This is the first book I have read by the author and what a great introduction. Considering this book was written in the early 90's, the 12-year old Cory M. main character, was a harbinger of the "magical boy"
at the edge of adolescence. Ala Harry Potter, Cory has the sixth sense. Though there are elements of horror, this is mainly a autobiography of kids in the 60's. The feel of the time is right, with boys on bikes looking for adventure and trying to escape the misery of school. And surely one can remember that magic did seem to be in the air at that age. The characters are well-developed and the mystery, who is the drowned man in the lake?, is nicely woven through, but not always the main focus. More importantly, Cory and his friends begin to glimpse the adult world, maybe just as scary as the horror stuff. Dad loses his job, Mom is a worry-wart, and Cory faces love and death. Did not want it to end and felt the post-script of life in the 90's, did not add. A different type of horror/mystery story and great change of pace.

Robert McCammon really did an awsome job writing this book. It expresses everything in a young boy's life. The dissapointments such as: loosing a friend to a bullet, your dog dying, and having your dad layed off from work. On the other hand it also tells about great things such as: getting a new bike, catching a criminal, going to a circus, and many other things. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that will keep you reading till the last page.

Great characters, great plot, great setting- this book is fun to read. Think Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird and the film The Sand Lot!
I haven't read any other McCammon novels and I'm not sure he could write a better one then this. Aside from reading The Grapes of Wrath, this was the best book I read this summer!

I am a huge fan of Robert McCammon and this book is one of the best reasons why. The writing is so engrossing that you can get lost in the story and not even want to find your way out. The characters are all richly drawn and can stand on their own, not just as sounding boards for the main character, Cory, an 11 year old boy. If you have read the reviews this far down you will already know the plot, and all I can add is that if you take a chance and read the book you will be better off for the journey. The beautiful writing will break your heart and make you laugh out loud. What more could you ask for?

i have to wonder about anyone that gives less than four stars for this book. i have been giving copies of this book to friends for years. this i think is hands down the best book of growing up in the south since to kill a mockingbird and that my friends is high praise indeed. i would not hesitate to reccomend this book to anyone, ever! the man can write and the book is absolutely fantastic! treat yourself to a great read and get this book. also like another reviewer stated dan simmons "summer of night" is pretty darn good also! read and enjoy.

If I was given the choice to read one book before I died, this would be the book. A true classic and should be required reading in every English class across America.

First: this should be required reading for every young person in America. McCammon paints a perfect picture of life in the deep south during the 60's. The principles young Corey learns are as true today as they were then. Second: This book represents real life. Sure Corey's lessons came from more dramatic circumstances, but who among us didn't learn the same life lessons in our own fashion. This is one of the finest stories of innocence lost through experience examples I can ever remember reading. Thank you Mr. McCammon! This book IS what a great book should be: a compelling story that encourages us, the reader, an opportunity to drift away to a magic place.

I've always thought a good author creates pure magic with a great story. Robert McCammon does just that with Boy's Life. There's mystery, suspense, humor, horror, spooky things, and just about every sentence will command that you keep reading well past the time you usually go to bed. This author is very gifted and as this was my intro to him, I plan on reading everything else by McCammon I can lay my hands on. Ignore the 'poor man's Stephen King' tags that were placed on him and discover another author who will take you far into a magical realm when you start reading the first page. You won't regret it. Brilliant book!

Robert McCammon is the Mark Twain of today's culture. Boy's Life is a tale of a youth growing up in a small community who experiences adventures that we as adults tend to forget. McCammon recaptures those feelings we as children use to have when we rode our bikes and plotted to take over the town bullies. As always when he writes a book, Robert McCammon has produced a classic.

I read Boy's Life" a few years ago and it is McCammon's best work by far although "Gone South" is quite good. This is a book that any boy born in the fifties to sixties could really relate to. I have had a few female friends from that era who also greatly enjoyed it.

There is no way to describe this wonderful ride but to say you must read it and then pass it on.

This is one of the best books I've read. I love reading "coming of age" books. If you liked this book, you may like Painted House by John Grisham. Another book about a boy coming of age. Also enjoyed Swan Song and They Thirst by Robert McCammon.

