September 1959 in the small town of Early, Virginia. "Stony" Shelor is almost seventeen and just starting his junior year of High School. Enter new kid Jack Newcomb who models himself after a beatnik character from the TV show Peter Gunn. The two boys, both a bit nonconformist, become fast friends.

Jack's decision that they should become private detectives leads to a lot of time spent around the local police station learning the trade. The cops couldn't be happier having two volunteers to do some of the nonessential duties (like cleaning & filing) and the two boys become sort of like mascots to them.

It's all kind of endearing in a way but Early, Virginia isn't Andy Griffith's Mayberry so when trouble comes... and it does... there's more to it than good ol' wholesome fun.

The Boys Who Woke Up Early is a coming of age story set in a time when the world (at least The United States) was having some "coming of age" issues of its own. While the first half of the book deals with the boys' Hardy Boy-esque adventures the second half gets deeper into the social changes affecting their world (mostly racism and associated issues).

I thought this was a pretty good book. There's a certain suspension of disbelief required at times as it goes from silly to serious and makes you question how anyone could let these boys get into these kinds of situations but, then again, it was a different time.

While the story is about teenagers in 1959 and the early 1960s the author strives to present a sense of realism. Meaning there are racial slurs, some cursing, and one or two cringe worthy moments when seen from a modern perspective. I wouldn't call it salacious or gratuitous but it's there.

Bottom line: The Boys Who Woke Up Early is a good read. Lots of fun with a few thought provoking moments.

***Thanks to NetGalley, Imbrifex Books, and author A. D. Hopkins for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

When I read books, sometimes I know exactly what I want to highlight in my review and other times, ideas and themes from the novel need time to grow and develop in my mind like an oyster and its pearl. The latter was very true for my reading of A.D. Hopkins The Boys Who Woke Up Early set in western Virginia (Early County) in the 1960s. It follows the cultural and social awakening of two teenage boys, Jack Newcomb and Thomas Jackson Shelor, who in turn help start an awakening that ends in cataclysmic proportions for the county itself.

Thomas, referred to throughout the novel as Stony (from Stonewall Jackson), is on juvenile probation. He gets into fights and manages to attract trouble even when he is trying to stay out of it. His somewhat unlikely friend Jack Newcomb has been the new kid a thousand times over with his parents moving from town to town for new development projects. The two of them decide to start a private detective agency after Rich Conway, the local prosecutor, has had a string of thefts.

The story of The Boys Who Woke Up Early is in many ways a timeless American narrative of small town life, mischief, and growing up. The universality does not just stop there. Early County has a strong Klu Klux Klan (KKK) membership. The segregated and rather large Black community of the county means that the KKK are always on edge and what I would describe as itching and willing for a confrontation.

This is written as historical fiction that looks back on the racially charged 1960s and addresses how people like Jack and Stony overcome some of their racial prejudices. Yet, it also reflects the unrest we see in the United States today. With recent events involving indigenous activists and young white men ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) hats taunting and yelling at the indigenous activists, I can say without a doubt that America needs a reawakening. Novels like Hopkins’ can give us the illusion that poor race relations, discrimination, and even the KKK and other hate groups are a thing of the past. However, this is a regular occurrence for non-whites in the U.S. and to assume that this stuff could only happen in the 1960s-1970s is a naive outlook.

Hopkins weaves a timeless narrative that should speak to contemporary America. The author was a journalist and reporter and his details of police, politics, and civilian relations is described well and with a touch of what I imagine is insider knowledge. What I appreciate most about the novel is the racial awareness and awakening that the Jack and Stony undertake throughout the novel. In the beginning they are passive bystanders to racial inequality. It is something they never questioned or even really thought about. This is true of most people even today. Unless we are directly affected by something it can be hard for us to see how it affects others. And this blindness goes beyond race relations. The boys learn through meeting African Americans, talking with white alleys, and learning inside details of the bigger race relations of the county that what they have assumed as ‘fact’ might actually be very false. Their evolution is not over night and they don’t wake up and suddenly become ‘woke’. The process is an accumulation of small realisations that result in a paradigm shift for the boys.

I hope if people read Hopkins novel they ask themselves how and if they question the current social, political, and cultural climate of their country. I hope that the characters Stony and Jack lead by example and maybe even change a few reader’s lives.

Do you enjoy contemporary historical fiction? Will you be picking up a copy of Hopkins’ novel? As always, share the reading love.

NOTE: This novel was was accessed through Netgalley and Imbrifex Books for review purposes.

