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The Boys Are Back in Town
From a master of horror, dark fantasy, and suspense comes a compelling and uniquely original work of paranormal suspense in which one man finds himself trapped in a web of ever-shifting reality which threatens to remake the whole of the world—unless he can find a way to stop it.
For Will James, facing his tenth high school reunion is far from his finest hour—especially since his life has not gone exactly as he planned. Dumped at the altar by his high school sweetheart and with his dreams of being a prize-winning reporter dashed by his job at a Boston tabloid, he is not sure he is ready to face his former peers.
But what he does find at the reunion is far more than he bargained for. He soon learns that one of his buddies had died several years back—even though Will had received an e-mail from him only a few days before. It is not long before other people Will was convinced were alive are turning out to be dead as well—or married to other people, or childless where they used to have children. And new memories are swarming in to replace what Will is convinced was his old life, until he no longer knows what is real and what is not. The only thing he does know for certain is that he has to figure out why he alone remembers snatches of another life before everything dissolves into this new, darker reality.
For Will James, facing his tenth high school reunion is far from his finest hour—especially since his life has not gone exactly as he planned. Dumped at the altar by his high school sweetheart and with his dreams of being a prize-winning reporter dashed by his job at a Boston tabloid, he is not sure he is ready to face his former peers.
But what he does find at the reunion is far more than he bargained for. He soon learns that one of his buddies had died several years back—even though Will had received an e-mail from him only a few days before. It is not long before other people Will was convinced were alive are turning out to be dead as well—or married to other people, or childless where they used to have children. And new memories are swarming in to replace what Will is convinced was his old life, until he no longer knows what is real and what is not. The only thing he does know for certain is that he has to figure out why he alone remembers snatches of another life before everything dissolves into this new, darker reality.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
46 people are currently reading
638 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Golden
799 books2,973 followersCHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of such novels as Road of Bones, Ararat, Snowblind, Of Saints and Shadows, and Red Hands. With Mike Mignola, he is the co-creator of the Outerverse comic book universe, including such series as Baltimore, Joe Golem: Occult Detective, and Lady Baltimore. As an editor, he has worked on the short story anthologies Seize the Night, Dark Cities, and The New Dead, among others, and he has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and a network television pilot. Golden co-hosts the podcast Defenders Dialogue with horror author Brian Keene. In 2015 he founded the popular Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. He was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he still lives with his family. His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. For the Bram Stoker Awards, Golden has been nominated ten times in eight different categories. His original novels have been published in more than fifteen languages in countries around the world. Please visit him at www.christophergolden.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 31, 2018
This was a really fun read for me. I really enjoy the way Golden writes dialogue, and sure, he sometimes is repetitive about certain gestures that his characters make, but overall Golden is a solid writer all around. To be fair, I'm starting to think that I do have a bias towards him because of his history with writing the novel companions to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Reading this book felt very much like watching an episode of Buffy and I love that. He combined the very interesting elements of time travel and magic, with the magic part lying heavily within the realm of Buffy's rules for magic.
Although Snowblind remains my favorite Golden novel so far, this one kept me very entertained. It's a book where you just HAVE to find out what happens next.
Although Snowblind remains my favorite Golden novel so far, this one kept me very entertained. It's a book where you just HAVE to find out what happens next.
June 8, 2023
Magic always costs.
You got that right! I throughly enjoyed this book! It’s so different from what I’ve been reading lately. I will say that I was not expecting the magic portion from reading the back of the book. I was expecting more thrilled/mystery. I had no idea it had magic. When I got to the magic portion, I was like oh great, this is going to be cheesy. Nope. Exquisitely written and kept me on the edge of my seat! Deaths, who did it?, magic, spells, curses, scorned people, time travel…it’s all here.
I was shocked that Caitlyn had nothing to do with it as I was so convinced she was the one behind it all for some odd reason 😂
Anyway, this is a fantastic example to show how your actions and decisions effect every aspect of your future. Minus the time travel obviously.
You got that right! I throughly enjoyed this book! It’s so different from what I’ve been reading lately. I will say that I was not expecting the magic portion from reading the back of the book. I was expecting more thrilled/mystery. I had no idea it had magic. When I got to the magic portion, I was like oh great, this is going to be cheesy. Nope. Exquisitely written and kept me on the edge of my seat! Deaths, who did it?, magic, spells, curses, scorned people, time travel…it’s all here.
I was shocked that Caitlyn had nothing to do with it as I was so convinced she was the one behind it all for some odd reason 😂
Anyway, this is a fantastic example to show how your actions and decisions effect every aspect of your future. Minus the time travel obviously.
