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The Boys Are Back in Town

by Christopher Golden (Goodreads Author)

3.65 · rating details · 149 ratings · 20 reviews

From a master of horror, dark fantasy, and suspense comes a compelling and uniquely original work of paranormal suspense in which one man finds himself trapped in a web of ever-shifting reality which threatens to remake the whole of the world—unless he can find a way to stop it.

For Will James, facing his tenth high school reunion is far from his finest hour—especially sinc...more

Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Published February 26th 2008 by Spectra Books (first published February 3rd 2004)

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Aug 09, 2009

Courtney added it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: cozy horror movie fans, people who like October, you

Recommended to Courtney by: Little Willow

Shelves: 2009, adult-fiction

I don't know how much I can say about the plot without giving everything away. So just read the description on GoodReads and then come back.

Okay. Isn't that a cool plot description? I KNOW. The Boys Are Back in Town is my second Christopher Golden book, the first being his YA zombie book, Soulless. In both books, Golden takes something I'm not crazy about (talking zombies in Soulless and magic in Boys) and then incorporates it into a story in such an awesome and entertaining and...moreI don't know how much I can say about the plot without giving everything away. So just read the description on GoodReads and then come back.

Okay. Isn't that a cool plot description? I KNOW. The Boys Are Back in Town is my second Christopher Golden book, the first being his YA zombie book, Soulless. In both books, Golden takes something I'm not crazy about (talking zombies in Soulless and magic in Boys) and then incorporates it into a story in such an awesome and entertaining and compelling way, he forces me to give him a pass. This is a big deal, especially if you know how much I hate talking zombies (Ihatethemsomuch). My ire for magic is less fiery in my heart, BUT STILL. It is enough so that my loving this book unreservedly is a feat. And I loved this book! I really enjoyed it.

It's just GOOD. I wish I had read it in October. The book is set IN October and he just nails the crunchy-dead leaves, creepy/cozy feeling so well that I wanted it to be October while I was reading. Such perfect atmosphere. I love that kind of atmosphere and seek it out in horror movies all the time, so if you are into that kinda vibe you should check out this book.

It's an adult novel but I think it has crossover appeal because it's set in two different times--an adult present and a teenage past. Golden really nails how the petty problems of high school can quickly become exacerbated to the point that people make SCARY choices that they can't take back. You just see the snowball effect happening and you totally understand it and you're like agggh nooo this is awful turn back turn back now agggh and everything gets steadily worse for the characters but it is impossible to stop reading because you have to see how it continues to unfold and is (hopefully) resolved. And the nostalgia laced throughout the novel is also something that's dead on... we all feel that wistfulness for youth as we get older. It's articulated very, very well in these pages.

The final showdown was very BIG and DRAMATIC, which I'm not sure I was expecting or at first wanted, but enjoyed nonetheless (maybe "enjoyed" is the wrong word because it was horrific but... yeah, okay, I enjoyed it). And the epilogue made me sad and the final page made me go gah (not a bad gah). Hm. I am trying so hard not to give anything away... I read ahead to see who was responsible for the terrible and fantastical going-ons (bad Courtney) but even that didn't prepare me for some of the twists and turns getting there. It was just a great ride.

Reading Christopher Golden kind of reminds me of reading some of my favourite mystery/sci-fi/thriller/suspense teen novels when I was younger, books I still love to this day. More specifically, his books remind me of the FEELING I got when I read them. Both times I've picked up a Christopher Golden novel, I just felt totally assured I was going to be entertained and the writing was going to be solid and I was going to be told an excellent story and it would be worth my time. Both times it was. He's a fantastic storyteller is all. This is definitely not going to be the last book I read by him. And given his catalogue, I am going to have fun choosing which one is next!(less)

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Mar 01, 2011

Amanda rated it

· review of another edition

A really, really good page turner. The thing I love about Christopher Golden books is that they are always well woven. This is an interesting presentation of "the road not taken" idea, where we deal with parallel realities and time travel. It was logical, which seems a strange thing to say about time travel, but it really did make sense. There was an appropriately hideous antagonist and ends with a sly wink, a la Stephen King. In that Golden and King are similar; they both acknowledge ...more

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Jul 17, 2009

Erin rated it

· review of another edition

Holy Harry Potter.

The books I read tend to gravitate toward fantasy and horror, so there's a fair bit of magic in most of my stories of choice. However, I don't know if I've ever read a book that dealt with magic like that in The Boys Are Back in Town.

The book offers a great blend of warm nostalgia and gritty suspense, with many twists and turns and a plot that keeps pounding right up until the last page.

In The Boys Are Back in Town, Boston tabloid writer, Wi...moreHoly Harry Potter.

