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Boy's Life (Hardcover)

by Robert R. McCammon (Author) "Cory? WAKE UP, SON ..." (more)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (199 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 440 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (July 1991)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671742264
ISBN-13: 978-0671742263
Product Dimensions: 22.4 x 15.2 x 3.6 cm
Shipping Weight: 704 g

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (199 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

McCammon ( Swan Song ; Mine ) hangs this expertly told episodic tale on the bones of a skeleton that becomes symbolic of evil doings in the quiet waters of small-town life. Twelve-year-old Cory Mackenson is assisting his father, Tom, with predawn milk deliveries when a car shoots across the road and plunges into "bottomless" Lake Saxon. Diving to the rescue, Tom finds a nude, beaten and strangled corpse handcuffed to the steering wheel of the sinking car. Cory glimpses a sinister figure watching from the edge of the woods but discovers only an odd green feather at the spot. The ensuing search for the killer proves to be a rite of passage for both Cory and his father. Set in fictional Zephyr, Ala., in pre-civil rights 1964, this evocative novel is successful on more than one level. The mystery will satisfy the most finicky aficionado; McCammon has also produced a boisterous, poignant travelogue through a stormy season in one boy's life, peopled with the zaniest, most memorable Southern characters since those of Harper Lee.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1964, 12-year-old Cory Mackenson lives with his parents in Zephyr, Alabama. It is a sleepy, comfortable town. Cory is helping with his father's milk route one morning when a car plunges into the lake before their eyes. His father dives in after the car and finds a dead man handcuffed to the steering wheel. Their world no longer seems so innocent: a vicious killer hides among apparently friendly neighbors. Other, equally unsettling transmogrifications occur: a friend's father becomes a shambling bully under the influence of moonshine, decent men metamorphose into Klan bigots, "responsible" adults flee when faced with danger for the first time. With the aid of unexpected allies, Cory faces hair-raising dangers as he seeks to find the secret of the dead man in the lake. McCammon writes an exciting adventure story. He also gives us an affecting tale of a young man growing out of childhood in a troubled place and time. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/91; Literary Guild dual main selection.
- David Keymer, SUNY Inst. of Technology, Utica
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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"Cory? WAKE UP, SON. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

199 Reviews

5 star:		(182)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (199 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Pure, delightful enchantment!, Jun 10 2004

By	DanD - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy's Life (Mass Market Paperback)

It's 1964, a time of racism and turmoil. Zephyr, Alabama, is a small town, but it's caught up in the events of the world, too. There's no escaping reality, as one boy, Cory Mackenson, is about to find out.

It begins when Cory and his father witness a car disappearing into a lake rumored to be bottomless. Cory's father dives in, and before the car goes completely under, he witnesses something terrifying: a man, handcuffed to the wheel, with copper wire around his throat. Murdered.

But summer is coming. A summer filled with wonder, mystery, magic, and tragedy. It is a summer where Cody will realize that magic can really happen; where he will witnesses a creature that should've been extinct millions of years ago; where he will discover the power and love of family, and the unbreakable bond of friendship; where he will know terror as no one ever has.

Robert R. McCammon's writing is not always consistent. Some of his novels, such as "Mystery Walk," have been almost unreadable; others, such as "Stinger" and "Swan Song," have been enjoyable but forgettable; others, such as "Wolf's Hour," have been masterpieces. "Boy's Life" belongs in this latter category.

A comparison to Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" is unavoidable; however, McCammon manages to throw something into his tale that even Bradbury could not: suspense. This is a suspense novel, set aound a young boy and his quest for the truth, no matter what the cost.

"Boy's Life" is completely enchanting and thoroughly unforgettable. It is a novel for fans of any literay genre. It is, plain and simple, a masterpiece.

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5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, Jul 12 2004

By	R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy's Life (Mass Market Paperback)

Once in a while you find a rare book which stays in your mind long after your finished it. Boy's Life is just that. The story is simply beautiful and still captures my heart and imagination after reading it the second time, 10 years later. McCammon is famous for his horrors. But in Boy's Life, Mc Cammon has written a brilliant story filled with sensitivity, humanity and emotional depth. It is about a 11 year old boy coming of age. Narrated in the endearing young boy's, Cory's, voice, Boy's Life captures what is meant to be a child once, when the world is still magical and filled with wonders, when a bicycle is a boy's steed, friendship is permanent, a dog is one's best friend and even "flying" is possible. And Boy's Life has its moments of poignancy when Cory has to deal with his best friends' death, evil when and where he least expects and bigotry in his young world. Boy's Life just tugs at my heart as it glows with warmth and comfort when parental love overcome the fears of growing up and always there to rely on in a child's life. Boy's Life is truly a treasure and I promise myself to read this gem again in another 5-10 years time.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Still Holds Up After a Decade!, Jun 14 2004

By	Graboidz (Westminster, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boy's Life (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read "Boy's Life" when it was first published over 10 years ago. I was still a young'un in college and could really relate to Cory's tale of childhood chills & thrills. I always thought "Boy's Life" was McCammon's best novel. I have often thought of this book and now with a son of my own I wanted to re-read "Boy's Life" and to capture again it's magic of youth and boyhood fantasy. I was worried though, because I began wondering if when I read again, a book that I remember so fondly, would I still view it the same and would it still have the same impact on me? I would have hated to find "Boy's Life" was something I had outgrown, or found the memory of the story and the story itself we completely different. The great news is that "Boy's Life" is still fantastic and is simply one of the greatest coming of age stories available. The magic and mystery of the novel are wonderful, and I found myself caught up once again in the goings on in the town of Zephyr. If you haven't read "Boy's Life" or were hesitant based on it being written by a "horror" writer, give this wonderful novel a chance. It is unlike anything McCammon has written, and most likely, even coming out of his semi-retirement, will remain unlike anything he will write. Also, if you have read this novel and enjoyed it, make sure you pick up Dan Simmons' "Summer of Night". "Summer of Night" is stronger in the horror department, but the feel and flow of the book is very similar to "Boy's Life".

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Great
I was born in 1969 and grew up in Brooklyn, so Cory's little town and historical events were not part of my world, but his childhood adventures and fears sure were. Read more

Published on Jun 5 2004 by Carlos A. Melendez

4.0 out of 5 stars A Boy's Life Is One Of Many Tales and Trials
Robert McCammon's Boy's Life is one that should reach anyone and everyone. Whether through the many adventures that Cory, the boy, is taken or just through McCammon's artful... Read more

Published on April 5 2004 by M. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense/Nostalgia from McCammon
Cory Mackenson (doppelganger to author Robert McCammon) is about to experience the summer of his life. Read more

Published on Mar 25 2004 by Craig Clarke

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book, Ever.
Out of the thousands of books I've read over the years nothing compares to the joys and sadness this book can envoke. I buy this for every new friend I make. Read it, today!

Published on Feb 23 2004 by K. Blodgett