I just re-read this book, and it still shines! I don't understand why it has not been made into a film yet. It is similar in ways to Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes, but also similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. A great book for all ages!

This is without a doubt the best coming-of-age American novel since To Kill a Mockingbird. Some have compared it to Wild Strawberries and Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. But McCammon is a master in his own right. Like me, you'll probably read it every few years for pure enjoyment. Too bad there has never be a sequel from McCammon.

The closet most enjoyable novel I've found since is Elvis and Me A Mystery Thriller. Although Elvis the King of Rock makes a cameo appearance, the novel is another coming of age tale set in the nostalgic 60's. Baby boomers will eat it up and younger readers will relate to the boy and his rag tag group of friends who stubble upon a killer who prowls the night in a big hulking black Caddie.
ELVIS AND ME: A MYSTERY THRILLER FEATURING ELVIS PRESLEY




Coming of age thriller set in small town America. Nostalgic look at the 60's

Just a great, great book about a boy, a dog and a bicycle in a small town just like the one you grew up in. So much happens in the story, a murder, a monster and other mysteries seen through the eyes and imagination of 12 year old Cory as he stumbles through his youth. McCammon has a style filled with gems that can only come from the pen of a southern writer, like Cory's comment about his teacher... "Mrs. Neville was speaking in her kindly voice right now, but when she was upset she could spit sparks that made that falling meteor look like a dud." Through all the thrilling happenings the friendship and family love come through with memorable characters in this rare book that I honestly did not want to end. My only regret is that the book comes only in paperback as I want to keep it for my kids and to read again.

I loved how the begginning started and I like the fact that Robert McCammon explained the characters so vividly.My father read this about 15 years ago and then he reread it while I was reading it and he rerealized how much he liked it. I think that Boy's Life was a great story about a twelve year old kid Cory Mackenson and what he had to go through as a kid and what other traumitizing events happened to him. I hope that this book will have a sequel but you never know with Robert McCammon. I never wanted the book to end but unfortunately it did end. This book was full of action, mystery, secrets, magic, and the past. My favorite quotation was what the Lady said "You don't know where you're going until you know where you've been" and I think that that quote is very true. This book was one of the longest books I have ever read but I enjoyed every last bit of it. The book was a little sad when Rebel died and also when Davy Ray died but that's how life goes there's no way to prevent it but life goes on and you have to move with it. Boy's Life was so thrilling to read but at certain parts I just wanted to get through that part but that was only some of the sadder parts and very suspenseful moments. I thought that it was a very moving book and it felt that while you read it you were in the story. I think that pretty much covers my point so I hope you read it and see how you feel about.

Rarely have I mourned the ending of a book. I recall feeling a similar sadness and longing as I completed To Kill a Mocking Bird and I dreamed of this story and wished for more for days after finishing it. The author has you hooked from the opening. His words translate across genders, across races, across generations for he proves the themes of youth are universal and timeless. I have read this book at least a half-dozen times, and like another reviewer, have passed on copies to friends who are amazed that they have never heard of it before. Truly, this book is a gem which leaves you feeling rejuveniated as you have been given the gift of being a child again- for at least a few more days. Enjoy and pass it along when you are finished!

Here's some wonderful lines from Robert McCammon's Boy's Life.

"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 they knew made them ashamed and sad of what they'd allowed to wither in themselves."

McCammon wrote the following wonderful poem as a preface to his story.

We ran like young wild furies,
where angels feared to tread.
The woods were dark and deep.
Before us demons fled.
We checked Coke bottle bottoms
to see how far was far.
Our worlds of magic wonder
were never reached by car.
We loved our dogs like brothers,
our bikes like rocket ships.
We were going to the stars,
to Mars we'd make round trips.
We swung on vines like Tarzan,
and flashed Zorro's keen blade.
We were James Bond in his Aston,
we were Hercules unchained.
We looked upon the future
and we saw a distant land,
where our folks were always ageless,
and time was shifting sand.
We filled up life with living,
with grins, scabbed knees, and noise.
In glass I see an older man,
but this book's for the boys.

Every once and awhile a book makes you pause. It may be for only a moment or maybe longer. It may be just once or maybe more. These seemingly rare occasions happen to reflect on a genuine appreciation for the writing, which I certainly had for Robert McCammon as I read Boy's Life. It has been a long time since I read a book like this.