For links to relevant news articles read on the original page:
https://bound2books.co/2019/01/30/the-boys-who-woke-up-early-a-reminder-of-americas-complicated-past-and-present/

In the little Virginia mountain town of Early in 1959, high school juniors Stony Shelor and Jack Newsome get involved in adventures sometimes humorous and some times very serious.

from description: Jack draws Stony into his fantasy of being a private detective, and the two boys start hanging around the county sheriff’s office. Accepted as sources of amusement and free labor, the aspiring gumshoes land their first case after the district attorney’s house is burglarized. Later, the boys hatch an ingenious scheme to help the deputies raid an illegal speakeasy and brothel. All the intrigue feels like fun and games to Jack and Stony until a gunfight with a hillbilly boy almost gets them killed. The stakes rise even higher when the boys find themselves facing off against the Ku Klux Klan.

I really liked this one: the writing, the characters, and the plot. Stony and Jack are friends with completely different personalities, but who complement each other in this story of growing up in the late 1950's in the small town of Early. There are many episodes that illustrate the different time frame yet evoke timeless situations and there is a current of suspense that works with the overall theme.

Reading like a memoir, The Boys Who Woke Up Early is an engaging novel that captivated my interest early and held it throughout.

Read in January; review scheduled for Feb. 19.

NetGalley/Imbriflex Books
Coming of Age. March 3, 2019. Print length: 256 pages.

Compared to my typical dish of words, this book is different. Normally I consume an odd diet of classics combined with science fiction and fantasy, and as such, this is a book that certainly was a welcome addition of flavouring to my diet. Different in style, setting and development, this was a refreshing way to start 2019 and new book thoughts. I liked it, and I think you will too.

The main character is Stony, who finds a new friend in Jack, a newcomer to the local county. They're both teenagers living through the lens of a southern state in the 1960s. The fact that they're teenagers comes across as a useful pin whenever something substantially dumb or short-sighted is done, and otherwise, a lot can be explained by the current social context that the county inhibits.

When all is said and done, the characters develop nicely, clearly learning from both their mistakes and where they want to go. Stony's experiences are different, but they also seem natural. Even the gaps between ordinary teenage life in the sixties and the more... southern aspects are bridged in a reasonable and enjoyable way. The pacing is patient, and while it is occasionally a bit too calm, it's never quiet for too long before the storm.

Personally, there are parts where I struggled to connect with the world within. Additionally, as a northern-European, the comparison of the county centre to a baseball track left me unable to envision the layout, beyond some element of squareness. One crossing line? Where exactly? I don't know, but it's not too important. Luckily the book does not rest on its only baseball comparison or the only one that was spelt outright. Then there are the firearms. I grew up with the seasonal moose hunting myself, but boy does Early county have a lot of barrels and bullets. If anything, it made me appreciate how common they *can* be, and view the cultural gap between here and there, even today, more clearly.

I was startled when the first usage of a certain word crept up, even though I knew it was coming (this book does involve the Ku Klux Klan, after all). It is a repeat visitor, but never in a way that seems disrespectful in the context that the books exist in. Nonetheless, I would look around every now and then to see if anyone could see what I was reading.

All in all, I think a valid word to describe the book is cohesive. There are a lot more characters than just Stony and his friend, and they are all tied into the story in an enjoyable, understandable and personally motivated way. Even characters who all-in-all are mostly insignificant behave consistently and in a relatable way, and help move everything forward. Without the bustling life and small, yet important, interpersonal relationships between people Stony would not have ended up where he did.

Regarding the discussion points:
3. I think things would be quite different these days, not to mention because the foundation for some of the events is not as easily available. Buddy might be, but it's not as simple when it comes to Roosevelt et al.
4. Hard to tell for me, as I struggled somewhat to connect with its layout, but I can relate to the small county feeling, as I myself am from a municipality with about 1300 people in it. (Perhaps that's a bit more -- the local area only had a few hundred.)
5. I sure hope not, but if it's on the wall...
6. Gina and her relationship with Stony stand somewhat out, because while she's important, and what they do together is important, I thought she was a bit distant for a while, but then again she's merely a supporting character.
7. Due to Gina's influence, due to knowing of her father's participation, I think Mary Lou would have had a very different day-to-day experience, though I don't think that would make a big difference in the way the story developed.
8. For the most part I think everything sans the human intimacy would be different.
9. Hopefully be slightly less trigger-happy.
10. See 7.
11. In hindsight, I wasn't too sure of the gunfights effect, until I came to think of how it threw Stony out of the Sheriff's office and caused his migration to the garage. Then again, I feel myself doubt whether I'm thinking of the right gunfight because there were a few, weren't there? Hm.
12. Due to the sheer madness of them, I can't quite decide between Jack and Stony being shot on by Buddy or their help in getting the local moonshine bar (and possible whorehouse) out of business.
13. I'm not sure. I feel like it may have grounded an already similar view when it comes to segregation and that part of the past within the states, but changing it... I guess I had not played the devil's advocate quite as much when it comes to seeing how people already living in that context wouldn't necessarily think otherwise, or find it as extreme as it really is. That perspective was nice to feel closer to heart, though it's not a new one if you live in a sufficiently closed-in county.
14. It does not remind me of any book I've read, no.
15. I hope they'll continue to foster relationships regardless of race, and that they'll continue to challenge those who don't. They might not care too much for political correctness though.

