Manboy: Sequel to ' 'Paperboy' and 'Copyboy'

by Vince Vawter

Victor Vollmer, introduced to readers in Paperboy and Copyboy, is 21 years old now and has been waiting for three years to reunite with Philomene Moreau, the South Louisiana free spirit who saved him from drowning in the Mississippi River. Soon after Phil arrives in Memphis, Vic’s meticulously planned weekend comes crashing down as a world event unfolds.

Vic, still dealing with his worrisome stutter, and, Phil, needing badly to share her secret, grapple with the chaos paralyzing the city. Aiding in their desperate search to find solace is a wise soul from Vic’s past.

Manboy is a work of historical fiction set against the actual newspaper headlines of a weekend in April 1968 that changed the world.

Vince Vawter, a 40-year newspaper veteran, was awarded a prestigious Newbery Honor in 2014 for his first novel, Paperboy. The sequel, Copyboy, was a Junior Library Guild selection. Manboy completes the trilogy.

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2023

About the author

Vince Vawter is the author of PAPERBOY, a 2014 Newbery Honor book, and COPYBOY, a sequel published Aug. 1, 2018. The final book of the PAPERBOY trilogy — MANBOY — is available now on Amazon. He lives with his wife near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee on a small farm. Vawter spent 40 years in the newspaper business before retiring to write books.

Reviews

[Molly Brinker]

some parts were super thought-provoking like when Vic says “why should i have to pay for the wrongs of my ancestors?” like wow but people actually think like that like “it’s not my fault” but by not taking responsibility it is and that’s the whole meaning of the term manboy (not taking responsibility)

also Nellie and Blythe were super interesting characters and their perspectives on dr. king’s assassination should have been considered more

the authors note is well worth the read but if you saw james earl ray in person that would have been an amazing scene to include??

just felt like a forced ending to the trilogy

[David Ward]

Manboy (Paperboy #3) by Vince Vawter (Woodlot Press 2023) (Fiction) (4058).

This is the final installment of the author’s Paperboy trilogy, which is a fictionalized trilogy of the author’s coming of age in the 1950s and 1960s in Memphis, Tennessee.

These are gentle tales of learning to cope with and to overcome life’s difficulties.

Manboy (Paperboy #3) finds our protagonist in college and still pining for his long-time long-distance Cajun “friend-girl”, who is on the way to see him for the first time in three years.

But just as she is scheduled to arrive, the act of a warped individual made Memphis the center of the world’s stage…

I was gifted with a brand new HB copy in 2024.

My rating: 7/10, finished 7/05/26 (4058).

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Cat]

So good!!!! Not the ending I had hoped for, but the proper ending to an amazing series. I enjoyed Vic's journey, the ups and downs, just such a great set of books!
Kudos, Mr. Vawter! You are a wonderful storyteller!

[Rebecca McCurry]

This book wrapped up a series and gave an interesting firsthand look at life in 1968 at a pivotal moment in history. This “I was there” pov provides a rare look at a time that gets glossed over imo.
Definitely not the ending I wanted for the characters but a well written story.

[South West]

An excellent ending to a delightful trilogy. Wonderful characters. Heartbreaking and inspiring. Deals with important issues with tact and understanding.

[Judy]

Sure glad I purchased this book. Easy read. Author is an excellent writer. Appreciate the thoughtfulness throughout the storyline, the teachings of empathy, and the efforts to help us develop our individual conscience, how our actions and words impact others in a positive or negative way. In this hyper polarized country today, too often I hear others making fun and being resentful of "political correctness." Yet, if we could begin to empathize and stand in others' shoes, and consciously choose our words and actions as we would want to be treated and understood and respected, we will understand that political correctness is simply the showing of empathy, respect, and love for others.
This is a story of devotion, love, pain of loss, with difficult topics from the South, just so much packed in this sequel.
Grateful for what I learned here, grateful for being a part of Vic's life's lessons. And Philomene rocks!