The Lost Boys

by Craig Shaw Gardner

A mother and her two sons move to a small coast town in California. The town is plagued by bikers and some mysterious deaths. The younger boy, Sam, makes friends with two other boys, the Frogg brothers, who claim to be vampire hunters. Meanwhile the older boy, Michael, is drawn into the gang of bikers by a beautiful girl named Star. Michael starts sleeping days and staying out all night while Sam starts getting into trouble because of his friends' obsession.

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Fiction, Fantasy, Media Tie In, Literature, Thriller

220 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1987

About the author

Craig Shaw Gardner was born in Rochester, New York and lived there until 1967, when he moved to Boston, MA to attend Boston University. He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Broadcasting and Film. He has continued to reside in Boston since that time.

He published his first story in 1977 while he held a number of jobs: shipper/receiver for a men's suit manufacturer, working in hospital public relations, running a stat camera, and also managed of a couple of bookstores: The Million Year Picnic and Science Fantasy Bookstore.

As of 1987 he became a full time writer, and since then he has published more than 30 novels and more than 50 short stories.

He also published under these pseudonyms:

Peter Garrison

Reviews

[Leighjane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book! The Lost Boys is my favourite movie, and if you love the movie as much as I do, you need this book in your life! It's very true to the film and even has a few creepy extras thrown in! Addictive read, I read it in a day because I couldn't put it down! Highly recommended.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm at 11% and I'm going to skim to the vampire parts. This is absolutely not worth the $300 price tag (luckily I bought a digital copy for a few dollars). Save your money and watch the movie.

[Beau Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because the movie was one of my favorite movies in the 80s (a movie about vampires who ride motorbikes, AND a kick-ass soundtrack - how could I resist?).

This is a good movie-tie.

They don't sparkle, they don't mope.....they feed.

[Katerina Charisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Πήρα την εϊτίλα μου και στάνιαρα

[Terence · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I even finished this book.

I like to read adaptations of movies I like because I like to know backstory, motivations, the things the director/editor left on the cutting-room floor (Alan Dean Foster is particularly good at this, and Vonda McIntyre's adaptations of ST-II and -III genuinely add to the stories).

Gardner offered none of these - it was a word-for-word transcription of the script without even an attempt to flesh things out.

[Donald Kirch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was "fun" to read, in the novel, what was "cut" from the movie. A true classic!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collectors item if you absolutely love the 1987 lost boys movie. i loved reading this book for several reasons one reason is because of how it stuck to the movie but with extras written into the book, that only made the deleted scenes on the movie. The extra scenes they were awesome a very good read. The perfect little book to take with you on bus and train rides if you need a little entertainment. This book was highly entertaining and enjoyable book to read, I definitely recommend reading this book and watching the movie.




Lucy a recently divorced woman is travelling to Santa Carla with her two sons Michael and Sam to stay with her father to rebuild her life. Unbeknownst to her her idealic hometown houses a dark secret that preys on the residents, the life of Santa Carla is the boardwalk where Michael her eldest falls for a pretty gypsy girl that belongs to a biker gang, her youngest Sam finds some unusual friends in the frog brothers Alan and Edgar frog that work at the comic shop they warn him about vampires initially disbelieving them finds his brother changing into something else. Michael to win star the gypsy girl falls into a group of strange young men Leader David, Dwayne, Paul and Mario with a little nine year old boy laddie. After drinking some strange win begins to experience changes in himself sleeping all day, partying all night and a thirst for blood, meanwhile Lucy is being wooed by her new boss Max. When Michael learns the horrifying truth about the lost boys being vampires and that he, star and laddie are half vampires until they make their first kill, seeks help from his brother to defeat them, and become human again only way to reverse it is to kill the alpha vampire whist they are still half human, so they make a daring plan during the day rescues star and laddie whilst Sam and the frog brothers stake the youngest one Marko before barely escaping with their lives they have only a few hours to get ready until sunset when the vampires will he able to come after them for revenge. They booby trap The house and take out the vampires one by one but surprisingly David’s death doesn’t revert them back soon Lucy and max turn up at the house after a date and it’s revealing that max is the alpha vampire wanting a bride in Lucy planned to have his boys turn her boys into vampires so she would have to change too and they would be one big happy family but max is defeated.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Thou shall not fall,
Thou shall not die…”

By far this is one of my most favorite movie novelizations ever.

