BOYS: Stories and a Novella

Lloyd captures the simultaneously singular and universal conflicts in the lives of adolescent boys in a collection of stories set in upstate New York in 1966. In spare, direct prose, Lloyd depicts scenes that frequently skirt the edge of danger, both social and physical. In "No Boundaries," a smaller boy must face an athletic older rival in a seemingly innocent game of dodge ball ("I had become one of those flies you can't swat no matter how fast you swing your hand"). "Spider" follows a similar thread, pitting a star high school wrestler against a talented but lackadaisical teammate in a practice match that turns violent. In "Shortcut," "Touch" and "Stain," Lloyd economically but poignantly explores the ramifications of a class bully's behavior for a teacher, the victim and the vice principal. Lloyd lightens up—for a bit, anyway—in "As Always, Jason," in which a boy passes informational notes to his classmates ("Actaeon was torn to pieces by his own dogs"; "The Manx cat has no tail") for his own private reasons. Lloyd's novella, "Boys Only," tracks 13-year-old Chris as he tries to come to grips with his first love, the shifting dynamic of the three-boy gang he belongs to and the changes in his teenage sister as she begins dating. The novella, which lacks the stories' sharp, close focus on a single situation, is less successful, as Lloyd doesn't always sufficiently connect the narrative dots. But these quiet, sometimes chilling stories remind us of childhood's unique travails and prove Lloyd to be a writer with unique insight into that world. (Mar.)