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Bobby Slater's World: An early 1960s summer ghost story
Summers for Bobby Slater, one of those rich summer kids up on Baker Lake, have always been idyllic – swimming, fishing, baseball, hiking the mountains around the lake, camping on the islands, but it’s the summer of ‘64 and what the thirteen-year-old Bobby wants is a girlfriend.Be careful what you wish for, Bobby.Bobby gets his girl, an Indian cutie, but instead of “one soda, two straws, eyes lost in love,” it’s frustration and angst. His girl is fickle. Sometimes she's sweet and funny, sometimes not, and it's because she's living with a centuries-old curse. Bobby is drawn into a world inhabited by ghosts, or is it chicanery masquerading as ghosts? Bobby will have to decide, and can he convince his sisters and his cousin to help him? Does he dare trust the local gypsy fortune-teller and the grumpy Indian war-chief, both of whom claim to be on his side? Can he get help from where he needs it the most, from the girl’s mom, dead ten years, a victim of the curse? Can he break down the barrier that divides the summer people from the locals, bring them all together to save the girl?
268 pages, Paperback
First published February 13, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 21, 2016
If you're old enough, you'll remember this innocent time. If you're young enough, you may be lucky enough to be living it now.
The book is a little like "Our Town" but with younger characters and a more affluent setting: a bayside resort. Vacation summers are spent at the beach cottages overlooking the water. The main subject is boys and girls, crushes, "who likes who," but there are also scary moments, and horror elements like an ancient curse, and the legendary figure of Old Ben, "the collector," whose "collection" is rumored to consist of young boys cocooned in the basement.
The book has a breezy prose style with the strong, sweet smell of authenticity. If the author didn't live this story himself, down to the details, I would be surprised. Much of it felt very familiar to me as a child of the 50s and 60s. Besides young love, I recognized "getting away with stuff," riding bikes all over town--generally a sense of freedom and a vast, free, and lengthy journey ahead, filled with excitement. There's a strong sense of family here, too, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, which I appreciated--young adult literature sometimes leaves that out altogether. And it's the beginnings of separation from that family environment that offers the most excitement and peril.
Bobby Slater himself is a terrific character, and I wanted the best for him.
I enjoyed the book because it's close to home, but it does require some patience if you like a tight, strong plot. Despite the horror elements, this is no thriller or action story but more of a lyric poem, essay, and social history of a particular time and place. And a thoroughly pleasant place to visit, thanks to the writer, whether it matches your experience or not.
The book is a little like "Our Town" but with younger characters and a more affluent setting: a bayside resort. Vacation summers are spent at the beach cottages overlooking the water. The main subject is boys and girls, crushes, "who likes who," but there are also scary moments, and horror elements like an ancient curse, and the legendary figure of Old Ben, "the collector," whose "collection" is rumored to consist of young boys cocooned in the basement.
The book has a breezy prose style with the strong, sweet smell of authenticity. If the author didn't live this story himself, down to the details, I would be surprised. Much of it felt very familiar to me as a child of the 50s and 60s. Besides young love, I recognized "getting away with stuff," riding bikes all over town--generally a sense of freedom and a vast, free, and lengthy journey ahead, filled with excitement. There's a strong sense of family here, too, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, which I appreciated--young adult literature sometimes leaves that out altogether. And it's the beginnings of separation from that family environment that offers the most excitement and peril.
Bobby Slater himself is a terrific character, and I wanted the best for him.
I enjoyed the book because it's close to home, but it does require some patience if you like a tight, strong plot. Despite the horror elements, this is no thriller or action story but more of a lyric poem, essay, and social history of a particular time and place. And a thoroughly pleasant place to visit, thanks to the writer, whether it matches your experience or not.
January 15, 2012
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a review.
When it comes to books we often fail the old adage to not judge it by the cover. However, with a book, what else is there to judge it by before we've read it. The cover gives us the title, possibly some art work, and the synopsis. It is understood that some of these aspects are out of the writer's control, but they all still coalesce to create an expectation of the book for the reader.