But maybe that’s because the movie is one of my absolute favorites, both as a 80s and vampire film.

I love the added details, the addition of deleted scenes, and getting a look of the characters’ thoughts. Those added bits and pieces were simply great. Not only that, but those pieces even helped connect the dots and make things clearer that might not have been given much thought about when watching the movie. Like the setup of Michael’s initiation into the group, how David tricked him to drink from the jeweled bottle.

I loved the glimpses inside the cast of characters’ thoughts and feelings. For example I loved how there were parts from Star’s point of view. How, out of all the Lost Boys, Paul was the kindest to her. I liked how the book provides those insights. It was great to see what Star’s thoughts and feelings were in regards to the Lost Boys.

This novelization’s epilogue is also one of my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I love the way the movie ends, but this book’s epilogue did leave me with questions and wanting more.

“Thou shall not fear,
Thou shall not kill.”

[Sean Carlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two-and-a-half-stars rounded up to three.

The Lost Boys is one of my favorite movies -- and foremost creative influences -- and yet this is the first opportunity I've had to read this hard-to-find novelization. I went into this with snake-belly-low expectations, given that it's written by Craig Shaw Gardner, who also authored the underwhelming novelizations of Batman (reviewed here) and Back to the Future, Part 2 (reviewed here), as well as the subpar media tie-in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Return to Chaos (which I read pre-Goodreads).

So, the mere fact that this wasn't below average was, unto itself, a pleasant surprise. Gardner embellishes the plot with deleted subplots (like Michael's job at the beach) and momentary details omitted from the film (such as when Michael, in a state of fevered bloodlust, reaches for a half-dead mouse caught in a trap in the pantry). Mind you, none of that is necessary to the story -- the film wouldn't have been better off for including any of it -- but these are the kinds of small details novelizations are for.

The prose is mostly perfunctory -- not cringe-inducing, but not exactly inspired or atmospheric, either. (The very first line of the book is "Let me tell you about Santa Carla." Why not just plunge directly into some evocative imagery about Santa Carla? A line like that is tantamount to starting a story with "Let me tell you a story...")

Gardner's characterization is probably the most frustrating element of this novelization. To his credit, he keeps the perspective focused in each chapter/scene and brings you into the thought process of the POV character. Great! A lot of novelizations fail to do this...

However... the characters exhibit strictly one-track minds with redundant thoughts. Michael's (Jason Patric) inner monologues express only an intense longing for Star. Sam's (Corey Haim) express only frustration at the lack of access to MTV and Brat Pack movies. Now, I certainly remember being a teenage boy, devoting 90% of my attention to girls and comics/movies... but those weren't my only preoccupations. Michael and Sam just had their lives upended by divorce and relocation to another state (California from Arizona). You'd think they'd have some complicated feelings about that? Gardner delves into none of it, however.

Meanwhile, Lucy (Dianne Wiest) ruminates on her bastard ex-husband and her "darling boys" -- purely superficial reflections that reveal precious little about her character we didn't already know from her circumstances and Wiest's performance. Star (Jami Gertz), probably the film's most underwritten character, is given to frequent reveries about her life before joining the Lost Boys... but they are all rendered, quite frustratingly, in enigmatic generalizations. Again: nothing we didn't already glean from Gertz's performance.

Gardner goes into the heads of these characters... but never digs down beyond the topsoil; it's all very much an instance of what you see is what you get. So, what was the point, then? In the movie, Michael and Star's "romance," such as it is, happens instantaneously and is mostly predicated on hormonal lust rather than any meaningful emotional connection. It works in the movie because that subplot is only one component of an ensemble-driven narrative, and because Patric and Gertz had appreciable screen chemistry, and because director Joel Schumacher conjures such a spellbinding atmosphere of '80s youth gone wild. On the page, however, Michael and Star merely come off as very silly, shallow, lovestruck teenagers à la Bella and Edward.

