Review of Boutone, The Boy Monster of the Okefenokee Swamp

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Boutone, The Boy Monster of the Okefenokee Swamp" by William P. Davis.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When the Moss family returns from their weekend fishing trip, an unexpected adventure begins. The innocent glob of mud that tangled up Jeff Moss's fishing line turns out to be a living being, a baby swamp monster, to be exact. As Jeff and his older sister Jill hide the curious little creature in the nearby spring, keeping it a secret from their parents, tension rises within the family. Jill and Jeff insist that Boutone is perfectly harmless, yet their brother Harry feels strongly otherwise. As the oldest of the three Moss children, Harry feels responsible for warning his younger siblings about the potential danger of the strange aquatic being. After all, Boutone continues to grow at an alarming rate, and his unpredictable temperament could spell disaster if no one discovers the truth about his origin.

Boutone, The Boy Monster of the Okefenokee Swamp is an exciting short horror story by William P. Davis. I loved that the author incorporated the folklore surrounding the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia to create an engaging tale about the monsters he learned about in passed-down stories while growing up. We all have our spooky legends that haunted our waking dreams and nightmares as children, and Davis brought this fascination with scary stories and unexplained events to life. The myths and legends surrounding the water people of the swamp made for an authentic backstory for the mysterious adolescent creature that bonded with the youngest two Moss children. I also enjoyed the suspense that built up to the stunning conclusion. The end was not quite what I expected but was a plausible outcome for the sentiments and emotions developed throughout the narrative.

Overall, I enjoyed the pacing of the story as well as the concepts presented. However, this book was not very long, and I felt a few areas would have significantly improved with additional development. There were intricate details about the family, and it would have been nice to have more time to absorb the connections and information presented. I also would have appreciated more time for the emotional development in Jill's storyline, making her reactions to the changing Boutone more dynamic. The family history and Jill's dilemma were excellent plot points that sparked excitement as I read, making it difficult to put the book down. Still, I felt that it would have been fantastic to have a bit more time to let the plot progression sink in and play out before the conclusion.

While not too distracting, I also noticed several proofreading errors concerning possessives and missing punctuation at the end of the character dialogue. Unfortunately, I had to reduce the rating by one star because there were more than ten errors throughout the book. Still, the quality of the writing and the chilling suspense made me happy to give Boutone, The Boy Monster of the Okefenokee Swamp three out of four stars.

I'd highly recommend Boutone to readers who love stories based on local folklore and family conflicts. This short story should also appeal to those with a soft spot for strange and elusive beings like Big Foot, Nessie, and other mysterious creatures. Occasional minor swearing and a few scenes of violence exist within the story and would be appropriate for teens and adults. For those who prefer to listen to books, Boutone is available in audiobook format on Amazon and Audible, featuring the rich vocals of Jack Nolan.

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Boutone, The Boy Monster of the Okefenokee Swamp
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[Shivansh_007]

I haven't read many horror stories in my life so this will be a good one as it is a small one with a great plot. Thanks for the review.

[Review Writer]

This horror book seems fascinating. though I've not been reading more of horror books. Keeping swamp monster sounds scary, and that is what makes it fascinating to me.

[Wejdan_15]

I love horror stories. It kind of helps me to be careful in my life. In addition, it has a kind of suspense and excellence in the narration.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging horror story taking advantage of folklore, so I hope the author does another round of proofreading to correct the errors. Thank you for your great review!

[Rishi_reviews]

I haven't read many horror stories so I think this one will be good for me. It has a very interesting plot and I'm always fascinated by the backstory of the characters. Thanks for the review.

[Immaculate06]

The book is engaging and quite fascinating. The author's perspective of myths and legends is not bad. Good review.