Title: A Scout is Brave
Author: Will Ludwigsen
Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming of Age
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review:
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
Buy it Now:
Author Biography:
Will Ludwigsen’s stories of strange mystery have appeared in eclectic venues like Asimov’s Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Weird Tales, among many other places. His collection, In Search Of and Others, was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award. Will earned his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine and taught genre creative writing at the University of North Florida. When he isn’t reconciling the eerie with the absurd as a corporate education writer, he’s doing it for you in his fiction. Will lives and writes in Jacksonville, FL, with his partner Aimee Payne, also a writer. Yes, he was a Boy Scout who took it way too seriously. You can follow him online at www.will-ludwigsen.com.
Social Media Links:
On X (formerly Twitter) @Will_Ludwigsen
Facebook: ludwigsen
Reviewed by: Mr. N