I would also add that some of the film's more intense sequences -- like the vampire attack on the Surf Nazis, the narrow escape from cave after Marko (Alexander Winter) is killed, and the final showdown at Grandpa's lodge -- don't come off nearly as scary or suspenseful as they should for a horror novel. In the movie, those sequences still curl my toes after 8,000 viewings, but they're just described without much panache in the novelization. Gardner seldom "milks the moment" for maximum terror, he just kind of moves on from it as efficiently as possible.

In summary, I'd say this is a perfectly serviceable novelization that presents the entirety of the film's plot without channeling even a modicum of its style, a reaction in line with the one I had to the novelization of The Lost Boys' "spiritual sequel," Buffy the Vampire Slayer (reviewed here).

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, I’ve read The Lost Boys (also known as The Lost Boys: a Novelization) by Craig Shaw Gardner more than once, and I must say, I’ve found plenty of good and positive things to say about it.

For one thing, there are all these superbly delightful and awesome extras, such as the deleted scenes which explain all the things not shown in the 1987 film (with one example being how Michael could afford his black leather jacket after he’d told his little brother Sam they were flat broke), as well as the characters’ thoughts and why they were the way they were, among other things.

Also, in the novelization, the security guard (who basically becomes the Boys’ first victim in the opening scenes of the film) is known as Big Ed, whereas in the film, when he’s last seen on a missing poster set up by his grieving wife, his name is revealed to be Vernon Beasley.

If I had to pick one or more than one part I’d view as my favorite in the book, it’d be these ones for sure:

That’s one problem with Santa Carla; the town isn’t really big on peace and quiet. In fact, turn around, away from the beach and the beautiful view, and you’ll see the cause of all that racket.
The Boardwalk.
That’s right. There it is, all that music and all that noise; the beating heart of Santa Carla. You can walk up there, past the three-tries-for-a-dollar booths with the hucksters urging you to win a big teddy bear for the little lady, past the food stands where the kids can load up on hot dogs and cotton candy, past the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Giant Mouse, and the Snake, where the kids have a chance to lose what they just ate, past the giant Ferris wheel, so brightly lit that it takes the place of all the stars in the nighttime sky. Then you come to the carousel. The kids call it a “merry-go-round,” but what do they know? You want to learn something new about Santa Carla, that’s the next place you go. (p. 1)

This particular night, there was a certain bunch of kids riding the carousel. You’d recognize this bunch anywhere around Santa Carla, if not from their Mohawks and shaved heads and “punk” tattoos, then from the way they dressed. You know, their Day-Glo T-shirts with “My Beach, My Wave” scrawled across the chests, and their wet suits and surfing tank tops. This is one of the big gangs around Santa Carla.
They call themselves the “Surf Nazis.” Charming name, don’t you think? (p. 2)

And then the Lost Boys walked in. Another gang, a lot better dressed than the Surf Nazis, but still a gang. Their leader, a tall, blond fellow named David, walked up and got right on the slowly moving carousel. The ride was almost over. The other Lost Boys followed him on. And as they spun around, Shelly managed to smile in David’s direction.

David smiled back and nodded his head slightly in greeting, a polite gesture, the sort of friendly nod you might see a hundred times in the course of a day.

Greg didn’t think so. (p. 2)

Greg stared at David. David took a half step forward.
He found a nightstick pressed against his Adam’s apple. David let his eyes follow the nightstick down to a beefy hand, attached to the body of Big Ed. All three hundred pounds of Big Ed, a security guard with no love for Surf Nazis or Lost Boys.

The carousel ground to a halt. The music stopped. The ride was over.

Big Ed’s mouth was small for his head. When he opened it, his voice was soft after the calliope’s “Waltzing Matilda.” “I told you to stay off the Boardwalk.”

David stared at the guard, not moving for a long moment. Big Ed’s eyes were small, too, but the anger there made up for what they lacked in size.

David smiled and turned his head toward the Lost Boys. “Come on,” he said to the others, “let’s pull.”

He walked away, and the Lost Boys followed. Big Ed turned to the others.
“You too,” he barked in Greg’s face. “Off the Boardwalk. And don’t come back!”

Greg stared at the guard, looking for a moment as if he might spit in Big Ed’s face. He turned away instead and walked slowly towards the door, with the other gang members following. He waited until he was out of Big Ed’s hearing before he mumbled something that made the other Surf Nazis laugh. Then they, too, left the carousel house. (p. 3-4)

Damn those gangs! Ed cursed them all as he opened his locker and retrieved his lunch pail. None of those kids were any good! Not that Ed hated kids. He had a couple of his own, after all. It was those gangs, that was it.
He knew how to handle those gangs. If only they’d let him carry a gun. Shoot through a couple of those snot-nosed Surf Nazis and you’d be surprised how fast the rest of them would disappear. That would be the end of your little gang problem on the Boardwalk.
But he’d never get a gun, just like he’d never be able to pass the police exam. Life just wasn’t fair, that was all. (p. 4)

In the movie, the Lost Boys’ entrance scene is shown differently. Shelly spots David coming up from her left and their eyes meet for a brief second, catching his attention. She turns just as he stops behind her, cupping her cheek to look deeply into her eyes.

He smiles at her, and she smiles back while he walks away and she continues staring after him. Greg, who was sitting right beside her on the ride, realizes they were having a moment. In his jealousy, he puts his hand on her face to push her away and to take his anger out on Dwayne, as he was the closest.

She snaps out of it, but is stuck in her seat trying not to get caught up in the scuffle. David sees Greg trying to grab at Dwayne, and he joins in by planting his hand on his face to keep him away.

They get interrupted by the security guard, who puts his nightstick against David’s throat and drags him away. With all their attention on him, he tells them all, “I told you to stay off the boardwalk.”

With a short chuckle David grips at the nightstick and says, “Okay, boys, let’s go.”

The guard releases him, and before leaving, David throws in a quick wink at the other gang.

Finally, I highly recommend this book to all the fans of the 1987 film The Lost Boys out there. And I give it five stars as well (although ten stars would be even better). 🦇🧛🏼‍♂️

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been waiting decades to read this book, but I couldn't track down an affordable copy. I'm certainly glad I didn't pay hundreds for this movie adaptation, because unlike some others that I quite enjoyed (Goonies, My So-Called-Life books, The 10th Kingdom) this one did not add anything more to the story because it's just not well written. I might have to track down a good fan fiction version!

[Rinnerl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es gibt nur deshalb einen Stern Abzug, weil der Film noch besser ist :)

[Heather Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best vampire media ever

[Emma Tygart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time to watch the movie!

[Jude Fish · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf'd at 15%. very weak start.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as companion novels are concerned, this one really missed the mark.

If you’ve seen the movie, you pretty much have read the book. It was basically a reiteration if the film, with a few more insights into vampire lore: unable to walk over running water, glowing eyes, details about how the boys flew. But besides that, it didn’t offer up any new information as to backstory for any of the characters, which is what, I think, most of us are looking for. Who are the vampires? Where did they come from? What drew vampires to Santa Carla? What kept them around?

That being said, if you’re a fan of the movie, and you have the chance to read the book, do yourself a favor and do it. Because it is an addicting read and you’re not going to want to put it down.

[Elizabeth Souin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I absolutely love the story of The Lost Boys. Because of this I also wanted to fall in love with this novel. Ever since seeing the movie I wanted to know more about them only to find that the book really didn't supply much more. Sure, there were little scenes that tightened some parts up the author reveals why certain things are done. I just feel like Craig Shaw Gardner got lazy in several parts when he wasn't interested. Aside from that, I didn't mind that it was nearly word for word with the movie. After all, it is based off that screenplay.