The books I read tend to gravitate toward fantasy and horror, so there's a fair bit of magic in most of my stories of choice. However, I don't know if I've ever read a book that dealt with magic like that in The Boys Are Back in Town.

The book offers a great blend of warm nostalgia and gritty suspense, with many twists and turns and a plot that keeps pounding right up until the last page.

In The Boys Are Back in Town, Boston tabloid writer, Will, is getting ready to head home for his 10-year high school reunion. He's not thrilled about seeing the high school sweetheart who left him at the alter, but has been conned into going by his best friend and former girl next door, Ashleigh. Despite the dread of seeing his ex-fiancee and living up to the fact that he hasn't become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he's eager to see all of his old friends -- especially Mike Lebo, who he hasn't seen in years, but has been catching up with over e-mail.

When Will arrives at the reunion weekend, though, strange things start happening quickly. When he asks about his friend Mike, he's startled to learn -- and then remember -- that Mike died their senior year. Soon other strange memories start taking over Will's mind, and facts about his friends start changing, too. In some cases, even his friends themselves are changing before his very eyes. Will (and readers) are left with the mystery of unraveling what's real and what is illusion, and how to make heal both the past and the present in this tale that spans 11 years.

The story, overall, is chilling but not truly scary. It's disturbing, but not gory. The story line does jump around from Will's high school days to the present time, but the author does a great job of making sure that readers don't get lost along the way. And the ending? Let's just say, I didn't see it coming. Great, great stuff.

This was my first foray into the writing of Christopher Golden, and I'm very excited to pick up another of his novels in the future. He is very economical in his word use (which usually kind of turns me off) but I thought it really worked well in this story. He writes teenage boys exceptionally well, and it was refreshing to read something that was so unexpected and engrossing.(less)

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Nov 04, 2009

Shelly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-the-library, finished-in-2009

My first Christopher Golden book, but definately not my last! Wow. This actually lived up to the claim of being "a wicked little thriller. Rod Serling would have loved it."

Basic premise is that Will James is going to his tenth high schoool reunion and is looking forward to seeing all his old high school friends; people he's kept in touch with off and on since graduation. Then things take a decidedly dark turn when Will learns that one of his old friends was killed during...more

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Sep 20, 2010

Alex Telander rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2008

The Boys Are Back in Town by Christopher Golden: Christopher Golden has established himself as a talented writer within the horror genre. In The Boys Are Back in Town, he tells an incredible story, one that reminds readers there are still great books being written that will suck you in from the first page, and make you want to shut off from your life and commitments until you get to that last page.

Will James is in his late twenties and while he hasn't necessarily managed to follow hi...moreThe Boys Are Back in Town by Christopher Golden: Christopher Golden has established himself as a talented writer within the horror genre. In The Boys Are Back in Town, he tells an incredible story, one that reminds readers there are still great books being written that will suck you in from the first page, and make you want to shut off from your life and commitments until you get to that last page.

Will James is in his late twenties and while he hasn't necessarily managed to follow his dreams, he is a journalist working for a newspaper and is happy with the life he has. He suffers suspicion from others due to his pursuit of the supernatural and any story involving magic. However, he considers it his job to debunk these people and reveal them as the frauds they are. The high point for his weekend is his ten-year high school reunion, which begins Friday night with a meeting with Stacy, a former friend who has become an interesting and beautiful woman. But when Will asks where his best high school friend Mike is, he is greeted with anger and furious stares, and a short while later memories surface of Mike dying in a horrific hit-and-run accident during their senior year. Will is confused, for he has vaguer memories - shadows in his mind - of knowing Mike through college and receiving an e-mail from him just the week before about coming to the reunion.

The next day at the Homecoming game, Will makes a comment to another close friend, Ashleigh, about the Homecoming Queen during their senior year, but then is corrected by her. She says that it was a different person because the girl was raped the night before. Before his eyes, Will watches Ashleigh visibly change, as she recounts how she was also raped, which is why she can't have children. Will feels his mind splitting, since he recalls visiting Ashleigh and her husband last Christmas, and seeing their beautiful twins. He knows there is something very wrong going on here, not just someone playing a prank on him; someone is messing with his timeline, his reality, changing events. He has some ideas about who is involved, but he's going to have to go back to the life of magic that he had deliberately forgotten; it will require using a spell that will take him back to his high school years. He's going to have to stop whoever is doing this, whoever is rewriting history, and changing his life before his very eyes.

The Boys Are Back in Town will horrify and astound, as well as bring back memories of your high school era. Golden writes with a skill and emotion that brings these years to life on the page, while adding a deadly element - for memories are meant to stay the same, and are not supposed to change on the fly.

