To ring in the new year of 2026, I decided to review a favorite book of mine by Alabama native Robert McCammon. Boy’s Life, published in 1991, is a beautiful, bittersweet blend of Southern gothic, horror, coming-of-age, and nostalgia as our hero faces growing up in small Southern town during the Civil Rights movement of the late 60’s. Set in the fictional town of Zephyr, Alabama, we follow 12-year-old Cory MacKenson as he faces the typical triumphs and challenges of growing up – the death of a beloved pet, bullies, or riding a magical bicycle into a setting sun with your best friends. We get to tag along with Corey as he chases the childhood slipping through his fingers.
Everything is not golden in Corey’s world. While accompanying his father Tom on his milk route, the two are almost hit by a careening car. They watch helplessly as the car plunges into the lake. Corey’s father dives in and tries to valiantly to save the driver, only to find the man was horribly beaten, chained to the steering wheel and already dead before the car hit the water. This triggers darkness and nightmares for both father and son. It also makes Corey understand his father is closer to a real human than the mythical superhero of his imagination.
And did I mention there might be a prehistoric monster living in the river? And a mystical elderly lady who can conjure snakes and is the town’s oracle?
While the story is considered speculative, McCammon grounds the tale in deep realism. The town of Zephyr faced dark challenges of racism, murder, hardships, and cruelty. We see these events filtered through Corey’s eyes and his childlike awareness. But we also see the glimmering of fireflies at dusk, the joys of camping with your friends, and contentment of collecting marbles or playing baseball.
I think one of the reasons I like McCammon and Stephen King so much is nostalgia and the innocence of childhood. I was born in the eighties and feel very sentimental towards the pop culture of the 60’s. I grew up watching television series in the afternoons after school. I sang the teeny bop songs, hippy anthems, and soulful tunes into my hairbrush. I grew up in a small town very similar to Zephyr, so I connect with Corey and his adventures.
NOTE: Trigger warnings include bully, racism and racist words, spousal abuse, and death – both animal and human. This is a portrayal of small-town life during a volatile time in our nation’s history. Don’t let this dissuade you from the story. This book is just beautiful. McCammon is able to show us a mundane, dangerous world and turn it into the imaginative, glimmering world of Corey’s youth.
From Amazon: A bizarre murder in an idyllic southern town propels a boy and his father into a world of evil in this World Fantasy Award–winning horror novel. Small town boys see weird sights, and Zephyr has provided Cory Jay Mackenson with his fair share of oddities. He knows the bootleggers who lurk in the dark places outside of town. On moonless nights, he’s heard spirits congregate in the churchyard to reminisce about the good old days. He’s seen rain that flooded Main Street and left it crawling with snakes. Cory knows magic, and relishes it as only a young boy can. One frosty winter morning, he and his father watch a car jump the curb and sail into the fathomless town lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a naked corpse handcuffed to the wheel. This chilling sight is only the start of the strangest period of Cory’s life, when the magic of his town will transform him into a man.
“Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of [Stephen] King and [Ray] Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life represents the finest work of one of the most accomplished writers of modern horror (Kirkus Reviews).