Next time, instead of reading the book I think I'll just watch these sexy and horrifying vampires in the movie.

[Britt Meter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember watching the movie back in highschool but I remember pieces of the movie, but I really enjoyed the book. I loved the bikers and the vampires in the story, and not to mention how short the book is. I couldn't put it down it was a unique read for me, it got to the point in the story which I liked.

3/4/2023
Classic read for me

[Noel Thingvall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely top-notch novelization. Well worth its treasure hunt publication status. If you're interested, I was a guest to discuss it on an episode of I Read Movies:

http://ireadmovies.libsyn.com/the-los...

[Christian Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

First saw the movie when I was five saw it and loved it read it an loved it more sleep all day party all night it's fun to be a vampire

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

youtube

[Dave Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story behind my aquisition of this book is as follows: I had a chance to participate in a discussion of The Lost Boys movie from the 80's on a favorite podcast. Along the way I noticed the book, which was adapted from the film, was written by the same author who penned the adaptation for Back to the Future 2, a childhood favorite. Realizing this I thought it would be fun to pick up the book and read it before revisiting the film. The only problem was, the book is impossible to find.

Turns out its impossible to find because it is now something of a collectors editon that sells for a LOT of money (the copies coming up on my end were upwards of 5,000). When I realized this I immediately started to wonder about BTTF2 since I actually own a copy of that one. Cheapest I found of that one was $500 (also collectors), and so I immediately went down to my basement to check my copy as apparently it could be worth something. Only to find that a couple years back I accidentally gave it away to a local book fundraiser for a Hospital.

The good news? I found a digital copy someone was selling (basically uploaded pictures of each book) for $6. Pretty sure it was legal because I could attach it to my Kindle. In any case, got a chance to read it and the book is good. A very faithful adaptation of the film, although the structure, which basically moves back and forth between the three main characters- the mother, the older and younger brother, gives us a greater sense of who these characters are and their perspective on what is going on in Santa Carla. It doesn't have the gloss and atmosphere of the film, which really gives us a sense of place and an almost alternative vision of its time where it makes complete sense that vampires would exist, but it adds to how I understood their experience of moving there, attempting to fit in, and struggling to start a new life. The older brother gets most of the added substance, as does the mother. The younger brother I think is the best part of the film and is probably the closest in his depiction in the book to what you get there.

Definitely worth the effort to track down and the somewhat disappointing revelation of my expensive mistake.

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that The Lost Boys is one of my all-time favourite movies. I was a teenager when I first experienced this fantastic movie and have been enthralled with everything about it ever since.

But you know what I hadn't done yet? I'd never read the novelisation. And since 80s novelisations are so much fun, I finally read this very cool book.

Lucy Emerson recently got divorced and decides to move back to Santa Carla with her teenage boys. Lucy gets a new job and fancies her boss. Michael falls for a mysterious girl who leads him down a dark path. Sam makes new friends who help when comic books come true. While Grandpa watches everything from his taxidermy room...

Amazing. Awesome. Enjoyed every minute of this great novelisation.

Not only did this book totally capture the atmosphere of the movie, but it also complements and enhances everything about it. The location, the characters, the mystery, everything!

Several deleted scenes (which we watched not long ago because they were included in the 4k ultra HD+ Blu-ray) are part of this story. And we also get multiple POVs, plus a little more about each Lost Boy. Which was a nice addition. The vamps are still intriguing and cool, but several unexpected tidbits are added to the narrative.

Anyway, I read the whole thing in one night because I didn't want to put it down. Glad it didn't disappoint. I had a blast!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

●The Lost Boys by Craig Gardner●

The official novelisation of the iconic 80s classic is exactly as you'd expect...a novelslisation.

It follows the screenplay pretty accurately and only gives readers only a small amount of extra details or background to the beloved characters, which was definitely interesting yet the way this book was written didn't deliver any of it well. From third person point of view, it's messy and switches way too often.

Thankfully I know the movie pretty well, hence why I picked up this book, I think the lack of details and true explanation didn't help either. Only true fans of the movie would understand what's happening per chapter, and some of the loved and popular scenes just didn't hit quite as well in writing as they did on screen.

However, it was a quick and simple read, and I did like the tiny details about the characters within the book, especially with Star who's always been mysterious in the movie. The book did also give us an epilogue which the movie doesn't, which was surprising and welcome. All in all, nothing special but still readable!

3/5 🌟

[Starlight JayJay · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the movie was definitely better than the novelization. They did add a deleted scene into the book which is interesting. I did enjoy the added detail though. And a little light on Star's back story. Wasn't fond that the g-slur was used to describe her. Which was a common word used back in the 90's and unfortunately still today. I know its dated but the book made Michael seem like he thought he deserved Star. In the movie they fell for each other...in a matter of four days lol. But his character was somewhat different. I didn't like how they changed how the vampires look after they went into they're vampire mode. But I enjoyed the book. It was a little slow read in my opinion. But it was ok. It makes me want to watch the movie over and over again though. I would recommend others read it but the book is super hard to get ahold of unless its a digital copy since the physical boom is out of print and really expensive when you find a copy. If you can get a digital copy, and you like the movie. Yeah give it a read.

[Yj · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ★ • 4

If you’re like me, you saw the 1987 Lost Boys movie as a kid and have been passively obsessed with it ever since… Just to discover that this book exists years too late, when the ONLY way to read it is to buy one of the few remaining out-of-print paperback copies priced around $200-$1,000+ usd. Don’t do that.

You want to read this book? Go on Etsy and search: “The Lost Boys by Craig Shaw Gardner (1987) ebook”, there is a seller you can buy a $9 usd ebook file from that you can export to a kindle or pretty much any other device that accepts epub & mobi type files. It does have some minor formatting errors, but the content is fine.

Now for the book itself, it follows along almost exactly with the movie and doesn’t give much additional insight into the characters’ pasts and/or what happened after the end of the movie, unfortunately. The writing is pretty simple as well, so I wouldn’t say that the book is in any way better than the original movie. But, if you enjoyed the movie and are looking for nostalgia, this book isn’t a bad choice.

[Sam Noland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rare read, with copies online going for upwards of $300+ given how long it’s been out of print. But is also a very solid read especially for fans of the movie like myself! It’s nice to see more of the inner perspective of characters like Lucy and Michael. I wish there was more of the Lost Boys themselves but whenever they *do* show up, much like in the movie, they steal the show. The novel might be a smidge hard to follow for those that haven’t seen the movie first though. And my only qualm is that I wish it was longer! I tore through it in just a few days.

[StarMarie2529 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who was named after this movie it was my duty to read it. As someone who LOVES the Lost Boys it was my honor to read it! I searched for this book for over a YEAR! And it did not come cheap. Was it worth it? Absolutely! I had such a good time reading this! It's small, a quick read and it adds so many little things to the movie that make it even better. I only wish we had been able to see more of the boys themselves and get a glimpse into their thoughts like we did with the main characters. But I had as much fun reading this as I did watching the movie!

[Christo Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook which you can listen to on YouTube. As the physical book is extremely expensive you can also buy the e-book on Etsy for around 10 Australian dollars. I did enjoy it! It was great to know more about the characters. However, a few things are different compared to the movie. The Lost Boys film is much better! If you're a Lost Boys fan you have to give this a read or listen to! It also explains what happens to Laddie, Star and the Emersons after Max dies in the end. Enjoy!

[Gina Gallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't read it at night--found it way spookier than the dang movie! I guess cuz there was no eye candy in the book. Still love Sam, still find Michael to be a bit of a selfish dick, still adore Grandpa and his weirdness. So, there is that...but honestly, it did not add a ton to the lore. Would have liked to have learned more about where he got all of the Lost Boys from...but it was good for what it was. Poor Lucy, I feel ya girl--dating after divorce is NO BUENO!!