Boy's Life

This book was recommended by a podcaster on YouTuber I happened across during a sleepless night (will try to find the link later).

What a pleasant find! This book is a coming-of-age story mixed with late-60s small town life with a dash of civil rights and a smidge of Southern Gothic plus a little supernatural/voodoo magic. And maybe a few other things I'm not including. It reminds me a bit of Stephen King's best books and stories, but set in Alabama instead of Maine.

Occasionally, during the intro and outro chapters, the author got a little too folksy and wistful about the good old days. Otherwise, the characters were really well-done and the story interesting. Some reviewers felt there was no plot, but I think there's a lot here about learning to face up to fears, relying on friends and family in tough situations, and figuring out right from wrong. That may sound nanny-pamby, but it had a lot more depth than some folks think.