July 2, 2022
this book had me confused the whole time. From the description on the back of my book, I thought this was a cute psychological thriller. Turns out it’s a dark fantasy time traveling saga.
it did take me a little bit to get into it and I got a little confused on the differentiation between the older and younger versions of some of the characters. but I was pretty satisfied with the twists this book revealed and the last 100 pages had my eyes glued till I finished.
it did take me a little bit to get into it and I got a little confused on the differentiation between the older and younger versions of some of the characters. but I was pretty satisfied with the twists this book revealed and the last 100 pages had my eyes glued till I finished.
December 13, 2021
Unmemorable
August 26, 2017
Imagine that everything you know is wrong -- or at least, it will be tomorrow.
Imagine that everyone you know tells you that your good friend -- the one you just talked to last week -- died over ten years ago. And now that they mention it... yes, they're right. Now you remember going to his funeral in high school. What's wrong with you?
Imagine that things like this keep happening. Your best friend -- the one whose children you've babysat many times -- actually has no children. She's unable to conceive since being brutally raped back in high school. Remember?
Imagine watching helplessly as all of your fondest memories fade away, replaced by horrific visions of death and despair. Then some kid you don't know comes up to you at your high-school reunion, and hands you a yellowed note with the words: "Don't forget," scrawled in eerily-familar handwriting.
Someone is messing with your past -- and you need to find out who, how, and why --and stop them... before it's too late!
This book is a trip!
You'll never figure out what's going on until the last page is turned.
And that makes it a Five-Star page-turner for me.
Imagine that everyone you know tells you that your good friend -- the one you just talked to last week -- died over ten years ago. And now that they mention it... yes, they're right. Now you remember going to his funeral in high school. What's wrong with you?
Imagine that things like this keep happening. Your best friend -- the one whose children you've babysat many times -- actually has no children. She's unable to conceive since being brutally raped back in high school. Remember?
Imagine watching helplessly as all of your fondest memories fade away, replaced by horrific visions of death and despair. Then some kid you don't know comes up to you at your high-school reunion, and hands you a yellowed note with the words: "Don't forget," scrawled in eerily-familar handwriting.
Someone is messing with your past -- and you need to find out who, how, and why --and stop them... before it's too late!
This book is a trip!
You'll never figure out what's going on until the last page is turned.
And that makes it a Five-Star page-turner for me.
November 4, 2009
My first Christopher Golden book, but definately not my last! Wow. This actually lived up to the claim of being "a wicked little thriller. Rod Serling would have loved it."
Basic premise is that Will James is going to his tenth high schoool reunion and is looking forward to seeing all his old high school friends; people he's kept in touch with off and on since graduation. Then things take a decidedly dark turn when Will learns that one of his old friends was killed during their senior year but Will remembers graduating with him and hanging out afterwards. Wills memories start to change and soon even more of his old memories, and the people around him, start changing. Will needs to figure out what's going on and fast.
Loved the writing, loved the action, loved the suspense all the way to the end. Little bit of gore, but nothing too bad. Just a great, creepy story to keep me up until the wee smalls on Halloween night.
I will certainly be picking up more of Christoper Golden's books.
Basic premise is that Will James is going to his tenth high schoool reunion and is looking forward to seeing all his old high school friends; people he's kept in touch with off and on since graduation. Then things take a decidedly dark turn when Will learns that one of his old friends was killed during their senior year but Will remembers graduating with him and hanging out afterwards. Wills memories start to change and soon even more of his old memories, and the people around him, start changing. Will needs to figure out what's going on and fast.
Loved the writing, loved the action, loved the suspense all the way to the end. Little bit of gore, but nothing too bad. Just a great, creepy story to keep me up until the wee smalls on Halloween night.
I will certainly be picking up more of Christoper Golden's books.
April 10, 2010
This is one of two books I literally threw across the room halfway into it. I can’t remember exactly why, but something about the way the author handled both time travel and occultism screamed that he understood neither.
July 25, 2014
I would have given this book 5 stars, but I felt the ending was somewhat contrived. There are several other ways, in my opinion, that the story could have ended that would have been much more satisfying. I really can't say more than that without ruining an otherwise enjoyable read for everyone.
September 9, 2013
A truly chilling and disturbing story about the scars left after childhood's end.
October 6, 2017
“Like Rod Serling. Stephen Donaldson. L. Frank Baum crossed with Stephen King.” Reviewers have struggled to place Christopher Golden’s work into a specific niche of the horror genre, but previous books have defied such placement.
The Boys Are Back in Town
is no different.
Oh, Boys begins typically enough, B-movie script expectable. Will James is a world-weary tabloid reporter, collecting yet another story before he heads back to the home town for a tenth-year high-school reunion.