Coming of 1950's age story detailing the lives, adventures and dreams of two boys who are high school juniors and good friends. At the core of the story is their volunteer time as a team in the small town, western Virginia sheriff's office. Together they face issues involving burglary, racism, prostitution, moonshine liquor, murder and more. I found this a fun, fast read...really enjoyable.

I love that this book is set in the 50s. It added such a good historical aspect to the story especially dealing with with some of the aspects of the book. Jack and Stony want to be detectives and even go as far to start hanging out at the police station and finally get to help on a case when the DA's house is robbed. The things they find though on their "assignment" lead them to question everything they know about their town and their families.

This is the first book I read by A.D Hopkins and I look forward to reading more of his. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A. D Hopkins first novel and I expect to read more. How is one to follow on this brilliant novel? We shall see.
The novel has an abundant of history, characters you are involved with and engaging Boys you root for. Not a book you want to end. I loved it from the beginning and did not want to see it end.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I tried. Oh did I try. This book is about as dry as it is descriptive and I, for one, couldnt do it. Semi-intrigued on how it ends but not enough to finish- someone else please do the work!

Stony Shelor is in high school and has a crush on a girl named Mary Lou. Stony is already in trouble with the law and trying to stay out of reform school, so he has to be careful how he treads. It’s the 1950’s, and racism is alive and well in his town of Early. A new boy, Jack, moves to town and he and Stony become friends. They hatch up a scheme to become private detectives and start hanging out at the police station. The police are only too happy to put the two new volunteers to work on office projects, but don’t let them solve actual crimes. The boys eventually get themselves hired by an important man in town whose house was burglarized. They are on the case and trying to find the stolen items! Meanwhile, they find out other things that are going on in town, including the big secret, the Ku Klux Klan is in town.

Both boys have access to guns, which apparently was the way things were in rural towns in that era. Jack carries one with him most of the time. Stony can borrow his father’s gun when he wants to. During their investigation, the boys spy on an old rival, part of a hillbilly family, and end up in a gunfight with him. The boys find out that Stony’s family and this family have a long-running family feud. Stony is in trouble again.

The seemingly innocent life of this early time hides a dark secret. The town has prominent men who are part of the KKK. This leads to problems later on and the boys are deeply involved in the entire affair.

This novel brings up some issues that faced society back then and some that still plague us today. For that reason, the title seems appropriate. In effect, the boys woke up the town to some of the things that were going on out of sight. It is a good examination of life in a small town. The narrator is writing as if he is looking back on his past, in a memoir form. The reader sees how his memories from that time are indelibly etched. The events played a transformative role in the life of the town as well as the boys.

The books works well as historical fiction, but also as an adventure story. The issues it brings up would be excellent lead-ins to classroom discussions. The differences between that time period and the current one as far as the attitudes toward guns could be a starting point for classroom dialog. The Jim Crow laws during the era of this story would be a good lesson for classroom discussion. There are many aspects of the book that teachers could use with their students to generate thoughtful writing prompts. I recommend it to classroom teachers especially for that reason. The story lends itself well to getting students thinking about these things. It’s also just a good read and has a powerful message to get across to the reader.

The Boys Who Woke Up Early is captivating and fascinating. It is filled with awesome characters and a very entertaining and intriguing plot. I really like this book. It’s a great book. I will look for other books by this author. I highly recommend it. Advance reader copy was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

It is interesting to note that this is A. D. Hopkins first novel and although the characters are fictitious the themes and story lines are derived and inspired by his 46 years working as a journalist in Virginia, North Carolina, and Las Vegas focusing for much of that time on small town life. The experiences and people he encountered in the police stations and courthouses of Virginia are here used to telling effect as he produces a novel that looks below the surface of what life was like in a small western Virginia town during the closing days of the Eisenhower years. A time of contradictions where the ostensible small town stability and order was underpinned by rigid racial segregation backed by that state's Jim Crow laws and the possibility of violence erupting at any time.

