A Scout is Brave

by Will Ludwigsen

In the summer of 1963, Bud Castillo moved with his family from busy Queens, NY, to the bleak town of Innsmouth, MA, after a local oil consortium hired his father to help with a drilling platform off the coast. Bud meets a kindred spirit in the town library, Aubrey, the only other boy in town. Scouting is the cornerstone of Bud's life, and founding a troop in Innsmouth is the only way he can conceive of coping with what he is sure is a disastrous move. But the delights of that summer are coming to an end, as Bud discovers that Reverend Pritchett of the Evangelical Progress Temple has plans to return Innsmouth to greatness and glory.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Novella, Historical Fiction

158 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2024

About the author

Will Ludwigsen's stories have appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Weird Tales, Strange Horizons, Blood Lite, Interfictions 2, and many other places.

The intersection of these strange and scattered venues seems to be Will's fascination with weird mystery: signs of a dark and sublime imagination behind the universe. If he doesn't see those signs, he's more than happy to add them himself.

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

short review for busy readers:
A wonderful short novel about friendship and the divide between cynicism/idealism and wariness/obsession. Fluidly and sensitively written without falling into emotionalism. Great historical titbits. You don't have to know the original Lovecraft story to understand what's going on, but it helps.

in detail:
I *adored* this short novel!

Set 30 years after the dramatic events of Lovecraft's The Shadow over Innsmouth, Ludwigsen shows us an Innsmouth that's hardly changed. The houses are still crumbling, there are hardly any shops and all the "normal" people *cough cough* have long since run screaming from the place.

12-year old Bud's family has been lured to Innsmouth from NYC by the offer of a well-paying job for his dad, but even from the outset, they know there's something not quite right about the offer nor the town.

The incongruences doesn't immediately concern Bud, though. He's is a boy scout heart and soul, and when he meets Aubrey Marsh - the only other boy in town - they quickly form their own ad hoc troop.

Unfortunately, good-natured, timid Aubrey is not like other boys. In fact, he's not even completely human.

Bud doesn't care, even when the truth is revealed. A scout is a scout, no matter his genetics, nor how bat-shit crazy his relatives and town are.

Ludwigsen does a phenomenal job resurrecting and updating the horror of Innsmouth from the original 1930s setting Lovecraft set up so well. His prose is fluid, straightforward and honest, inserting (distant) views of the civil rights movement and other events of the time (like the Kennedy assassination) to round out the feeling of change and a "new world" that even Innsmouth can't extract itself from.

A beautiful, inspiring (horror!) story from start to finish, with two young protagonists you're not likely to soon forget. Scout's honour!

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose we all have a moment when we realize the door back to childhood has gotten narrower and shorter so we can no longer fit through.

For young Bud, the summer of '63 is the one that changed everything.

When his family moves to a sleepy town in Massachusetts, Bud discovers there is only one other kid living there. You think that's strange, well, read on. The two become insta-pals, and form their own scout troop, though being trustworthy, thrifty and morally straight won't help them much to cope with what the members of the Evangelical Progress Temple have planned. The boys will need to be prepared, and plenty brave to survive this one unforgettable summer.

In a tale reminiscent of Stephen King's The Body and Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, this wonderful novella celebrates enduring friendship, and is highly recommended for fans of mild horror.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking Lovecraftian mythos and adding substance is hardly a new horror trope, but Ludwigsen manages to make it feel fresh in A Scout is Brave. Bud Castillo and family are instantly relatable, right down to his rough-around-the-edges father, Ludwigsen utilizes these fully-fleshed out characters to spin a charming, if unsettling, coming of age story in Lovecraft's Innsmouth. There are creeps, laughs, and enough heart to keep the reader vigorously flipping those pages.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this charmingly creepy and wryly insightful book! Apart from the riveting, eerie story itself, the author's compelling, clever, sardonic voice drew me in from page one and never let me go. Equal parts cosmic horror and nostalgic comfort read, this wasn't quite like anything else I've ever read, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It was in Innsmouth where I met the greatest Scout I've ever known, a boy named Aubrey Marsh, and he's the reason I'm still here and the reason I still believe it's worth being human, even though he's not quite either of those things anymore.”

A tender, coming-of-age story featuring Boy Scouts in 1960s Lovecraftian Innsmouth. I can only totally describe it as Stand By Me but with elder gods, cults, and underwater civilizations. It’s heartwarming and kind, full of the innocence of being young and the decision to be kind and loyal in a world that is bleak.

When I found this book at my work on the “new” shelf, I just thought it’d be a campy (ha ha) read about Boy Scouts trying to fight Cthulhu or something. Oh my god I didn’t expect it to be a warm hug about the power of friendship and the the realization of a cruel world. I certainly didn’t expect to be sniffing and blinking back tears in the final act.

The characters are wonderfully realized. Buddy and Aubrey are the quintessential, curious tween boys on the cusp of adolescence. Not quite angsty and jaded. You can’t help but to be enamored by their friendship. Buddy’s mom and dad are also PHENOMENAL characters. They are all incredibly nuanced and exceedingly strong. I particularly adored Buddy’s mother’s tenacity and grace and his fathers honesty and vulnerability with his son. The other townsfolk border on totally sinister and sympathetic.

It is a beautiful story of accepting others. It also illustrates that there is no place for toxic masculinity in a good society. Ludwisgen made a cosmic horror that is about inclusivity rather than othering. I hope ol’ HP is rolling in his grave over that.

[Brian James Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SCOUT IS BRAVE
Will Ludwigsen
July 1, 2024
Lethe Press
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Hello horror fiends! It’s your old pal Skull with a most excellent read to help you celebrate the recent birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. A Scout Is Brave by Will Ludwigsen ties in beautifully to Lovecraft’s novella A Shadow Over Innsmouth and moves the action forward to 1963. The U.S. is in turmoil, with issues like the Vietnam war looming and events like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy stirring the pot, so it almost seems like a reprieve for the Castillo family when Dad is offered a job far away from Queens, NY. Not only that but the Innsmouth Oil Speculating Consortium is offering a hefty salary along with a rent-free house. Heck, they’re even paying moving expenses!

While that is pretty sweet for an out of work construction and demolition diver, it doesn’t take long for the Castillos to realize that Innsmouth, Massachusetts is one strange place. All the houses are boarded up, the population is tiny, and their leader is an eccentric preacher named Mr. Pritchett who keeps rattling on about “the deep ones” and “returning to glory.” Young Bud Castillo also finds out that everyone in town is elderly and there aren’t any other kids to play with. This is a major disappointment because he really wants to get a new Boy Scout troop going. Bud carries his handbook everywhere and strives to be the most all-American good guy that he can possibly be. Yeah, he has a temper sometimes, but so does his old man, who recently got fired from his job because the boss’ son left him in the Harlem River with no air to breathe.

Then, while walking around the dilapidated old town, Bud discovers a library. It’s all boarded up in front, so he goes around back hoping that there might be a way in. Just when he finds one, Aubrey Marsh practically drops right into his lap. While he’s small and a bit odd looking, Aubrey appears to be a real live boy. Things are looking up! With a couple more fellas, they’ll be able to put a Scout troop together in no time. Except that Aubrey is the only other kid in town. Still not daunted, Bud decides that they can still have their own sort of troop. Aubrey dives into the idea of becoming a boy scout with amazing enthusiasm and becomes solid friends with not only Bud, but his mother and dad, too. Sometimes he helps them understand the situation in Innsmouth. But others, he relies on them to help him with his quest for answers about what happened to the previous residents of the town.

Unfortunately, as Aubrey and Bud collect facts and start putting pieces of the puzzle together, the picture it reveals is an alarming one. Dad says that he doesn’t know exactly what the people of Innsmouth are doing with an oil drilling rig, but it certainly isn’t drilling for oil. Reverend Pritchett becomes even more animated as the work gets closer to completion, babbling about some kind of long-awaited reunion and eternal life. The townspeople follow suit, making things awkward. Then Mrs. Castillo gets kidnapped while Bud and his Dad are taken hostage. Suddenly the job is no longer a voluntary thing and Aubrey disappears. Will the Castillo family ever be reunited? Are the townspeople truly headed towards great glory, or something worse than death? Why is Mrs. Marsh such an excellent swimmer? And where the heck is Aubrey? As the novel rockets towards its explosive conclusion, all these questions and more will be answered! All you need to do is grab yourself a copy of A Scout Is Brave to get the scoop.

Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer rates A Scout Is Brave by Will Ludwigsen a BIG 5 STARS! Superbly written and perfectly connected to Lovecraft’s original concept of Innsmouth, it’s clear that Ludwigsen is very familiar with the Cthulu mythos. Like many good horror stories, A Scout Is Brave is also about accepting yourself and others for who they really are. Maybe you’re a Puerto Rican Jew from Queens, like Bud, or a half human-half amphibious creature from the sea who desperately wants to be a real boy. The best things in life are friends, because they’re the family we get to choose, or who chooses us. Too many blood families get hung up on stupid stuff like who a person should love, or what they’re career path is supposed to be, and the big icky one: religion. The truth is that no perfect race or life form exists in the universe. We all have flaws, but also a lot of good to offer others who can see past them. Worshipping a higher power is not always a good thing, especially when those powers are angry sea creatures that want to take over the world.

While A Scout Is Brave is listed as a YA read in some markets, this book is great for adults, too. Especially those of us who had a less than stellar childhood and were forced to move state to state after finally making a few friends. It is scary at times, but also full of love, and some really cool details that bring Innsmouth into the present day. It is also currently on sale at the Lethe Press’ website: www.lethepressbooks.com along with some other seriously boss titles. Your old pal Skull encourages you to pop on over there and take a look! While you’re checking out cool things, you might also enjoy visiting Will Ludwigsen’s page at: www.will-ludwigsen.com Thanks for visiting your old pal Skull and if you wouldn’t mind, give us a follow at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com

About the reviewer
When darkness falls Brian James Lewis becomes his alter ego, Skull, and burns the midnight oil reading and reviewing recent arrivals to his lair, the Skullcave! You can catch up with him on social media at: https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWrit... where he’d really appreciate some follows to get more exposure for Indy horror writers and presses!
You can also find him on: X/Twitter@skullsnflames76
And we’re also on Goodreads and leave reviews on Amazon under the mortal’s name Brian James Lewis

[Hatseflats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this step back in time to the 60s when I was also a boy and a scout, although only a cub scout. The relationship between Aubrey and Bud really made me think of my best friend from childhood, Mike McGovern, whose mom was our cub scout den mother. Have never read Lovecraft, but have read my share of Bradbury, and enjoyed the small town New England vibe in the story. Anyway, a nice little read. Would be perfect for a 5+ hour flight.

[Martha Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and slightly creepy read, perfect for this time of year. And it was a bit nostalgic for me as well…

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely blown away by this gem of a novella. I love coming of age tales and throwing in a smidge of cosmic weirdness, made this book just about perfect. It was very well written and there is a lot of heart in the story. The Castillo family and Aubrey are so easy to fall in love with and I think that is what made me enjoy it so much. I appreciated the author's note too, giving a little history about the origin of the story.

And how about that cover. Outstanding.

I've never read Ludwigsen before, but after this book, I'll be searching for more of his work. Perfect quick summer read!

Thank you to Lethe Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, you want a one-sentence plot summary? "Boy scouts in Innsmouth, 1963." Having read three of his books (there's one more, his first, short, jokey flash weird fiction, which maybe I'll see if some library has--well, nearest copy seems to be in Arlington, Va., so...?), this has his usual virtues: crisply funny sentences, a pro-nerd, pro-weird sensibility, a semi-monstrous dad (here, quite a bit better than the awful Dads in his collections, all of whom seem to be reflections of his real-life horrendous father--and again there's this anecdote about getting cut off in traffic and then following the culprit all the way to what turns out to be his wedding, which was mentioned tangentially in the first story of In Search Of, which certainly suggests to me that it really happened), and a funny, thought-out acquaintance with the century's genre traditions.

So what if there was literally one kid in Innsmouth at this point, and he was sweet and aspired more than anything else to be a real boy, and also we dropped in some civil-rights connections (it's fall 1963, so the Birmingham church bombing happens, which leads the town's minister to draw parallels between their experiences...though it seems like the long game here is to revert to the old days, when I guess we were all seabound)? So maybe we shouldn't see Innsmouthers as symbolic POC, which other authors have tried and which HPL was more or less straight-out saying, anyway. Is there enough out there for a cultural history of Providence, I wonder? I remember that one Geoffrey Wolff book, and the city's long mobbed-up legacy, as well as the whole Portuguese-fisherman industry.

So the symbolic part feels more for show than a serious idea. That said, this is a fun read, a little sad and a little acerbic. It's interesting to contrast his take on what white audiences often see as pre-lapsarian times with Stephen King's; Ludwigsen is saltier, his description of the narrator's Queens scout troop as a haven of aspiring jerks entirely lacking in the romance of scouting and also building off the wonder-scout story in In Search of. So, an enjoyable mini-voyage into his work over the past few days.

[Amy Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written novella. Not being a fan of science fiction, I did not "get" many, many references or ultimately understand the plot but I did love the characters, the writing and the author's note at the end. I also LOVED the cover art, that's actually what drew me to the book.

[Mason Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cute little book. It’s very short. A nice beach day read, which is how I started it. There was a layer of fantasy that I really enjoyed, and also liked that it touched on the innocence of childhood, childhood friends, and good and evil. I will say I didn’t find it to be anything astounding, but it was very solid and very enjoyable.

[Heidi Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book on a rainy Sunday perfectly set the mood for an interesting Innsmouth adventure. I was drawn into Bud and Aubrey‘s world right away and was itching to know what the secret was to this creepy little town. Will is adept at weaving a world you want to be a part of even though you know something is a little off. I guess the best mark of a good book is when you just want to keep reading—-and I definitely want more!

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, fun book set in Lovecraftian New England in the early 1960s. There's not much horror, but there are creatures, thrills, and suspense. This is for people who want to dip their toes into modernized Lovecraftian horror, but don't want to look Cthulhu in the face.

Bud is a genuinely nice kid, which is refreshing to read. He likes his parents, and wants to make friends. He's not as dedicated to Scouting as the title might suggest. The Scouting manual he interprets is dedicated to being a good human being, and he shares it with a not-quite human friend.

The novella's plot and setting are excellent. The plot is an easy-to-follow mystery of strange goings-on in a small town that seems bent on a fantasy of saving itself from a very slow destruction. Innsmouth, of course, is a ready-made setting. Ludwigsen updates it a bit with his characters and more modern appliances, but keeps his Innsmouth beautifully turn-of-the century. That's 19th-century.

I'd say it's a good book for older kids and early teenagers, actually. Perfect for Halloween. But, I'm old, and they might find it terribly boring. What do I know from kids today? I might as well move to Innsmouth. Whippersnappers.

Edit 3/29:

I just remembered that there's a lot of swearing in this book. Something that might concern whippersnappers.

Also, familiarity with the original story The Shadow over Innsmouth would be a good pre-read for this one, although it does not match the tone or humor of this book at all. If you are interested in a free audio version, I recommend Nature's Temper's YouTube version. He's got a great narration style that's perfect for the story.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a well written book is both compelling and an edge of the seat kind of paranormal mystery, one has to take full notice. This book has been described by others (and the author) as Lovecraftian which is fine...I have no experience with Lovecraft's work personally. To my mind, this is a sort of Village of the Damned set in Cabot Cove.

One can't help but think of that Bucolic seaside village when reading this story about an anything but Bucolic seaside town. Ted is the scout who stands out and lives the way a young scout would when faced with these circumstances.

The ending is worth the beginning. You will be taken out of your comfort zone with this book. A captivating and brilliantly written book that deserves widespread acclaim.

Fans of classic sci fi will enjoy this book. If you enjoy Lovecraft or Bradbury, then this book is for you. Fans of paranormal mystery and fans of old-fashioned monster films will love this. A book that needs to be turned into a show on a streaming service. An excellent work.

My Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Mr. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my word I love love loved this book! I am a huge Lovecraft fan and this book was totally worthy of being part of the canon. Higher praise I cannot give. I will say nothing about anything because if you are unfamiliar with this universe I don't want to ruin it for you, and if you are, then I don't want to ruin it for you! It's not absolutely necessary to read "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H.P. Lovecraft before reading this book, because it is so well written, but you would miss out on the references, and you would be distracted by wondering just exactly what happened all those years ago. Go and find out first, then read this book. It's amazing.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can get more damage done when people think you’re harmless and broken”

Set in 1960s Massachusetts, nestled tightly away in the land of Cthulhu mythos, a boy comes to wonder if in a time of human monsters—the Birmingham church bombing, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the best way to fight evil is with the speculative monsters of nightmare folklore. I am not a fan of Lovecraft, and yet, I fell in love with Ludwigsen’s tale from the get go. It is an expertly crafted coming-of-age tale that poses subtle yet important questions about diversity, defense, and difference. A five+ star story, hands-down.

[Rob Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a physical ARC of this novella from the publisher and absolutely loved it. It reminded me of Robert R. McCammon's A BOY'S LIFE (one of my favorite novels), only if it took place in Lovecraft's universe. The story is charming yet creepy, infused with a hazy summer nostalgia that makes for the best kind of quick, cozy read. It's not really a scary book, but there are some dark and suspenseful moments that will keep you turning the page. Overall, it was a total delight. Highly recommended!

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really about a 4.3. I was surprised at how much I liked this book! I haven't read a lot of Lovecraft; I have a vague idea of the mythos. Mostly I liked his use of language and how he could scare me without doing guts, vomit, and gore. This book for me is Ray Bradbury meets Lovecraft. I love the narrative voice, an adult looking back on childhood-- very much like Something Wicked This Way Comes.

[Francis Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solidly crafted tale which first wins your interest with the characters, then plunges them into peril for the final third. The themes of idealism and misplaced nostalgia never really gelled for me - the story works most powerfully as a coming of age story, the other stuff is just ornament. Nice ornament, but just ornament

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who was active in boy scouts in the late 80s and early 90s this book really brings back memories. While i never encountered the same type of monsters in this book it is a great coming of age tale of being young and learning about the monsters that adults can be to each other.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars. Will is a treasure.

[Garp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful coming of age that involves a great and unusual friendship. A quick read that is nevertheless quite rich in content.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, though strange, story! Light horror might be the genre, and it was ok by me.

[uk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A finely crafted and beautifully written coming-of-age story: unpretentious and unsentimental, with an appreciative nod towards H. P. Lovecraft.

Read it.

[Ronda Canary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4