The story, at times, became strange. A few pieces of the plot revolved around unbelievable and even supernatural events. They were central to the story, but they still felt out of place in it. A story about a boy growing up in the south, however, needs some excitement to make it worth reading. I feel comfortable in saying that your childhood was nothing like the one chronicled in Boy's Life.

Best friends. Bullies. That brand-new bike. Baseball. McCammon describes each of these themes in Boy's Life. Each is celebrated in its own way and none becomes cliché. With the nostalgic thoughts which will swirl around in your head, so too come harsh realities. We grow up. We drift apart from those to whom we were the closest. The world moves on, but sometimes people, places and relationships cannot keep up.

The supernatural elements to the story made it unrealistic to be sure. However, without them the story could not have progressed. If you are looking for a writer's words which will hold you with the tenderness of a mother's arms please do not be discouraged by the sometimes-bizarre nature of the plot.

I read this book when I was about twelve years old. The fact that I still can remember the joy I felt while reading this book all these years later says a lot for the absolute beauty of this masterpiece.

It's the kind of book that kids should have to be forced to read at school. It's full of honest wonder, and the kind of magic that makes you feel like you are partaking on the adventure along with the main character.

Please Mr. McCammon... Please tell us some more stories!!

The first page of this book is a poem that captures childhood better than anything I have ever read. I found the book itself a little slow to start, but the pace kept picking up, and, by page fifty, I couldn't put it down. This book reminded me of so many things I had forgotten about being young. In my mind, the only book that compares on this front is IT by Stephen King. The two books are drastically different, but both King and McCammon have an amazing recollection of what it was like to be young. Both of them also manage to mix the fantastic with the real in order to produce stories that communicate the depth of the childhood experience. Monsters (both imagined and real), parents, bullies, and mysteries -- all these things are present in this great book.

I heartily recommend this book to everyone.

I have gladly bought this book at least 14 times as I constantly give it away to friends looking for a good read with the cavit that they must pass it on as well. Truly one of the few books that left me with conflicting emotions when I finished. Happiness because of the tale and sadness as I was left longing for more.Nice to see someone excell in a different genre.

The book arrived in great condition in a timely manner - one of the main reaons we use Amazon. As always, it was a pleasure dealing with Amazon!

This was my 1st McCammon book. Needless to say now I'm hooked. This story has so much feeling and depth. Have you ever read something that makes you feel so strong it hurts? It brings fantasy, desires and dreams to the surface. Its beautifully written and a story you wont soon forget. Probably the best book I've ever read.

This is one of my favorite all-time books and includes some of the most beautiful prose passages. I have given this book to many people (male and female) and they have all agreed to the greatness of the book. There are few books I have read more than three times and this is one of them. I highly recommend this as a modern classic.

This is a fairly entertaining novel that reads more like a collection of loosely connected stories held together by the common thread of the murder mystery that haunts Cory's father.

Characters appear and disappear that have no bearing on the outcome of the novel. Event occurs that do not further the story along. Even the death of one major character halfway through is pretty lackluster. That character could have stayed alive and it would not have altered the story at all.

Nemo Curtiss and his amazing throwing arm was a great character but he's out of the story before you know it. I wished there was more of Old Moses. I was hoping he would have played a greater role in the story than his one and only appearance during the flood. And the mystery is solved, or rather we're told who did it by perpetually nude Vernon Thaxter 3/4 of the way into the novel. Then there's another 1/4 to go through before getting to the conclusion.

Essentially the story could have been told in half the length but it is very entertaining, fantastical and fun. It's not a horror story but rather a murder mystery peppered with fantasy and the supernatural. A good read but I wouldn't read it again.

Where to begin? I read Boy's Life back when I was in college. It enchanted me back then. This book is one of those books you want to share with the world. I want everyone I know to read this book. Some stories you forget as quickly as you read them. Others linger with you much longer. The beauty of them stays with you. Boy's Life is such a book.

Yes, McCammon's novels fall into the horror genre. And Boy's Life has some fantastical elements to it. But, these elements add a magic to the tale that makes you remember what it is like to be young. It forces you to remember that you were GOOD at being young. It makes you long for your youth and as you read it, you can almost grasp the magic of being a child. Almost. As you finish the novel your fingertips skim the surface of childhood magic. And when you close the book for the last time, you may sigh and the magic gently fades away as you get up to move on to your everyday chores.

Every once in a while you'll go back to this book. To reread it. To revisit Cory, the Lady, Old Moses, and the house where the bad girls live. You'll cheer for the dinosaur on Merchant Street and the boy with the perfect arm. You'll smile sweetly at Davy Ray and Rebel. You'll laugh at Granddaddy Jaybird and Lucifer.

And you'll remember that magic has a strong, strong heart.

Reading this book I was immediately transported into 1964 and was enthralled during the whole length of the book. I can sit here and tell you I loved the Story, which I did, but what makes this book so head and shoulders over Robert McCammon contemporaries is its pure poetry. Every single word, every sentence structure is just so perfect that many times I read and re-read a sentence or paragraphs over and over again. Every parent should give this book to their kids as a gift to cherish. Lastly, I just want to say Robert McCammon you need to write more. PLEASE!!!

I was required to read this my senior year in highschool, and fell in love with the story. It is a story that reminded me of the joys of childhood imagination and carefree times. As I'm graduating college in two months, I reread the story and it still captured my heart... I'd reccomend this book to anyone of any age.

This was the first R.R. McCammon book that I was able to wisp right through while sinking directly into the magnificent, mystical, and well crafted, and exciting story. After reading this pure masterpiece, I knew that R.R. McCammon couldn't write a more greater piece of Fantasy/Horror literature no matter what. I still became enthrauled by his work but have have not been able to convince myself to pick up anything else he's wrote because I know this is his epic, his masterpiece, and the book that he will be remembered for long after his death.

So why is Boy's life one of my favorite books you ask? The story is all about Cory Mackenson growing up in his wonderous town Zephyr, Alabama, where the strangest things you could never expect would happen do anyway. In Zephyr there are a number of strange beings and events that exist and happen in Cory's life such as: A giant reptillian beast known as "Old Moses", that wrecks havoc on the town near the river, where he lives, when the town all of sudden gets flooded by a storm. There is an african American woman that contains mystical powers of the future Simply called "The Lady", whom Cory becomes good friends with along with his parents. Cory becomes good friends with an old man at the barbershop one day, who is actually an ex-cowboy gunfighter who saved Wyatt Earp at the fight of the O.K. Corral. Cory, when his old rusted bike breaks down, gets a new bike from the The Lady for saving the town from Old Moses's terror, that actually has a mind of it's own, a golden orb in the light for an eye, and can pedal at the same speed as a corvette. Cory one night while escaping the clutches of a family of violent moonshine sellers who where supplying a bomb, came a cross a small house that had a swimming pool, and in this swimming out comes the girl known as Chile Willow, who is completley nude, whom Cory becomes very much attached to in one night. This feeeling Cory expericences helps him along the way when it comes to him growing up and marrying his own wife, Sandy. There is a magical scene where Cory, his friends, and their dogs all grow wings from their shoulder blades and fly over Zephyr. And of course the terrifying scene where Cory's dog rebel is hit by a car one night and Cory is so distraught that he yells at death not to take his dog away from him, which as a result turns Rebel into a walking undead beast. Oh yeah and a comet falls to the earth one night and creates a huge whole in the ground.

Many of the things I explained above are only the concepts that make the story and world of Cory Mackenson, a magical experience. The main plotof Boy's Life all centers around one night when Cory helped his beloved father with his milk route and all of a sudden a car flew from the woods and into Zephyr's bottomless lake. Cory and Dad try and save the brutally beaten man who is hand cuffed to the wheel of the car. The man remains nameless until the end, which just leaves two clues of the murder: A tattoo of a skull with wings on its temple, and A mysterious green feather found by Cory where a hooded figure stood by the woods. The story basically centers around Cory helping his Dad find the murder to this violent crime.

Yes this extraordinary book has it all: Action, Adventure, Drama, Comedy, fantasy, scifi, family, racism, and yes even romance. I'm glad that I was able to buy a new hardcover edition of Boy's life because I want this crown jewel to be around me for along time. So take my advice and go get it.

