| Title | : | Skullface Boy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1724864815 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781724864819 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 202 |
| Publication | : | First published August 16, 2018 |
Having never been outside the walls of Gramm Jones Foster Care Facility, sixteen-year-old Levi leaves in the middle of the night with an empty backpack and a newfound lust for life. A journey that leads him into the arms of delusional newlyweds, drunkards, polygamists, the dangerous, and the batshit crazy. His destination? Hermosa Beach, California where he's told there is another like him, with the face of a skull.
A coming-of-age road trip filled with surreal Lynch-ian encounters exploring the dark, the disturbing, and the lonely in a 1980s world—an epic venture for one disfigured boy struggling to find his place in the world.
"This is Huck lighting out for the territories, and kind of documenting an era for us on the way. Only--because it’s now not then--he’s got a skull face to deal with. As do we all. " ~Stephen Graham Jones, author of Mongrels
Skullface Boy Reviews
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4.5/5 stars!
"My name is Levi. I’m 16. I’ve got a skull for a face. And here's how sh** went down." The first line from SKULLFACE BOY captures your attention and the narrative never lets you go.
Levi sets off on foot from the orphanage, (the only home he's ever known), in search of... his father? He's not sure the man even exists, but he's heard tell along the way of a man with a skull for a face. Knowing nothing of the world, he sets off on foot for his favorite nun's hometown of Hermosa Beach, California. This book follows Levi on his trip west from Denver. Will he make it to the beach? Will he find his father? You'll have to read this to find out!
Levi burrowed his way into my heart and now he has a permanent residence there. His love of reading and his humble goals of having his own library of books and maybe someday a library of VCR tapes just slayed me. He loved to write too, so much so that he gathered napkins from fast food restaurants along the way to jot down his thoughts.
Even though he was raised in an orphanage and so often treated like a freak, (or maybe it was because of those things), Levi has a finely honed sense of right and wrong. He finds opportunities on his road trip to apply that sense and to do what's right...and so Levi comes of age. The characters he meets along the way were also memorable, but my favorite was Rainbow Rick. I'm not ashamed to say that Levi's encounter with him made me cry. Rick now has a space reserved in my heart as well.
I guess I need to wrap this up as I don't want my review to be longer than the book. I'll summarize with this: Chad Lutzke is an author to watch. With SKULLFACE BOY, he's moved up on my favorite author's list and getting closer to the top than you might think. His writing is fresh, creative, poignant, and dark. He is able to convey a sense of hope: in people and maybe even in the world. (A feeling I thought I had lost a long time ago.) Don't get me wrong it's not all butterflies and roses, but there's a sense that there could be a rainbow on the other side of the darkness. In this day and age that hope might be just enough to help people pull through.
So there you have it, the world needs Chad Lutzke, and so do you.
My HIGHEST recommendation.
*I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.* -
This review was originally published for Cemetery Dance Extras Sept. 18th
This book had me at the dedication:
Dedicated to the bullied, the parentless and the unique. May the shallow assholes one day envy you.
It’s safe for me to say that I’ve never read a book like Skullface Boy and I likely never will again (unless Chad Lutzke writes it). The protagonist, Levi, has an exposed skull for a face. There is no explanation for this physical condition given and Lutzke doesn’t spend any time on the physical complications of Levi’s unique attribute, but rather the psychological impact having a skullface would have on a young man. I was captivated by the first sentence.
We travel with Levi on his journey to California to find his father. He encounters many people along the way, some helpful, others not so helpful, and some are even dangerous. The pages fly by. I was utterly absorbed into the world of this transient teenager and his endearing, poignant and often hilarious take on every situation. I loved the way the narration reads almost like diary entries — a title for the experience and then Levi’s personality colorfully shading even the most mundane situations like dumpster diving or hitchhiking.