He’s made plans to meet with all his old friends while back home, exchanging eMails and setting up dinner plans with each of them. Aside from Mike Lebo, though, Will hasn’t seen most of them since high school.
Then he arrives for the reunion, and his innocent inquiries after Mike are met with shocked stares. Everyone else remembers Mike Lebo’s death during their senior year.
As Will examines his memories, a darker history than he recalled before the reunion begins to emerge. There’s a reason he’s not an award-winning journalist. There’s a reason Will alone remembers Mike Lebo alive after graduation. And there’s a sinister reason Mike eMailed him before the reunion.
It’s all tied up with the black magic these high-school friends practiced ten years ago. Will finds his world changing around him as his memories shift. He must travel back in time to undo the disastrous events that have set an entire high school class onto a twisted path.
Golden writes dialogue in a very “new age” style, with the choppy rhythm of eMail, tweets, and voice-mail. Yet he uses a descriptive technique straight out of Dashiel Hammett: objective, blunt and unemotional. The combination works to create a modern atmosphere for some very creepy action.
The novel lightly explores the way our destinies are determined by choices we make, and how our identity is inextricable from our memories. Like most horror novels, the message is superficial. If you’re not looking for anything deep and lasting, this is an excellent choice.
Oh, Boys begins typically enough, B-movie script expectable. Will James is a world-weary tabloid reporter, collecting yet another story before he heads back to the home town for a tenth-year high-school reunion.
He’s made plans to meet with all his old friends while back home, exchanging eMails and setting up dinner plans with each of them. Aside from Mike Lebo, though, Will hasn’t seen most of them since high school.
Then he arrives for the reunion, and his innocent inquiries after Mike are met with shocked stares. Everyone else remembers Mike Lebo’s death during their senior year.
As Will examines his memories, a darker history than he recalled before the reunion begins to emerge. There’s a reason he’s not an award-winning journalist. There’s a reason Will alone remembers Mike Lebo alive after graduation. And there’s a sinister reason Mike eMailed him before the reunion.
It’s all tied up with the black magic these high-school friends practiced ten years ago. Will finds his world changing around him as his memories shift. He must travel back in time to undo the disastrous events that have set an entire high school class onto a twisted path.
Golden writes dialogue in a very “new age” style, with the choppy rhythm of eMail, tweets, and voice-mail. Yet he uses a descriptive technique straight out of Dashiel Hammett: objective, blunt and unemotional. The combination works to create a modern atmosphere for some very creepy action.
The novel lightly explores the way our destinies are determined by choices we make, and how our identity is inextricable from our memories. Like most horror novels, the message is superficial. If you’re not looking for anything deep and lasting, this is an excellent choice.
May 8, 2017
This book had me hooked from the beginning. It was very intriguing and I didn't want to put it down. At first when I found out that magic was the reason for Will's memory changes, I was disappointed and thought that the rest of the story was going to be kind of cheesy. However, Golden's creation of the story line, the characters, and the magic was done in a way that interested me and kept me wondering what would happen next. If I had more free time, I feel that I would have finished this book in no more than two days. Golden's descriptions are detailed but not over the top and he uses some great metaphors and similes (which as a lover of language, I enjoyed). I was a little confused when reading the epilogue because Golden never described how everything went back to normal (e.g. Lebo lived) and how Will and Brian were able to return to the present day (i.e. their reunion weekend). I can infer that young Dori burning the copy of the book pages played a part in that, but that seems too easy. Overall, it was a great book and I will definitely be checking out other books by Golden.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
I was hoping this had something to do with the Thin Lizzy song since I'm a fan, but no mention. However, the Goo Goo Dolls get a mention and the main character Will rips a hole in the lid of his coffee cup many times throughout the book. Will's a journalist that doesn't get a promotion he feels he deserved. He's also going to his high school reunion and while he looks forward to catching up with some people, things are just not adding up.
This was ok but I had trouble following the different characters and the time travel. But if you're into high school reunions, time travel and magic you might enjoy it.
This was ok but I had trouble following the different characters and the time travel. But if you're into high school reunions, time travel and magic you might enjoy it.
December 1, 2021
Really enjoyable horror/magic/time travel/thriller book! I think that Golden did time travel quite well with set boundaries that worked well with the story. The characters were all people we knew in high school and know now. The way that timelines/personal history changed was done well and I found to be “believable” in terms of how it was happening. Overall, an absorbing read with a great story & interesting characters. Definitely a book I would recommend if you enjoy some horror and a little magic!