Very few books have touched me as this one has. Robert McCammon effectively captured the magic of youth, and created a story that at times, left me sad and other times left me laughing. The 'story' of the novel - the dead man whose car went into the lake - takes a backburner through much of the book, but it is still an intriguing story. Robert McCammon is truly a wonderful storyteller.

This book is absolutely wonderful. I could not put it down. Wonderful adventures through the eyes of a boy with a fantastic imagination. A gem.

If there is one book I could select to turn a non-reader into a bibliophile, Boy's Life would take certainly take the honor.

I bumped into this gem when well past the world of report cards, and had read it twice or thrice by the time my daughter lugged it reluctantly home as assigned reading. I oohed and aahed, considering how many young lives would be enlightened with this beautiful piece of literature. I couldn't wait till she was done so I could have the privilege of reading it again.

Young ladies and gents, take heart: your teacher is giving you a wonderful gift by assigning this book, and must really like you a lot.

Five stars.

I was assigned to read this as one of three novels for my 8th grade summer reading. Although I read it along with the classics, To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher In The Rye, I favored Robert McCammon's novel. This novel moved me so much and taught me a lot. I remembered sobbing on a sad scene and feeling scared on the dark scenes. I was so glad my teacher assigned it to us. I truly do reccommend this novel to anyone.

Boy's Life is the best book I have read about growing up at a time,and in a place which will ring true with all those who like to look back and remember. Filled with unforgettable characters, it is a book which covers many life themes and emotions. A book without a weakness. Certainly the best I've read by McCammon.

I read this book when I was about 13 or 14, can't remember exactly when and at the time I thought it was one of the best books I had ever read. Because I was so young, I assumed that I was just naive and that there must have been better books out there to read but that I hadn't been exposed to them yet. Years later, I still believe it's one of the best books I've ever read. Even after reading many of the novels that are considered classics, this one matches up to them in terms of the emotions it stirs within the reader.

Thinking back, I'm amazed at the incredible ability that McCammon showed in telling the story. I remember when I read it, I really thought that someone my age was telling me the story and I think that's the reason it had such a profound effect on me. Don't get me wrong, the plot and characters are all well above average but the mystique and unknown that McCammon somehow instills in the book is unique. The subplots play on your imagination and induce you into reading more. Besides that, the book closes with a REAL surprise ending, not the kind of surprise ending that people talk about but you see coming a mile away.

You will not be disappointed after reading this book. It has a truly mystical quality that appeals to readers of every age. If you're young, it will tantalize every aspect of your imagination and if you're an adult, it will transport you back to a much simpler time.

This book is a gem from an author who is known mostly for his works in the Horror Genre. The time is 1964 and the reader is introduced to 12 year old Cory Mackenson who lives in the small quiet town of Zephyr in Alabama. One morning when Cory is helping his Dad on his early morning milk run they see a car with a dead body in it driving into the lake. Cory's world will never be the same again as he endevours to solve this mystery. In the latter part of this book we see Cory's father lamenting the end of small town Life in fearing the invasion of Corporations. One can easily identify with his misgivings and this book takes the reader back to a time when life was so simple and sweet.

I swear to Gd that i couldn't put this book down. This is my first novel by Robert McCammon, and now I feel like I want to read all the rest of his work. I loved the feeling of actually being in the small town of Zephyr, Alabama. This book is similar to stephen king's style of writing, which i'm a fan of. I like how there is an excellent, interesting story, but there is so much heart and attention to details that really brings the town and characters alive. If you are a fan of Dan Simmons or King, then definitely check out this author and this book!

Title: Boy's Life
Author: Robert R. McCammon
Book Review By: Shon Owens



Do you want a good book to read? Well, Boy's Life is not that book.
Boy's Life is good at the beginning, but only gets worse from there. It gets just plain boring, and then unsatisfactory. It's boring because it's so slow paced. I wish I didn't have to read it. Even the plot is boring.
The story is about a boy that, while walking with his father, saw a car go off into the lake. Later, he finds out the car contained a man that should have been in the ground pushin' up daisies. Throughout the story, the boy tries to find out who the killer is. How original ... and yes, it's that boring. I do not recommend this book.