An unsolved crime that remains in the background from the first to the last page.

Thus begins "The Boy's Life", a novel written in 1991 by Robert McCammon. With just a few words, we are in front of a masterpiece.

"The Boy's Life" is a book that talks about nostalgia and change.

Change... The essence of this book. The world is changing with the arrival of plastic, the blooming of new cultural and musical movements, the smell of Vietnam. The United States is changing where the African American community is fighting for its rights and mass production is overwhelming local activities, but above all, Cory, our protagonist, is changing. 12 years old, an age on the cusp between being a child and becoming an adult. Cory begins to understand the adult world and its difficulties, he finds himself face to face with complex family situations, he knows the pain of loss and abandonment.

Cory loves cinema and adventure stories, he loves to read and write fantasy stories. He sees the world through the eyes of a child, everything around him is magical, so much so that the legends and mysteries of Zephyr come to life. The magic lies in the little things like the end of school and the beginning of summer, the arrival of Halloween and Christmas, the best friends and the baseball games, the camping and the visits to the amusement park.

A phase of life that all of us have lived, a phase full of uncertainties and curiosities, a phase where fear and the desire to discover are equal.

For this reason, I talk about nostalgia. The reading of this novel has taken me back in time. With a bit of regret, I have thought of my boyhood self, my schoolmates, the past summers spent cycling around, the afternoons at the little field, waiting for Christmas. "The Boy's Life" is a sweet enchantment, the caress of a memory, an exciting and moving book. Do yourself a favor and read it!

I have an intense love for this book.

I would bestow upon it all the stars in the sky, along with a charming bouquet of wildflowers, and even half of my delicious chocolate popsicle.

I have an overwhelming desire to shout from the rooftops and tell everyone to read it, because it is simply breathtakingly beautiful.

"Boy's Life" is the captivating story of Cory Mackleson. Set in 1964 in the small town of Zephyr, Alabama, Cory is just a regular 12-year-old boy. He has a passion for monster movies, a love for baseball, enjoys riding his bike, and adores his faithful dog Rebel. His father works as a milkman, while his mother is constantly fretting. However, 1964 is about to be an extremely eventful year for Cory, filled with elements of murder, magic, monsters, and mystery.

This book is truly one of the best coming-of-age tales I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I give it my highest recommendation without any hesitation!

I am not going to "Review" this book because I truly feel that I am not at all worthy of it. Nor am I going to tell in great detail what this book is about.

I am simply eager to showcase my personal affection for it.

I am so completely entranced by this book and by Robert R McCammon that I firmly believe I won't be able to enjoy any other book for a long while.

In a nutshell, this book is about, as you might have guessed, A Boy's life. It details his adventures and misadventures, as well as his encounter with the magical world that lies in fragments within his little town of Zephyr.

It delves into the realms of family, friendship, joy, loss, tragedy, darkness, and of course, magic in such an incredibly profound and stunning manner that you'll be left gasping for air.

It is one of those rare books that are written so exquisitely that you start seeing and reading things that aren't even explicitly there. It's like uncovering a magical dimension that you couldn't notice upon first glance. It's as if you're breaking through the barriers of WORDS, SENTENCES, BOOK, and WRITER and plunging right into this world that lies hidden right before your very eyes.

It made me smile like never before, cry like never before, laugh like never before, be surprised like never before, and finally be overwhelmed like never before.

In conclusion, THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ.