Boy's Life - Robert McCammon

I have to start with the caveat that I don't think my chosen book is actually horror. I really tried, I picked a Bram Stoker award winner (1991), and it had elements of horror that made me think it was going to to get scary, but it never got there. By the time I figured this out, I was already half way through and it was too good to put down. So this is what you get:)

Boy's Life is the story of one year in the life of Cory Mackenson. It starts on a milk route with his dad, when they see a car drive into a lake with a dead man handcuffed to the steering wheel. The incident haunts his dad especially, who cannot envision such a brutal murder hapening in his hometown. The mystery of who is the dead man and who killed him is the thread that connects the entire book, but in between there is a monster in the river, a dinosaur ravaging the forest, ghosts, death, voodoo, and other such aspects one would expect to find in a horror novel. At its core though, this book is about the year in his life that Cory grew up and began to see his small town and the world for what it really is.

My favorite part of this book is the writing. I'm usually more into a good plot than good writing, but I couldn't help but notice that it's beautifully written. I wanted to include one of my favorite quotes from the book but I returned it before I got the chance, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I really enjoyed it though, it was one of those books that makes me sad when it's over because I miss the characters.