November 20, 2025
Horrible name for the book. Should have been called dark gifts. Story got caught up in a lot of time loop stuff. Author wasn’t up to the task managing it. Story also couldn’t decide if it was about a group of kids or just will. Cool idea. I thought the execution didn’t land. Nor did the attempts at nostalgia invoking work. Golden is good at that…usually
March 9, 2021
Captivating a page turner didn't want to quit reading a must read for everyone that likes suspense and twists and turns. I would recommend this book if you're someone who is looking for something different and likes to read about dark magic.
December 27, 2022
I loved this book through and through. From the very first chapter, I was hooked. It had everything I wanted in a book: dark magic, mystery, horror, murder, and time travel. Golden hit the nail on the head with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2023
OMG! After I read this book, I wanted to read it again. That’s how powerful, nostalgic, and emotional it was. It transported me back in time and I loved every minute. Compelling characters, beautifully written story - Christopher, you outdid yourself with this one!
April 30, 2024
Time travel, dark magic, and the bonds of friendship. This one has it all. I had forgotten how great a writer Golden is, and this one is on top of his game. Strong character dynamic, and a twisting plot line that packed a punch in the third act. I really enjoyed this.
August 5, 2017
I randomly found this book at the library. Never heard of the author but the spine caught my attention. Just my kind of book, I loved it!
May 20, 2018
Ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Then don't even bother with this book. This book was absolute shit. No character development or even discernible voice. Tired ass plot line.
April 23, 2019
Got a little squirrely 3/4 in, landed strong
January 7, 2022
Absolutely loved it!
March 8, 2025
Nice premise, but feels like three books in one. Not very well written, a lot of ego choices, but instructive of how not to do it.
March 14, 2017
Exciting page turner. Time travel, magic, supernatural mayhem. Stephen King fans, try this guy out
October 10, 2020
I'm not exactly sure how I felt about The Boys Are Back In Town to be honest. Parts of it were engrossing, yet other parts were starting to feel bogged down a bit. Now a few hours after finishing, I am starting to think it was better than I thought whilst I was actually reading it!! So I am a little confused.
July 17, 2009
Holy Harry Potter.
The books I read tend to gravitate toward fantasy and horror, so there's a fair bit of magic in most of my stories of choice. However, I don't know if I've ever read a book that dealt with magic like that in The Boys Are Back in Town.
The book offers a great blend of warm nostalgia and gritty suspense, with many twists and turns and a plot that keeps pounding right up until the last page.
In The Boys Are Back in Town, Boston tabloid writer, Will, is getting ready to head home for his 10-year high school reunion. He's not thrilled about seeing the high school sweetheart who left him at the alter, but has been conned into going by his best friend and former girl next door, Ashleigh. Despite the dread of seeing his ex-fiancee and living up to the fact that he hasn't become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he's eager to see all of his old friends -- especially Mike Lebo, who he hasn't seen in years, but has been catching up with over e-mail.
When Will arrives at the reunion weekend, though, strange things start happening quickly. When he asks about his friend Mike, he's startled to learn -- and then remember -- that Mike died their senior year. Soon other strange memories start taking over Will's mind, and facts about his friends start changing, too. In some cases, even his friends themselves are changing before his very eyes. Will (and readers) are left with the mystery of unraveling what's real and what is illusion, and how to make heal both the past and the present in this tale that spans 11 years.
The story, overall, is chilling but not truly scary. It's disturbing, but not gory. The story line does jump around from Will's high school days to the present time, but the author does a great job of making sure that readers don't get lost along the way. And the ending? Let's just say, I didn't see it coming. Great, great stuff.
This was my first foray into the writing of Christopher Golden, and I'm very excited to pick up another of his novels in the future. He is very economical in his word use (which usually kind of turns me off) but I thought it really worked well in this story. He writes teenage boys exceptionally well, and it was refreshing to read something that was so unexpected and engrossing.
The books I read tend to gravitate toward fantasy and horror, so there's a fair bit of magic in most of my stories of choice. However, I don't know if I've ever read a book that dealt with magic like that in The Boys Are Back in Town.
The book offers a great blend of warm nostalgia and gritty suspense, with many twists and turns and a plot that keeps pounding right up until the last page.
In The Boys Are Back in Town, Boston tabloid writer, Will, is getting ready to head home for his 10-year high school reunion. He's not thrilled about seeing the high school sweetheart who left him at the alter, but has been conned into going by his best friend and former girl next door, Ashleigh. Despite the dread of seeing his ex-fiancee and living up to the fact that he hasn't become a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he's eager to see all of his old friends -- especially Mike Lebo, who he hasn't seen in years, but has been catching up with over e-mail.
