This book has been kicking around for a while, in one incarnation or another, and I've glanced at it here and there from more than one publisher. It never seemed to be the right time to read it but it has been on my radar. To be honest the first time I glanced at it the title put me off. What is this? I thought, something about boys and their Star Wars obsession? (Fear not, it isn't!)

Sometimes I take a break from reading horror. Sometimes I end up disappointed and other times, I come away from my break remarkably satisfied. This is one of the latter.

Jedi Summer is a coming of age tale set in a small town in 1983. It is part fiction, part recollection of the author's childhood and entirely spellbinding. It is a memorable summer in the lives of Johnny and Roscoe, two brothers growing up in a poor town, where their mom works 3 jobs just to keep them fed. It's a summer of good times, growing up, and the bittersweet knowledge that nothing can last forever, whether it is the good or the bad times they all must eventually end. This book spoke to me on so many levels. Much like childhood, it passed by quickly and now I don't want it to be over.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher with no obligation to write a review. ( )

I received a paperback ARC of Jedi Summer, authored by John Boden from Silver Shamrock Publishing for review consideration. Front cover design: Kealan Patrick Burke/Elderlemon Design. Interior art: Bob Veon. Format/edits: Kenneth W. Cain. What follows below is my honest review freely given.

I rated this novella 5 stars. In the foreword we are told that some of what we will read really happened while some is fictitious, pretty standard. After reading I can say, with certainty, that in my heart, all of what is written withing these pages happened as the author wrote it verbatim.

I have seen other reviewers compare, spoiler free and on social media, this novella to the coming of age juggernauts Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon and It by Stephen King, lofty praise. But here’s where it gets even crazier people, because this is a novella coming in at 82 pages total length, and Boy’s Life clocked in at 625, It at a whopping 1116 pages; the emotional impact has Jedi Summer going off like a nuclear bomb. This bad boy had me caught up in all the feelings, shiny eyes throughout and free fall tears for several parts. Several. And the whole time I felt like I was reading a personal letter to me, filled with precious memories that were now precious to me as well. The writing seemed as smooth as listening to him speaking, though I have not. If you have a sibling, as I do, I believe it will make you think on that relationship, as I did. I have Out Behind the Barn, which is written by him and Chad Lutzke and I don’t know how to prepare for that now that I have read their work separately and been beautifully broken by them, but I’m ready for the pain. I need to read everything by John Boden—and you do too. Past and future and evermore. Just transcendent. ( )

JEDI Summer is a coming of age tale set during the time in which I, (mostly) grew up, the glorious 80's.

80's nostalgia seems to be the all the rage now, what with the new Netflix show, Stranger Things, also set during this time. To those of us who grew up back then, nothing can touch our memories of: the advent of cable television and the premiere of MTV, VCRs that were so expensive at the time you had to rent them, (not to mention how BIG they were!), Galaga, big hair bands and so much more. This tale is about the summer when Return of the Jedi came out: 1983.

A semi-autobiographical piece of coming-of-age dark fiction, that's what this is. It's more of a collection of tales set during that summer in a small town; tales peppered with peeks into the dark side. Not only with the death of relatives, which we all experience, but with nasty little scenes that I imagine must haunt Mr. Boden, if they are indeed true. He claims that some of them are, according to James Newman, who penned the introduction.

Having Mr. Newman introduce this book was perfect. His book, [b:The Wicked|13648459|The Wicked|James Newman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336971941s/13648459.jpg|19267499], was a coming of age story as is JEDI Summer. John Boden, in addition to being an editor at Shock Totem, (the company that published The Wicked, back in 2012), Mr. Boden is an author and a fine one, at that.

If you have a certain sense of nostalgia for the 80's, and/or a proclivity for dark fiction coming-of-age tales, such as The Wicked, Boy's Life, or Summer of Night, then this novella was written with you in mind. I highly recommend you take an hour and give it a shot!

Available here on July 22, 2016: https://www.amazon.com/JEDI-Summer-Magnetic-John-Boden-ebook/dp/B01I27IOQY/ref=s... summer#navbar

*I received a free e-copy of JEDI Summer from Post Mortem Press in exchange for my honest review. This is it!* ( )

Review copy

From the foreward by James Newman...

Jedi Summer is a snapshot of one special moment in time. It is an unconventional coming-of-age tale like nothing I have ever read before.

James Newman really sold me on the story that follows. Be sure and read his foreward, it's nearly as entertaining as the novella which follows.

The tale is told in a series of vignettes of events which occurred from the end of school through the end of Summer in 1983. According to the author, some of these things really happened and others are just stories. It's left to the reader to determine which are which or if it even matters.

The narrative is told by Johnny and it's about his friends and his little brother Roscoe, sometimes referred to as "The magnetic Kid."

John Boden has a way with words. A few favorites include...

My stomach lurching and my Cookie Crisp threatening to vacate the premises.

She laced every interaction with enough honeys and sweeties to pacify a diabetic.

Growing up was a shitty thing to do to someone.

The events of the Summer all center around waiting for RETURN OF THE JEDI to make it's way to the small local theater. An effective sub-plot to add a certain cohesiveness to the overall adventure.

While I would have enjoyed more from the Summer of '83, I certainly enjoyed this quick read.

Jedi Summer with The Magnetic Kid is published by Post Mortem Press and is available in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you may read this book at no additional charge, and if you are an Amazon Prime member you may read it for FREE through the Kindle Owners Lending Library.

According to his bio, John Boden lives a stone's throw from Three Mile Island with his wonderful fasmily. A baker by day, he spends his off time writing, working on Shock Totem or watching M*A*S*H re-runs. ( )