Set in 1959, in rural Early, western Virginia, The Boys Who Woke Up Early is a coming of age novel that reads more like a historical memoir. The story follows a young man named, Stony Shelor, who has a reputation for being a troublemaker. As he starts his junior year at Jubal Early High, he’s determined to lay low and simply admire the pretty girls in school from afar, especially one in particular. Stony is smitten with Mary Lou Martin, but unfortunately for Stony, he’s the last thing on her mind.
He befriends a rambunctious newcomer named Jack Newcomb, that likes to drive fast cars and tell elaborate stories. After Stony teaches Jack how to shoot, Jack draws Stony into his wild fantasy of becoming a private detective. After constantly hanging around the county sheriff’s office, the police officers start using the two boys for odd jobs and help around the station. They embark on a few adventurous cases. But real trouble ensues when the district attorney’s house is burglarized and Stony and Jack take it upon themselves to try to solve the case. While the tale follows two teenage boys, don’t count out the female characters like Mary Lou Martin. Her character is not only interesting and a breath of fresh air, she’s integral to the captivating storyline. Though slow at times, overall the story is adventurous, and the characters are nicely developed as the story unfolds.
Against the backdrop of the Jim Crow south, The Boys Who Woke Up Early is not your typical coming of age adventure of two imaginative high school boys. Racial tension and class divide is weaved throughout Stony and Jack’s journey. With striking parallels to today’s political discourse, there are plenty of scenes with guns, shootouts, encounters with the Klu Klux Klan, uncovered family secrets, corrupt, racist politicians and some cringe-worthy racist language. Author and longtime journalist with bylines in Virginia, North Carolina and Las Vegas newspapers, A.D. Hopkins really does capture the essence of the divided south during the 60s in his debut novel. A thrilling novel with real life parallels, The Boys Who Woke Up Early is a fascinating tale.
