A dark coming of age tale has protagonist Pete McCormick facing off with the October Boy in 1963. The legend of the October Boy, or Sawtooth Jack, is infamous in Pete’s small town, with scores of teenage boys lining up to fight the monster that emerges from the cornfields every halloween, butcher knife in hand. It’s a rite of passage and the only way Pete thinks he has of escaping his little dead end hometown. A short and unusual story that will appeal to fans of Ray Bradbury and Ronald Mafli

Pros: Although this novella was published in 2006, it is new to me. It was atmospheric, and I read it in one sitting. I listened to the audio version of this book, and thought it added a lot to the story because it felt like someone telling a ghost story. This book reminded me a bit of The Lottery, but its premise felt unique.

For people who love to read seasonally, this would be great Halloween book.

Cons: At times the plot was a bit difficult to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

3.5 stars

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4395792985
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/2769e4a7-1985-4a2b-aae1-5a9377899f23