Oliver “Boo” Dalrymple has died in front of his junior high school locker from a “holey heart.” One minute, he is reciting the periodic table in order, the next, he finds himself in “Town,” a special heaven reserved for United States' 13-year olds. The residents of town, called “Townies,” “live” in a world where there is no life – no animals, no plants. Townies, who remain 13 forever, live in brick dormitories, find a job that is to their liking, and enjoy their afterlife ... or at least for 50 years, when they “re-die” and go on to another phase of the after-life.
Boo’s afterlife is flowing along smoothly until one day when his former acquaintance on Earth, Johnny Henzel, shows up in heaven with some bad news – Boo and Johnny died from a gunshot fired by a shooter in their school, a student they have aptly named, “Gunboy.” Boo and Johnny soon surmise that Gunboy died in a suicide, and is likely walking around Town, maybe even looking for them. The boys make it their mission to find their killer and set off on a quest to scour Town for Gunboy’s whereabouts, but their search is not without consequence.
Boo by Neil Smith is a funny take on a young boy’s self-discovery of himself in the afterlife. Boo, someone who struggled with relationships and the “right thing to say” on Earth, finds it easy to forge friendships and make people laugh in Town. Readers who enjoy a good coming-of-age story with a twist will find enjoyment in Boo. Also, those who like to think that they have a story all figured out, only to be proven wrong, will have fun with the ride Boo takes them on. This novel also has a good bit of world-building, and while Town is not most people’s typical vision of heaven, it’s interesting to read about this place created just for 13-year olds to “live” out their afterlife.
Availability: Book
Rating: **** Stars (I really liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH?
DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Boo
GENRE: Adult Books for Young Adults; Mainstream Fiction
THEME: Confronting Mortality (All things must pass. These novels follow characters as they confront mortality and the impermanence of life.)
TONE: Whimsical
CHARACTER: Awkward; Quirky
TIME PERIOD: 1970s
SUBJECT: Boys; Bullying and Bullies; Life After Death; Male Friendship; Mass Shootings; Murder Victims; School Shootings; Secrets
IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK, YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE TITLES: