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->''"These memories of who I was and where I lived are important to me. They make up a large part of who I'm going to be when my journey winds down."''
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One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best-known books, and winner of the 1992 UsefulNotes/WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of an occasionally spookier "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
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One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best-known books, and winner of the 1992 UsefulNotes/WorldFantasyAward, MediaNotes/WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of an occasionally spookier "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
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* BigBadEnsemble: The murderer, TheKlan, and the redneck outlaw Blaylock family are all independent, prominent antagonists who threaten Cory and/or his friends and family across the year.
* ButHeSoundsHandsome:
** Well before [[spoiler:Dr. Lezander]] is revealed as a Nazi fugitive, he claims that he met a Nazi after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and says the guy was just an ordinary man who deserved to be left alone after valiantly and understandably JustFollowingOrders during the war.
** Some FiveSecondForeshadowing that [[spoiler:Mr. Hargison]] is in TheKlan comes when he objects to them being called cowardly over a cross-burning and says some people might call it a brave act.
* ChekhovsGunman: Many of the EccentricTownsfolk have their future prominence obviously telegraphed, but some who seem innocuous play notable roles in at least one later chapter.
** KindlyVet and church greeter Lezander operates on Cory's dog after it gets hurt and [[spoiler:is the murderer from the opening chapter and a Nazi war criminal, along with his wife.]]
** Mr. Hargison, the mailman who saves Cory and his friends from bullies, [[spoiler:is part of the small but increasingly dangerous local cell of TheKlan.]]
** Lainie, a bitter prostitute who is present when Tom calls the sheriff to report the murder of the man in the lake, [[spoiler:is the girlfriend of the late hot rodder Little Stevie and becomes the {{Protectorate}} of his frequently seen ghost.]]
** Carl Bellwood, a PosthumousCharacter friend of Cory, [[spoiler:returns as a ghost to give Cory's dead dog Rebel a new home.]]
** MrFixit Mr. Lightfoot only gets one speaking scene before [[spoiler:disarming an atom bomb in the last act.]]
** Fire Chief Mourchette is first seen hovering in the background during an early town meeting and gets one line snapping at Mr. Moultry's racist suggestion to abandon the black community during a flood. Much later, he is one of the only people to [[spoiler:agree to be deputized when Donny Blaylock's family want to break him out of jail and replaces J.T. Amory as sheriff after he resigns.]]
* ButHeSoundsHandsome:
** Well before [[spoiler:Dr. Lezander]] is revealed as a Nazi fugitive, he claims that he met a Nazi after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and says the guy was just an ordinary man who deserved to be left alone after valiantly and understandably JustFollowingOrders during the war.
** Some FiveSecondForeshadowing that [[spoiler:Mr. Hargison]] is in TheKlan comes when he objects to them being called cowardly over a cross-burning and says some people might call it a brave act.
* ChekhovsGunman: Many of the EccentricTownsfolk have their future prominence obviously telegraphed, but some who seem innocuous play notable roles in at least one later chapter.
** KindlyVet and church greeter Lezander operates on Cory's dog after it gets hurt and [[spoiler:is the murderer from the opening chapter and a Nazi war criminal, along with his wife.]]
** Mr. Hargison, the mailman who saves Cory and his friends from bullies, [[spoiler:is part of the small but increasingly dangerous local cell of TheKlan.]]
** Lainie, a bitter prostitute who is present when Tom calls the sheriff to report the murder of the man in the lake, [[spoiler:is the girlfriend of the late hot rodder Little Stevie and becomes the {{Protectorate}} of his frequently seen ghost.]]
** Carl Bellwood, a PosthumousCharacter friend of Cory, [[spoiler:returns as a ghost to give Cory's dead dog Rebel a new home.]]
** MrFixit Mr. Lightfoot only gets one speaking scene before [[spoiler:disarming an atom bomb in the last act.]]
** Fire Chief Mourchette is first seen hovering in the background during an early town meeting and gets one line snapping at Mr. Moultry's racist suggestion to abandon the black community during a flood. Much later, he is one of the only people to [[spoiler:agree to be deputized when Donny Blaylock's family want to break him out of jail and replaces J.T. Amory as sheriff after he resigns.]]
* IOwnThisTown: Moorwood Thaxter owns most of the big businesses and mortgages in town, and his word can dictate town policy. [[NoOneSeesTheBoss Moorwood hasn't been seen in public in years, though]] and his CrazySane son Vernon announces his wishes to the town, with Tom suspecting that Vernon frequently lies about whether his dad actually wants something done due to how much nicer and community-minded Moorwood's supposed orders have gotten in recent years.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing, a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], a lake monster, and a magical biting bike.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing, a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], a lake monster, river monster big enough to eat people and dogs, and a magical biting bike.bike.
* TheMeddlingKidsAreUseless: Cory spends ten months gradually forming suspicions and looking for clues about a murder, but the same day he solves the case, two Nazi hunters who would have quickly found the killer without his help arrive in town and even end up helping save him from a likely HeKnowsTooMuch fate, [[spoiler:although Dr. Lezander briefly escapes and meets his end through other means.]]
* TheMeddlingKidsAreUseless: Cory spends ten months gradually forming suspicions and looking for clues about a murder, but the same day he solves the case, two Nazi hunters who would have quickly found the killer without his help arrive in town and even end up helping save him from a likely HeKnowsTooMuch fate, [[spoiler:although Dr. Lezander briefly escapes and meets his end through other means.]]
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* VillainsDyingGrace:
** The one thing that keeps {{Jerkass}} Klansman Mr. Moultry from being a pure HateSink is when he confesses about where [[spoiler:a bomb he set in the Civil Rights Museum]] is when he thinks he is about to die (although he ends up surviving).
** When the murderer and Cory are trapped in a sinking car, [[KarmicDeath in the same lake where the killer, a fugitive concentration camp doctor,]] disposed of his victim in a sinking car, Mr. Hutchenson begs the dying killer to help Cory escape the car before it sinks, and the killer does so.
** The one thing that keeps {{Jerkass}} Klansman Mr. Moultry from being a pure HateSink is when he confesses about where [[spoiler:a bomb he set in the Civil Rights Museum]] is when he thinks he is about to die (although he ends up surviving).
** When the murderer and Cory are trapped in a sinking car, [[KarmicDeath in the same lake where the killer, a fugitive concentration camp doctor,]] disposed of his victim in a sinking car, Mr. Hutchenson begs the dying killer to help Cory escape the car before it sinks, and the killer does so.
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One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best known books, and winner of the 1992 UsefulNotes/WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
to:
One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best known best-known books, and winner of the 1992 UsefulNotes/WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of an occasionally spookier "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
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%%* CoolOldGuy: Mr. Lightfoot
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%%* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
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%%* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.Ray, who frees an abused sideshow animal, dies in a hunting accident.]]
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing, a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing, a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], a lake monster, and a magical biting bike.
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%%* SubliminalSeduction: According to Reverend Blesset, the Beach Boys do it. ("The Devil Is My Strawberry!")
%%* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
%%* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing]], a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing]], thing, a baseball apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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* BeardnessProtectionProgram: Lampshaded. Toward the end of the book, we discover the man killed in the beginning had helped relocate a Nazi scientist. The victim's brother comes looking for him and, learning he's dead, believes the killer is the Nazi. He shows Cory's father a picture but explains that he's probably changed his appearance, and the easiest way to go unrecognized is to "shave your head and grow a beard." [[spoiler: The vet, who was much earlier described as a bald, bearded man, is the Nazi and the killer.]]
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Everythings Better With Monkeys has been turned into a disambiguation. Zero Context Examples and examples that don’t fit existing tropes will be removed.
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%%* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, maybe for the readers, but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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Zero Context Example: All examples must explain how they apply
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* CoolOldGuy: Mr. Lightfoot
* DarkestHour: The better part of "Winter's Cold Truth", but especially "[[{{Irony}} Faith]]".
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, maybe for the readers, but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
* DarkestHour: The better part of "Winter's Cold Truth", but especially "[[{{Irony}} Faith]]".
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, maybe for the readers, but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
* MagicalNegro: The Lady, quite literally.
* MagicalNegro: The Lady, quite literally.
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* MostWritersAreWriters
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* SnowMeansDeath
* SubliminalSeduction: According to Reverend Blesset, the Beach Boys do it. ("The Devil Is My Strawberry!")
* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
* SubliminalSeduction: According to Reverend Blesset, the Beach Boys do it. ("The Devil Is My Strawberry!")
* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
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Handling Spoilers: Do not ever conceal the name of the trope in a list of trope examples, the list on the work's page.
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* [[spoiler: KillTheCutie]]: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
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* [[spoiler: KillTheCutie]]: KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
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...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming|Moments}} and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
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...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming|Moments}} and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.novel.
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* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments maybe for the readers]], but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments maybe for the readers]], readers, but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/boys_life.jpg]]
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No need for curly brackets when using wiki words
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Cory Mackenson, age 12, lives in Zephyr, Alabama, a quiet town that has an odd air of [[{{MagicalRealism}} magic to it]]. One day, while Cory is out with his father delivering milk, the two witness the aftermath of a horrific murder, the victim disappearing in a lake. Tom Mackenson is deeply haunted by this, and Cory attempts to find clues to the identity of the murderer.
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[{{ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}} the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[{{ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}} the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
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Cory Mackenson, age 12, lives in Zephyr, Alabama, a quiet town that has an odd air of [[{{MagicalRealism}} [[MagicalRealism magic to it]]. One day, while Cory is out with his father delivering milk, the two witness the aftermath of a horrific murder, the victim disappearing in a lake. Tom Mackenson is deeply haunted by this, and Cory attempts to find clues to the identity of the murderer.
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about[[{{ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}} [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming|Moments}} and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about
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* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[{{AvertedTrope}} NO]]...well, [[{{CrowningMomentOfFunny}} maybe for the readers]], but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[{{AvertedTrope}} [[AvertedTrope NO]]...well, [[{{CrowningMomentOfFunny}} [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments maybe for the readers]], but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: {{EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs}} a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: {{EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs}} [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
to:
One of Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, UsefulNotes/WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
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Not to be confused with the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America titled ''Boys' Life''.
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Not to be confused with the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America titled ''Boys' Life''.Life'' or Tobias Wolff's "This Boy's Life.".
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One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
to:
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] Creator/RobertRMcCammon's best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960's.
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* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
to:
* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], [[spoiler: {{EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs}} a completely unexplained triceratops/rhino thing]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
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One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
to:
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
1960's.
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Not to be confused with the official magazine of the Boy Scouts of America titled ''Boys' Life''.
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YMMV
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* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Who is finally able to put an end to the [[{{IncrediblyLamePun}} hellish]] spider monkey Lucifer? Why, a man named Gabriel, of course.
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* StrangeGirl: The Demon. Also something of a NightmareFuelStationAttendant. Seriously, squirrel heads?!
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One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
to:
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', "''Literature/ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
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One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
to:
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, and winner of the 1992 WorldFantasyAward, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
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moved to namespace
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Cory Mackenson, age 12, lives in Zephyr, Alabama, a quiet town that has an odd air of [[{{MagicalRealism}} magic to it]]. One day, while Cory is out with his father delivering milk, the two witness the aftermath of a horrific murder, the victim disappearing in a lake. Tom Mackenson is deeply haunted by this, and Cory attempts to find clues to the identity of the murderer.
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[{{ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}} the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
----
!!This novel contains examples of:
* AnimalMotifs: It's subtle, but there are recurring themes of birds and flight. [[spoiler:Yes, they are extremely relevant.]]
* CoolOldGuy: Mr. Lightfoot
* DarkestHour: The better part of "Winter's Cold Truth", but especially "[[{{Irony}} Faith]]".
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[{{AvertedTrope}} NO]]...well, [[{{CrowningMomentOfFunny}} maybe for the readers]], but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
* HurlItIntoTheSun: At the end of the second part, Nemo, [[spoiler:enraged by the fact he has to move yet again]] literally hurls a baseball at the sun and stalks off. [[spoiler: The ball never comes down]].
* [[spoiler: KillTheCutie]]: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
* MagicalNegro: The Lady, quite literally.
* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
* MostWritersAreWriters
* MrFixIt: Mr. Lightfoot can fix anything. [[spoiler:He even disarms an atomic bomb.]]
* SnowMeansDeath
* StrangeGirl: The Demon. Also something of a NightmareFuelStationAttendant. Seriously, squirrel heads?!
* SubliminalSeduction: According to Reverend Blesset, the Beach Boys do it. ("The Devil Is My Strawberry!")
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Who is finally able to put an end to the [[{{IncrediblyLamePun}} hellish]] spider monkey Lucifer? Why, a man named Gabriel, of course.
* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
----
...and yet, despite the above event, this book is truly about [[{{ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}} the life of a boy]]. The murder provides a story arc. a conflict and a climax, but ''Boy's Life'' is, at its core, a SliceOfLife novel, alternating between [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]] and [[TearJerker heartwrenching events]] in one year of Cory's life.
One of Robert R. [=McCammon's=] best known books, ''Boy's Life'' is something along the lines of "''ToKillAMockingbird'', but with a 12-year-old boy in the 1960s", and really NeedsMoreLove.
----
!!This novel contains examples of:
* AnimalMotifs: It's subtle, but there are recurring themes of birds and flight. [[spoiler:Yes, they are extremely relevant.]]
* CoolOldGuy: Mr. Lightfoot
* DarkestHour: The better part of "Winter's Cold Truth", but especially "[[{{Irony}} Faith]]".
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: [[{{AvertedTrope}} NO]]...well, [[{{CrowningMomentOfFunny}} maybe for the readers]], but the people of Zephyr definitely don't appreciate the aptly named Lucifer.
* HurlItIntoTheSun: At the end of the second part, Nemo, [[spoiler:enraged by the fact he has to move yet again]] literally hurls a baseball at the sun and stalks off. [[spoiler: The ball never comes down]].
* [[spoiler: KillTheCutie]]: [[spoiler: Davy Ray.]]
* MagicalNegro: The Lady, quite literally.
* MagicalRealism: This book pushes the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief ''quite'' far with the amount of ridiculously prevalent supernatural happenings, including but not limited to: ghosts, a magical woman who can [[spoiler:turn bullets into snakes]], a dog [[spoiler:being brought back to life through prayer]], a baseball [[spoiler:apparently thrown INTO THE SUN]], and a magical biting bike.
* MostWritersAreWriters
* MrFixIt: Mr. Lightfoot can fix anything. [[spoiler:He even disarms an atomic bomb.]]
* SnowMeansDeath
* StrangeGirl: The Demon. Also something of a NightmareFuelStationAttendant. Seriously, squirrel heads?!
* SubliminalSeduction: According to Reverend Blesset, the Beach Boys do it. ("The Devil Is My Strawberry!")
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: Who is finally able to put an end to the [[{{IncrediblyLamePun}} hellish]] spider monkey Lucifer? Why, a man named Gabriel, of course.
* UnexplainedRecovery: Rebel. [[spoiler:This is not a good thing.]]
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