Review: Boys of Blur by N.D. Wilson
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House in exchange for a review
A few weeks ago I saw a facebook memo pointing out that a mere 26 letters take readers to a million different worlds. That memo was prominent in my thoughts as I read this book. Wilson takes words and breathes life into them . His sentences have weight and presence . You can taste them, wrap them around yourself, and be taken away.
This is my first book by Wilson but definitely not my last. This story is about Charlie Reynolds. Charlie's life changes after he moves with his Mother, Stepfather and sister to the small town of Taper Florida.
Charlie's stepfather Prester Mack has agreed to coach the High School football team through the end of the semester due to the previous coach, Willie Wisdom’s death.
The choice doesn’t bother Charlie that much. Mack is a solace to Charlie and his family. He came into their lives after his mother managed to finally leave his abusive Father. Though not his father by blood, Mack provides a level of emotional support and love that has helped Charlie move past the pain and fear of his past.
Barely a day into town and Charlie meets Cotton, a cousin from Prester’s family lineage who becomes Charlie's fast friend. It is Cotton who takes Charlie through the glades at night, showing him the recently burned fields of cane and mysterious swamp lands.
It is on one of these nights that the pair come across an armored man digging up Mr. Wisdoms' grave and taking the body away.
Soon after the boys learn that there are darker things stalking the glades, forces waiting for a shift in thebalance of power in order to release darkness into the world.
I knew very little of this book before I read it and that added a lot to my overall love of the book. The ability to combine adventure, life lessons, and creepy supernatural elements is an art, and Wilson is a master at it. I especially loved the racial diversity in this book. Prester Mack and Cotton are African American, while Charlie and his Mother are white, and his sister is biracial. I also commend Random House for showcasing the diversity of the characters on the cover!
Wilson does a great job with the emotional journey of all the characters.This is a standalone read with a very satisfying ending.
Favorite Lines
“Mistakes are seeds… They grow , they take over. You make a mistake you gotta make it right. Dig that seed out”.
There were so many wonderful passages that still resonate with me. This is a fabulous middle grade/ all ages read that shouldn't be missed!
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