When Will arrives at the reunion weekend, though, strange things start happening quickly. When he asks about his friend Mike, he's startled to learn -- and then remember -- that Mike died their senior year. Soon other strange memories start taking over Will's mind, and facts about his friends start changing, too. In some cases, even his friends themselves are changing before his very eyes. Will (and readers) are left with the mystery of unraveling what's real and what is illusion, and how to make heal both the past and the present in this tale that spans 11 years.
The story, overall, is chilling but not truly scary. It's disturbing, but not gory. The story line does jump around from Will's high school days to the present time, but the author does a great job of making sure that readers don't get lost along the way. And the ending? Let's just say, I didn't see it coming. Great, great stuff.
This was my first foray into the writing of Christopher Golden, and I'm very excited to pick up another of his novels in the future. He is very economical in his word use (which usually kind of turns me off) but I thought it really worked well in this story. He writes teenage boys exceptionally well, and it was refreshing to read something that was so unexpected and engrossing.
March 2, 2011
A really, really good page turner. The thing I love about Christopher Golden books is that they are always well woven. This is an interesting presentation of "the road not taken" idea, where we deal with parallel realities and time travel. It was logical, which seems a strange thing to say about time travel, but it really did make sense. There was an appropriately hideous antagonist and ends with a sly wink, a la Stephen King. In that Golden and King are similar; they both acknowledge that there are some forces that have a minds of their own. They also know the value of the human spirit. Both of their heroes are always good people, thought they may not necessarily always do good. They are realistic representations of the modern day hero, and that, I think, is the thread that holds these types of stories together. No matter how ridiculous or unbelievable these stories are, I am willing to suspend my disbelief because I fall in love with the frailties and strengths of the heroes in them. I think I will make it a point to read all of Golden's books. Though they may not be particularly deep, they satisfy that part of me that always believes in magic and the adventures that spring out of it.
February 20, 2008
Will James has an OK life. He has a job that is OK, his love life is next to nil, but an old heartbreak still shadows him. His 10 year high school reunion is coming up, and Will decides to go at the last minute...and it's OK. At least until his memories start to change.
A good friend was killed their senior year...but Will just got an e-mail from him. So why is Will the only one who remembers him living into adulthood? Why does he have 2 sets of memories?
Soon other lives are altered - right before Will's eyes. Now Will has to figure out who is changing their past - before it's too late for all of them
This was my first Christopher Golden book, and it will not be my last. His writing reminds me of classic Stephen King, filling me with the horror and magic and wonder of it all. I thought about the characters many times when I wasn't reading, I tried to put all of the puzzle pieces together.
It was a great book, very creative. The time and memory shifts in the book can be a little confusing, but they are meant to be. The main characters are feeling the same confusion. My rating: 5/5!
A good friend was killed their senior year...but Will just got an e-mail from him. So why is Will the only one who remembers him living into adulthood? Why does he have 2 sets of memories?
Soon other lives are altered - right before Will's eyes. Now Will has to figure out who is changing their past - before it's too late for all of them
This was my first Christopher Golden book, and it will not be my last. His writing reminds me of classic Stephen King, filling me with the horror and magic and wonder of it all. I thought about the characters many times when I wasn't reading, I tried to put all of the puzzle pieces together.
It was a great book, very creative. The time and memory shifts in the book can be a little confusing, but they are meant to be. The main characters are feeling the same confusion. My rating: 5/5!
March 19, 2008
This was a really good book! I like the way Golden delivered the first 100 pages of the story. Made me think back to high school and how much things have changed since graduation. How much we miss those people we used to see every weekday and now only see ocassionally, if at all.
With that said, Golden has created some great characters here. Will and Ashleigh could be anyone we know from our childhood and the author has filled out the rest of his cast with truly believable people.
When the story turned to the dark side of magic I was too far gone to see how deftly the change was made. That's what makes Christopher Golden a good writer.
With that said, Golden has created some great characters here. Will and Ashleigh could be anyone we know from our childhood and the author has filled out the rest of his cast with truly believable people.
When the story turned to the dark side of magic I was too far gone to see how deftly the change was made. That's what makes Christopher Golden a good writer.
November 17, 2011
Wow. I was completely blown away by this book. From the very beginning it messed with my mind and didn't give up till the very end. It was mysterious, creepy, engrossing, funny, and frustrating all the same time. I was constantly questioning the characters, their reality and everything in between, not to mention yelling at the book in anger, shock and frustration numerous times. And the ending! Of course it has an open ending that you know, if the story were to go on, would totally screw everything up again. I absolutely loved it and will definitely be reading more from Christopher Golden.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews