Outstanding coming-of-age story with supernatural overtones. Set in the mid-1960's. Cory and his father witness a car accident that changes their lives and their small Alabama town forever. This is McCammon at his best. ( )

On page two, I knew I was going to love this book. My current "real" surroundings started to get blurry around the edges and Cory's room started taking its place. I don't ever remember being captivated so quickly by any book!

This book was sentimental and riddled with cliches, but I still enjoyed reading it. It was sort of an odd mixture of suspense, magical realism, and coming of age.

Back in the glorious 1960s, when men were milkmen, women spent much of their time baking, and children said "Yes, sir" to their elders, a young boy came of age in the small town of Zephyr, Alabama. The story begins when 12-year old Cory Mackenson and his father (a milkman) were driving around on his milk route when a car careens out of the forest in front of them and crashes into the lake. Cory's father jumps into the lake in a rescue attempt, but finds that the "driver" is dead, naked, strangled, and handcuffed to the steering wheel.

The remainder of the book is split between Cory's attempts to solve the mystery of the man in the lake, and darkly amusing vignettes involving the monster that lives in the river, the escape of a demonic monkey who craps everywhere, boys and their bicycles, the guy who walks around town naked, a zombie dog, the Ku Klux Klan, going to the carnival, etc.

It contains a typical example of the tiresome cliche of the Magical Negro in Moon Man and the Lady, two magical Negroes who live on the Negro side of town. There was always a deus ex machina who would save the day when someone was in trouble, sometimes in the form of a magical Negro. Predictably, everything was wrapped up tight in the end, the bad guys were in prison, the magical Negroes triumph over the KKK, and Cory and his friends go on to become productive members of society.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this, but it's time to go back to real books. ( )

This book has for a very long time been one of my most favorite books. Top 10 easily. I found the story to be incredible touching and interesting. The parts about his dog really struck a chord. Especially when the dog gets sick. Tissue anyone? It truly captures the magic of childhood. ( )

This book is pure magic and a joy to read. Narrated by a boy
growing up in a simpler time in a small southern town. ( )