The novel takes the form of a memoir written in later life by Stony Shelor who looks back at the time when attending High School in the town of Jubal Early he teams up with a new entrant Jack Newcomb to assist in the local sheriff's office. Often more of a hindrance than a help their first case concerns solving a series of burglaries at the local district attorney's house. This is the start of a series of adventures that will see the boys involved in a gunfight with the local hillbilly boy, try to close down an illegal brothel and moonshine operation as well as coming up against the local Ku Klux Klan.

There is no doubt that A. D. Hopkins is a fine storyteller and along with meeting a collection of memorable characters the reader is presented a picture of how racially divided and discriminatory such a small town at that time would be. Certainly to a UK reader the language and attitudes are quite shocking but were of course perfectly normal for many at that time. Hopefully things have moved on. Other things that stand out from the book are the level of corruption, the proliferation of guns of all sorts and the high level of poverty that existed for both communities. This may indeed be still the case as I do not expect that the local mills then in existence would have survived.

In conclusion, this is a thought provoking coming of age drama that goes beneath the surface to present a picture of a community and society in transition and it shows how division and fear detrimentally effects the human condition. Well worth a read and hopefully there will be more from this writer. in the future.

A book that is engaging and enthralling, full of wonderful characters and with a wonderful plot.
A very good read , I will surely look for other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

'I sometimes blamed my name for the bad deeds of my youth.'

1959, Jubal Early High School (Early, lying almost on the West Virginia line) Jack Newcomb walks in with a swagger, and before long becomes fast friends with Stony Shelor . When Stony isn’t avoiding trouble and juvenile court, he has fantasies about pretty country girl Mary Lou who just may teach him, and the town, more than he ever thought he needed to know about racism. Jack emulates TV characters from popular shows of the times, perfecting his swagger. Wearing a beret and sunglasses is about as foreign as a teenager could get around the hollers and Jack loves playing up his part, looking like a ‘jazz musician from a Peter Gun show’ (first detective tv series where the character was created for television). Soon, Jack convinces Stony they should each become a gumshoe themselves. First they need a licence to be detectives, but Jack figures it’s no problem, he has it all figured out already. He has researched! The boys find themselves hanging out at the Early County Sheriff’s Department learning police work and falling under the spell the power of asking questions provides. They help with a case when the Rich Conway’s (the district attorney) house is burglarized. Lacking the manpower, why not let the eager boys watch the place, rather than wasting the deputies time? If they can catch the criminal, they can make serious money! But a stolen television leads to bigger tangles, and the person they’ve fingered as guilty isn’t as cut and dry as that.

When the boys decide to bust a speakeasy and brothel, Stony further inflames a longstanding family feud between the Jepsons (moonshiners and poachers) and his own family, the Shelors. Like his grandfather once told his daughter-in law about their own ancestors “It won’t do to shake that family tree too hard,” he told her, “you might not like what falls out.” What family is without their dubious characters, whose to say or remember exactly what started the feud. Stony knows only that all the Jepsons fought like the devil and dropped out of school by the time they were sixteen. He remembers all too well the hell Buddy put on him in grade school.

Without giving the story away, it’s a coming of age during a time when racial tensions were on the rise, when the Ku Klux Klan were hidden sometimes in your own family and two boys playing at being grown men, thrilled by the power of police work sometimes learn that the difference between right and wrong, good and bad is thin. That love can incite all manner of shocking violence, and messing with the wrong boy can possibly cost you your very life. Will Stony be brave enough to support the girl he loves, in spite of the hatred in the eyes of the entire town? Will he ever be a real detective?

This reads so much like a memoir. That people freely used such inflammatory, racist language is the reality of the time and place. That sometimes we don’t understand how ugly the things we unquestioningly accept as normal are until we open our eyes is evident in the changes Stony goes through. That in looking for our own glory, we may bring the downfall of other innocent people and at a greater cost than we thought even to ourselves. It’s hard to admit even ignorance can be understood if you look at the root of it, fear. It’s nice to see brave female characters in a story about boys too, because Mary Lou has the strength of every man in this novel.

Publication Date: March 3, 2019

Imbrifex Books

I stepped out of my comfort zone while reading this. I mist admit this is a good read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Boys Who Woke Up Early brims with history, detail, and engaging characters. This book promises that be an entry from a bright new voice in fiction.