Expectations can be a double-edged sword, because reality is seldom what we expected. If your expectations are high, then you're either let down or prepared for what happened. If your expectations are low, then you're either surprised by outcome or not ready for what just slapped you in the face.
Bobby Slater's World: An Early 1960's Summer Ghost Story by Hugh Centerville falls somewhere in between state when it comes to judging it by its cover. The title alone causes a misconception of sorts. While technically the latter half of the title holds true, it really is the first half that accurately portrays the book.
Bobby Slater's world leading up to his 13th summer consists of the day-to-day living during the school year with summers spent at the bay with his family. It is the summer of his 13th that Bobby's world is about to change. Not only is the 13th year when kids take the first toddling steps toward adulthood by entering their teens, but in many cultures this milestone is commemorated with a rite of passage. Bobby doesn't know it, but he too will make decisions this summer that will help shape him into the adult he's to become.
Sadly though, the ghost story aspect of the title doesn't hold up as well to the expectations created by the story. It isn't until near the 100-page mark that we finally meet the Indian girl the synopsis says Bobby will "lead the fight to save" and start to hear some of the ghost story. With the exception of the prologue, it's not until about the 200-page mark that we finally get into the "action".
The real focus of the book is Bobby Slater's world, and that title alone would be best suited. So, setting aside the expectations of a ghost story and focusing on the story of Bobby and his world, the narrative is done superbly well. If you've had any interactions with a 13-year-old boy then you know they are notoriously hard to get details from, them not asking for details is the norm, they'll jump right into any fray if it sounded good at the time, and they have a very strict honor code about being there for their friends. Centerville nails these traits in his telling of Bobby's 13th summer.
The narrative is told in the 3rd person, but it is clearly Bobby's telling of the story. Centerville is simplistic in his sentences, he captures the persona of 13-year-old boy precisely, and he provides you with a wonderful story about balancing on the cusp of both childhood and adulthood.
When it comes to books we often fail the old adage to not judge it by the cover. However, with a book, what else is there to judge it by before we've read it. The cover gives us the title, possibly some art work, and the synopsis. It is understood that some of these aspects are out of the writer's control, but they all still coalesce to create an expectation of the book for the reader.
Expectations can be a double-edged sword, because reality is seldom what we expected. If your expectations are high, then you're either let down or prepared for what happened. If your expectations are low, then you're either surprised by outcome or not ready for what just slapped you in the face.
Bobby Slater's World: An Early 1960's Summer Ghost Story by Hugh Centerville falls somewhere in between state when it comes to judging it by its cover. The title alone causes a misconception of sorts. While technically the latter half of the title holds true, it really is the first half that accurately portrays the book.
Bobby Slater's world leading up to his 13th summer consists of the day-to-day living during the school year with summers spent at the bay with his family. It is the summer of his 13th that Bobby's world is about to change. Not only is the 13th year when kids take the first toddling steps toward adulthood by entering their teens, but in many cultures this milestone is commemorated with a rite of passage. Bobby doesn't know it, but he too will make decisions this summer that will help shape him into the adult he's to become.
Sadly though, the ghost story aspect of the title doesn't hold up as well to the expectations created by the story. It isn't until near the 100-page mark that we finally meet the Indian girl the synopsis says Bobby will "lead the fight to save" and start to hear some of the ghost story. With the exception of the prologue, it's not until about the 200-page mark that we finally get into the "action".
The real focus of the book is Bobby Slater's world, and that title alone would be best suited. So, setting aside the expectations of a ghost story and focusing on the story of Bobby and his world, the narrative is done superbly well. If you've had any interactions with a 13-year-old boy then you know they are notoriously hard to get details from, them not asking for details is the norm, they'll jump right into any fray if it sounded good at the time, and they have a very strict honor code about being there for their friends. Centerville nails these traits in his telling of Bobby's 13th summer.
The narrative is told in the 3rd person, but it is clearly Bobby's telling of the story. Centerville is simplistic in his sentences, he captures the persona of 13-year-old boy precisely, and he provides you with a wonderful story about balancing on the cusp of both childhood and adulthood.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews