The Grateful Boys by Françoise DuMaurier - Book Tour & Review
The Grateful Boys
by Françoise DuMaurier
by Françoise DuMaurier
Summary:
When seventeen-year-old Hailey’s multi-racial, single parent family migrate to the tiny rural town of Corpus, Georgia (population 700), she would rather have moved anywhere but there.
That is, until she spots him. Mysterious definitely, perhaps even supernatural. Where Hailey is awe-struck by the young man of her dreams, her little brother, Mason, sees a soulless creature of the night, a half-man who may be responsible for a series of grisly murders across the southern gothic town.
Antwan Zeddman, the town’s first African-American Sheriff, must enforce a curfew in Corpus to ensure the safety of the townsfolk. He must contend with sightings of hellish winged beasts and investigate the slaying of an innocent young couple traveling through town. There is a growing sense of racial unrest. Hailey will find herself caught between her family, the residents of Corpus, and the vampire she’s falling in love with.
The Grateful Boys is an otherworldly Young Adult novel which explores the challenges of growing up mixed raced in the southern states of America, and the troubles of a young woman coming of age in a town full of danger and temptation.
Information about the Book
Title: The Grateful Boys
Author: Françoise DuMaurier
Release Date: 1st October 2019
Genre: YA
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
My Review
The Grateful Boys is a unique, new paranormal YA novel involving vampires. It's a novel that tackles issues such as racism, fear of the unknown, and one small town's desire to remain stuck in the past.
I have to say, I rather enjoyed The Grateful Boys. It starts off with a bang, and then it sort of mellows out and takes a bit to get going again, but once it does, you find yourself sucked in and curious to see how everything will play out.
Hailey and Mason are the new kids in town. Mason immediately befriends a group of boys, while Hailey prefers to stick with just one girl named Madison. And it isn't until one fateful Friday night at a football game where Hailey and Mason's lives are forever changed.
I definitely got a Stranger Things/Losers Club from IT vibe when reading things from Mason's POV. There was more of a Twilight vibe (without all the silly sparkliness and other awkwardness) when things were from Hailey's POV. I did think both kids were written quite well, and they were believable as typical teenagers (13 and 16). As were their friends.
I found Percy and Gregory to be fascinating, and the entire order of vampires was intriguing. They were different enough from most vampires, and when Percy reveals his history, it was actually pretty neat. I've never been a big fan of history, but I found his backstory engaging.
The other characters are all really well-written, and I especially felt bad for the sheriff. Even though he was elected in by popular vote, a lot of the townsfolk don't care for him, since he's too different for their liking. But he handles it well, and he doesn't let it bother him too much.
The only thing I suppose I disliked was that some of the ending felt a bit rushed. Like, the scene in the gym was very quickly paced, and it was all over a bit faster than I expected it to be.
There were also a few misused words (such as delicatessen instead of delicacy; desert instead of dessert)/words missing at the end of sentences, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.
I'm actually hoping this might turn into a series, or there will be another book that delves deeper into the vampires and their order. I'd like to see more of Hailey, Percy, and the rest of the characters.
Overall, if you're a fan of YA paranormal/coming of age stories, you'll want to check out The Grateful Boys.
4 stars from me!
Author Information
Françoise DuMaurier is a Special Education Case Worker who works out of a small town in rural Georgia which inspired the Southern Gothic setting of The Grateful Boys. To get to work, DuMaurier passes through miles and miles of farms, as far as the eye can see. Before entering education, DuMaurier attended the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design where he studied visual art and creative writing. Having worked with an array of students along with his own experiences, DuMaurier is uniquely suited to provide a wry voice that encapsulates #ownvoices fiction.
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