For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.(less)

· see review

Feb 20, 2008

Susan Kelley rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: horror lovers

Recommended to Susan by: ReadNSwap

Will James has an OK life. He has a job that is OK, his love life is next to nil, but an old heartbreak still shadows him. His 10 year high school reunion is coming up, and Will decides to go at the last minute...and it's OK. At least until his memories start to change.

A good friend was killed their senior year...but Will just got an e-mail from him. So why is Will the only one who remembers him living into adulthood? Why does he have 2 sets of memories?

Soon other lives a...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Vavita rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Vavita by: internet

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 17, 2011

Cristina rated it

· review of another edition

Wow. I was completely blown away by this book. From the very beginning it messed with my mind and didn't give up till the very end. It was mysterious, creepy, engrossing, funny, and frustrating all the same time. I was constantly questioning the characters, their reality and everything in between, not to mention yelling at the book in anger, shock and frustration numerous times. And the ending! Of course it has an open ending that you know, if the story were to go on, would totally screw everyth...more

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Jul 15, 2010

Amber rated it

· review of another edition

Teen-level supernatural mystery which covers an odd assortment of bases including time travel, murder, rape and the use of magic. I found the "twists" predictable and spent twice as much time convincing myself to pick the book back up than I did reading it. If I didn't *need* to finish things I start, I would never have finished this.

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Jul 25, 2011

Heather rated it

· review of another edition

Im not sure what to even say about this one...

I think I would have freaked out if I had to read the words ""knitted brow"" or ""knitted eyebrows"" one more time. He sure likes to use the same description words over and over, doesn't he?

It didn't HATE the book, but I don't think I will recommend this book to anyone.

· see review

Apr 10, 2010

Gori Suture rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Sheep

This is one of two books I literally threw across the room halfway into it. I can’t remember exactly why, but something about the way the author handled both time travel and occultism screamed that he understood neither.

· see review

Nov 19, 2010

Stacie Goldin rated it

· review of another edition

This was a good, quick read. At times hard to put down, at other times a little corny, but still fun.
Every now and then I need a mindless read.
This was that for me.

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Mar 19, 2008

Robert rated it

· review of another edition

This was a really good book! I like the way Golden delivered the first 100 pages of the story. Made me think back to high school and how much things have changed since graduation. How much we miss those people we used to see every weekday and now only see ocassionally, if at all.

With that said, Golden has created some great characters here. Will and Ashleigh could be anyone we know from our childhood and the author has filled out the rest of his cast with truly believable people....more

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Dec 24, 2011

Abby Fick rated it

· review of another edition

Just ok, a little long-winded. Ultimately didn't really care how it turned out.

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Jun 06, 2011

Joey Royal rated it

· review of another edition

A very strong novel. A lesser writer would have made a mess of the complex time-travel plot, but Golden handles it masterfully. Suspenseful and engaging.

· see review

May 05, 2008

Mcgyver5 rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: time travel enthusiasts

Shelves: sci-fi, time-travel

Effective Horror story. Good villain. Interesting time travel mechanics in which future self gets new memories "on the fly" as he shares a time line with past self. As past self chases murderer they are able to coordinate their actions via these new memories. The writing is uninspired but not terrible. Did get "chills" as main character felt the effects of some malignant force changing the past.

· see review

Apr 28, 2008

Erin Jones rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

This is the first book that I have read of Christopher Golden's (although I loved the Buffy series) and I will definitely be reading more of his. I could have done with maybe one less twist at the end because it did become a little confusing but overall I really enjoyed it.

· see review

Jul 04, 2007

Kel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

I passed up buying this book for a long time before finally caving in and getting it. I should have bought it a long time ago, it's a great story and I couldn't put it down.

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Aug 26, 2008

Randy rated it

· review of another edition

A pile of fun, witchcraft, time travel...yeehaw.

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Oct 09, 2008

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Lots of cliches, nothing new here.

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Feb 04, 2012

Daniel rated it

· review of another edition

Jan 18, 2012

Trevor added it

Jan 15, 2012

Maaian Arditi marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jan 12, 2012

Heather Crawford marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jan 10, 2012

Chris Green rated it

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Dec 30, 2011

Jenna marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 27, 2011

Karin added it · review of another edition

Dec 26, 2011

Joz marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 25, 2011

Danielle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 11, 2011

Rita Weeden added it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

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About Christopher Golden

Christopher Golden is the award-winning, bestselling author of such novels as The Myth Hunters, Wildwood Road, The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, and (with Tim Lebbon) Mind the Gap. Golden co-wrote the lavishly illustrated novel Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film ...more

More about Christopher Golden...

Books by Christopher Golden

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watcher's Guide, Volume 1

Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row

Sons of Entropy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Gatekeeper Trilogy, #3)

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