The New York Times Book Review - Christopher Healy
The adventure [Secundus and Boy] embark on features thrilling chases, many comic observations from Boy…and more fart references than one might expect in a religious allegory. And the climactic revelation of Boy's true nature is a genuinely surprising twist.
From the Publisher
A tale of ingenuity, daring, dread, and tenderness, in which neither man nor Boy is quite what he seems, The Book of Boy is a treat from start to finish.” — Wall Street Journal
“The Book of Boy, with evocative wood-cut-style illustrations by Ian Schoenherr, is a beautiful volume. . . .an original feat of imaginative storytelling.” — Wall Street Journal
“Scuffles and sacrifices, ferocious animals, and dastardly thieves abound as Boy and Secundus are slowly revealed to readers—and each other. This is also a beautiful piece of bookmaking, from the woodblock-style design elements to the manuscript-like paper. A vivid, not-to-be-missed story.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Light and darkness have never clashed with such fierce majesty and eloquent damnation. Murdock weaves an engrossing tale. ...Blend epic adventure with gothic good and evil, and add a dash of sly wit for a tale that keeps readers turning the page.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Fresh, immediate, and earthy: the fakery, the faith, the embedded stories, the escapades. The story is beautifully served by its package...Most remarkable and unusual is the character of Boy, a complex and compelling being whose defining quality is goodness.” — Horn Book (starred review)
“This is a medieval tale that blends historical fiction with magical realism. Readers will enjoy the adventures of Boy and Secundus, rife with twists that give the story more depth than a straightforward historical novel. ... Boy is an admirable protagonist.” — School Library Journal
“Boy shines with unique, good-hearted brightness. This action-packed tale, with a luminous central character, unspools with a strong message about how appearances can deceive.” — Publishers Weekly
“Young readers intrigued by history, and those who love a good quest, should find much to keep them interested. Beautiful illustrations with the look of woodcuts grace each chapter.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Fun, enchanting. . .A perfect choice for a middle-grade reader who likes historical fiction, magical realism, mystery and a rich story centered on good vs. evil.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Booklist (starred review)
Scuffles and sacrifices, ferocious animals, and dastardly thieves abound as Boy and Secundus are slowly revealed to readers—and each other. This is also a beautiful piece of bookmaking, from the woodblock-style design elements to the manuscript-like paper. A vivid, not-to-be-missed story.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Young readers intrigued by history, and those who love a good quest, should find much to keep them interested. Beautiful illustrations with the look of woodcuts grace each chapter.
Horn Book (starred review)
Fresh, immediate, and earthy: the fakery, the faith, the embedded stories, the escapades. The story is beautifully served by its package...Most remarkable and unusual is the character of Boy, a complex and compelling being whose defining quality is goodness.
Wall Street Journal
The Book of Boy, with evocative wood-cut-style illustrations by Ian Schoenherr, is a beautiful volume. . . .an original feat of imaginative storytelling.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fun, enchanting. . .A perfect choice for a middle-grade reader who likes historical fiction, magical realism, mystery and a rich story centered on good vs. evil.
Wall Street Journal
A tale of ingenuity, daring, dread, and tenderness, in which neither man nor Boy is quite what he seems, The Book of Boy is a treat from start to finish.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fun, enchanting. . .A perfect choice for a middle-grade reader who likes historical fiction, magical realism, mystery and a rich story centered on good vs. evil.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2017-10-30
Light and darkness have never clashed with such fierce majesty and eloquent damnation.Murdock weaves an engrossing tale set in medieval France, filled with charismatic characters, daring deeds, and more sinister duplicity than a certain serpent in the Garden of Eden. The titular Boy is thought a simpleton, a disfigured child who has lived a life of ridicule. Accepting of his sorry lot in life, the humble servant wants nothing more than to live in the shadows and avoid the ill-tempered attention of the likes of town bully Ox. That is, he accepts it until the arrival of the shadowy pilgrim, Secundus, enlarges Boy's world beyond the small boundaries of his village and introduces him to a world filled with greed, hunger, joy, deceit, and victory. Along with a story that unravels to reveal that not everything in the world is as it appears, Murdock delivers a wickedly fun-filled quest that twists and turns with lyrical fire. Boy ponders: "Pilgrim he might be but this man has sin stitched into his soul." The story is, among other things, an exploration of religion, Secundus' thieving quest for relics a counterpoint to Boy's stalwart faith.Blend epic adventure with gothic good and evil, and add a dash of sly wit for a tale that keeps readers turning the page, shaking their heads, and feeling the power of choice. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