Throughout the book Levi gathers snippets of paper or napkins from restaurants and he writes. He’s always writing. My thought is that’s what we’re reading. As I reveal that right now, my heart is overflowing and I feel like crying. Honestly, this story is something I’ll carry around with me forever. Full disclosure: I read Lutzke’s book Of Foster Homes and Flies right before I read this book and I’m just blown away. These books are full of so much character, heart and soul, I feel like I intimately know twelve year old Denny from Foster Homes and Levi from Skullface Boy — they are characters that I love with a reader’s fierce passion and it’s all because I lived in their shoes. I was with them in their journey through a season of their young life when they felt abandoned, marginalized and lost. Chad tells us their innermost fears and their desire to love and be loved back, and it just crushes you. I’ll show up for anything this author writes. These books are the reason I read, because to write a review that moves me to tears and to have all these feelings bubbling up within me means that something magical happens on these pages.
After finishing the book, I can hear Levi’s voice, the protagonist, in that dedication, but I also hear Chad Lutzke — this story about a 16-year-old boy that escaped his orphanage home to search for his father, is a work of fiction, but it felt as though some of the story was “lived in.” At the end, the author mentions parts of the story were autobiographical. He says, “I’ll let you decide what parts.” I’ve decided Chad Lutzke has a lot of stories to tell and I’m on board for all of them. -
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it definitely wasn’t anything like I thought it’d be. The idea of a young boy with a skull face had limitless possibilities, outside of just being an ordinary horror story. Lutzke could have taken the path of having this boy start killing people because of how badly they treated him, or because his mother abandoned him, of whatever other obvious motive was there. But this is a very talented author, who has a great ability to give his stories depth and genuine purpose. So what we had here was a troubled, disfigured boy who leaves his orphanage, going place to place in search for his supposed father. Levi meets all sorts of interesting characters, some who are good and others not so good, all giving him the adventure of a lifetime during his journey. My favorite was definitely Little Gene. There were 0 horror elements included, because that wasn’t the purpose here. It’s a coming of age story, all from the perspective of this unique boy, Levi, and it served its purpose. This wasn’t my favorite Chad Lutzke book, but that’s not because it wasn’t done well. It just wasn’t my particular jive, either.
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Consider me officially blown away. This is the best Chad Lutzke book I’ve read so far, and from the first one, I’ve considered his books/novellas fantastic. This one had my eyes tearing up from feels on one page, then had me laughing the next. What a great story and unexpectedly emotional horror book.
When I saw the very high rating for this novella on Goodreads, I figured it was because Lutzke is somewhat of a niche author with dedicated fans, but the rating is 100% accurate. This is horror with a heart, and the author’s hauntingly beautiful writing style is there the whole way.
As you know from the synopsis, Levi is 16, and he has a skull for a face. He’s lived in a kind of orphanage his entire life, but he decides to peace out and head to Hermosa Beach, California. He’s heard a rumor of a man who lives there, and this man also has a skull for a face. Could this man be his father?
This story is about Levi crossing half the country without much but the clothes on his back and a book. During his travels, he meets several people, and we get glimpses into all kinds of characters - the kind of characters that one might see when traveling by foot and hitchhiking. These people were all written so well, despite space limitations. Some of them only lasted in the story for a page or two, but they were all great characters who added a lot to the journey. I’m always amazed by how well Chad Lutzke writes fully-developed characterizations of people within the confines of a novella.
I love coming-of-age stories mixed with horror, and few do it as well as this author. Don’t worry about the “horror” part if that’s not your typical genre - it’s pretty tame. This is just a great book overall, and it deserves nothing less than five stars.
(Also, watch out for shallow assholes.) 💀 -
Levi is a sixteen-year-old with a dream. Born with a skull for a face, he longs for a family and acceptance. Instead, he lives at Gramm Jones Foster Care in Denver, Colorado. Encouraged to seek his destiny by Sister Jade, a worker at the the home, Levi runs away from Denver with hopes of finding a man with a face just like his own. Sister Jade had spotted the man years ago in Hermosa Beach, California.
With little but the homemade Kiss t-shirt on his back, Levi takes off for the adventure of his life. Newfound freedom and quirky characters abound on Levi's colorful journey. Levi is no fool. He knows a shallow asshole when he sees one, and he knows who to avoid. Armed with books, an open mind and a heart of gold, Levi aims for Hermosa Beach with a solid sense of determination. He must find the man with the skullface, even if he is rejected by him.
"This was why I left Gramm Jones, why I slept on the ground and ate garbage, why I wore dog piss jeans and hitched rides with drunks and psychos and polygamists and delusional newlyweds." Take this amazing trip with Levi. And when the sun rises, maybe catch some tasty waves. You'll be fine. -
He’s leaving the only place he has ever known. Sixteen is young for the world, yet it is old for a foster home where any encouragement for a future came solely from one other person. So Levi will hit the road, putting it behind him, heading west with a goal for California because maybe, just maybe there is someone out there like him. For now, he is alone, but you can't get from one place to another without meeting or needing the help of others. And there are all kinds in the big world. Having a face that shines like the moon has a way of bringing them out.
Lutzke has a way of making me believe in the possible, and in “going for it”. I stopped trying to look at the face of this boy named Levi, focusing on his heart instead, and that of others he met. I realized that is the point. This story didn't grab me at the get-go like “Of Foster Homes & Flies”, but soon enough I was all in, holding onto my anger in Levi's defense at some points, laughing with the humor in others, and hoping in the end goal. -
4.5+ Stars
"No B.S." - An engrossing...entertaining...unputdownable adventure story.
The journey begins in Denver (1980's) when Levi, SKULLFACE BOY heads out on his own at 16....free for the first time....seeing the outside world for the first time....in search of his look-a-like.
Leaving Gramm Jones Foster Care behind....and thanking God for a clue from Sister Jude, Levi sneaks out sure no one will miss him or even care that he and his face are gone....besides perhaps SJ.
And oh the people he meets while living rough and heading west to California.
The characters....the writing....each encounter....all top shelf.
My favorite has to be the stop at Rainbow Rick's beautiful used bookstore. You see, Levi is like all of us, he loves to read. To browse a bookstore is heaven.
And while all his experiences and part-time gigs were memorable, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention his helping out at the garage sale. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
AND no way in hell I'll forget Britton!
So enjoyed this one packed with its wide variety of emotions in only 200 pages. Don't miss it!
(Truly intend to checkout more of Lutzke!)
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Skullface Boy is the fifth book I've read by Chad Lutzke, which means before long I'll be out of Lutzke books to read, something I don't even want to think about. Fortunately, Chad is a busy guy and has some upcoming projects on the horizon, so I won't have long to wait... but still. He's the kind of author I can see myself having withdrawals from. His books have everything I like; emotion, heart, self-discovery, a touch of horror, and an optimism that is grounded in bittersweet reality. Skullface Boy is no exception to this.
It is the story of a teenage boy in the '80s named Levi who hits the road after walking away from his foster home. He is searching for himself, for a real home, for someone--anyone--who looks just like him. Someone who has a skull for a face.
What you get with Skullface Boy is a Lynchian road trip story filled with quirky characters, bizarre situations, and unfiltered honestly that is both tender and unflinching. Chad Lutzke writes in his afterward that this story is somewhat autobiographical, and I can see how that is the case. It is clear that Chad writes from a place of experience and wisdom, the kind that can't be made up. I appreciate Lutzke for writing what he knows and--more importantly--writing what he feels. Showing emotion is a scary thing for some people, but it seems that this is one horror Lutzke has made peace with.
Overall, I give Skullface Boy 4.5 stars. As Chad writes in his dedication, I recommend this book to "the bullied, the parentless and the unique." -
This is the second book I've read by Lutzke, and I already love two things about his writing. First, he writes incredible characters. Every character in this novel is so interesting and well developed. The secondary characters are just as important in a Lutzke novel as his protagonist, and the protagonist is someone that you will end up absolutely loving and rooting for by the end of the novel. Second, Lutzke can go to some very dark places, but ultimately his books are amazingly uplifting. I love that balance. His characters have to overcome a lot of obstacles, but ultimately they end up getting a second chance.
Levi is a 16-year-old with a skull for a face. He's lived his entire life at the Gramm Jones Foster Care Facility in Denver, but he wants to live on his own. He knows it will be hard because of his face, but one of the nuns at the facility has told Levi about another man she once saw with a skull for a face, and so Levi is desperate to get to California where the skull faced man supposedly lives.
This is a travel story, with Levi hitching rides and encountering all kinds of people on his trip from Denver to California. Those interactions, and the kindness and cruelty of strangers makes up the bulk of the book, and as a reader I desperately wanted to see Levi succeed. He meets so many interesting people, including an elderly bookstore owner named Rainbow Rick who gives Levi some books and a place to sleep for the night. I loved the chapters where Levi, who is a book lover, finally gets to go inside an actual bookstore. Those chapters are really powerful, and I'm sure they speak to other book lovers as well. Rainbow Rick is such a great character too.
This is another 5 star read for me from Lutzke. I'm definitely a fan now, and I can't wait to read his other works. -
This right here is a book after my heart! A coming of age story and the main character has a skull face?! HELL TO THE YES. This book is pure perfection. There’s just no other way to accurately describe it or do it justice. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and poignant and funny and I loved every second I spent immersed in its pages. Joining Levi on his journey felt like a privilege, I just loved his character so much and seeing him go through all these experiences moved me in the strangest way. Not only is this one of the best coming of age stories I’ve read so far this year but one of the best coming of age stories I’ve ever read PERIOD. It just sinks its hooks right into your heart and burrows deep and doesn’t let go. It’s been days since I’ve finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about how much I loved this book!
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On the road with a skullface boy. Simply brilliant and poignant. An absolutely unforgettable read.
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This book had me at the dedication: Dedicated to the bullied, the parentless and the unique. May the shallow assholes one day envy you.
And the first sentence: My name is Levi. I’m 16. I’ve got a skull for a face. And here’s how shit went down.
This is a beautiful and unique story about a boy who hitchhikes to see his father. I loved the author’s note at the end where he mentioned some parts of the story were autobiographical. The story felt so authentic. I loved everything about it, Levi’s observations were on point. Absolutely superb! -
You know you’re in for a treat when a book starts out like this:
“My name is Levi. I’m 16. I’ve got a skull for a face. And here's how shit went down....”
Yep, Levi is a sixteen-year-old boy who just ran away from a foster home in Denver, Colorado. Foster homes can be rough for any child, mind you. But for Levi, who has a skull-face, it’s especially challenging. Carrying a backpack with a single book, Levi sets out for Hermosa Beach, California where he hopes to find someone just like him.
Along the way, Levi encounters an interesting group of people—some kind and compassionate and others who are nasty and even scary. It’s quite an adventure for a child who’d barely stepped out of the foster home.
“I slept better than I think I ever had before, drunk from the smell of endless words on countless pages, as the books watched over me like God Himself, protecting me from a night filled with dreams of a parentless life in a loveless world that lies in wait for its next chance to reject my face.”
So is it a happy ending for Levi? Does he find what he set out for? What are you waiting for? Go grab a copy of the book and find out!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. With short, straightforward chapters, it was a nice, smooth and quick read. I loved the matter-of-fact narrative voice. I instantly loved Levi and was right beside him on his adventure.
Though the writing is simple, it was highly effective in capturing and maintaining my full attention. The story felt honest and genuine. It was thought-provoking and made me think about how much is taken for granted. It also conveyed a powerful sense of hope, which I found very refreshing. -
Yet another 5 star book from Mr. Lutzke. I haven't read any of his books that I haven't loved. This was a quick read with a nice ending.
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Dedicated to the bullied, the parentless and the unique. May the shallow assholes one day envy you.
---Chad Lutzke
I loved this book right from the beginning, and not just because the main character is named Levi. I love this book because it's beautiful. It's sad at times, but ultimately it's beautiful. It's beautiful because it's sad at times. It's life in all its ugly glory. I really, genuinely feel like it is a classic, and I thought of The Catcher in the Rye and others like The Neverending Story while I read this book. (Not in comparison, just the fact that it felt like something special that deserves to be seen and to be around for a long time)
Now, Chapter 32--One of the Good Ones. I will never forget it! A literary masterpiece. I thought of Holden Caulfield and his wanderings and Bastian Balthazar Bux and his discovery of the Neverending Story. Rainbow Rick is the new Carl Conrad Coreander, one for the real world. I can't say enough about this chapter and Levi and Rick. It touched this book-lovers heart.
I have never really been bullied or parentless, but I also have never really felt like I belonged in any one group. I've been called an old soul. I have always wanted to take care of people and do the right thing and protect those who need it. This book feels like it was written for us. It feels like it is a gift to all of us who aren't completely "normal." Thank you, Chad. I can't tell if you're smiling, but I know I am. 💀😀 -
Quiet. Driven. Perfect.
Take to the road with Levi, the Skullface Boy. His face is bare-bones skull and thats where our differences end. Beyond that, Levi is just like you and me. Thats the beauty of Levi. We're all the same you, him and me.
That's the point. There's always that one thing that makes us stand out from the others. But it shouldn't define us. Its life's little (and big) moments that define us. And the cast of unique characters that come into our lives between here and the many theres that we head towards.
Thats what Skullface Boy is about. I loved it. Perfect. 5 stars. Read it. Now.
(You mother's a whore Trebek.) -
I liked this almost as much as Of Foster Homes and Flies. My review is posted here --->
https://wp.me/p5t5Tf-1FW -
Wow! This has to be one of the most beautiful (yet edgy), magical, thought-provoking, moving, Coming of Age stories I have ever read. I need some time to let it all sink in then might just read it again.
Seriously wonderful road-trip novella and highly recommended! -
In Skullface Boy, Chad does a great job writing believably from a sixteen-year-old's POV. And like most of his other stories, he does a phenomenal job at making the character's emotions (in this case Levi's) and reactions to experiences jump off the page and become one with the reader. Levi's story of finding himself and his place in the world is a warm, sometimes sad, sometimes bizarre, and in the end inspiring story of what the world can hold for someone on the verge of young adulthood. Highly recommended.
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Heart-warming story of Levi, the Skullface Boy. It takes you on his journey of self-discovery, wondering how he will fit into this world. Levi meets such diverse characters along the way. I found myself immersed in the story and trying to imagine how I would cope with this. A truly soul-fulfilling book!
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Amazing!
Of the Lutzke books I've read, this one is now my favorite. Lutzke can do no wrong, in my opinion. Highly recommended! -
A wonderful story about a boy just trying to find his place in the world. Can’t wait for the movie.
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Get this book in your brain. Or your skull, rather. Immediately. Full review below is also up at
www.scifiandscary.com ❤️💀
Full disclosure, I have stared at this blinking cursor for quite awhile trying to decide what to say. I even considered just typing “Buy this book. Read this book. It’s amazing” over and over again. I may still do so at some point. But I digress.
“My name is Levi. I’m 16. I’ve got a skull for a face. And here’s how shit went down.” I have love for opening lines – this one perfectly encapsulates the mood and tone for this entire novel. This novella is a stellar coming of age tale focused around one skull faced boy. But Levi’s deformity is NOT the center – the center is much more than that. It is, within 200 pages of the fastest story I have ever read, a discussion of life, society, and just how much it means to find a place in this crazy world. Levi has a desire to be a part of things, to find his place, to truly exist.
It is here in this journey that I am reminded of some of the beliefs of the Transcendentalist movement in early American literature. The idea that we are, at the most basic level, wholly responsible for finding our own truths. In fact, as Levi begins to record his journey and the colorful, wonderful, awful people he meets, I see shades of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. What?!? Referencing American literature canon in regards to a modern, just released, horror novel that has a skull faced boy as the protagonist? Yes. I’d argue that much of Whitman’s work focuses on telling the everyday stories of everyday people, in a simple, beautiful way. It gets to the heart of our society. And Lutzke does that here, as does Levi.
In addition to all of the above, this novella boasts excellent pacing and a depth of characters that truly highlight the skill of this author. Within pages, I was invested and sat down to finish this book at one go. The writing is simple, clear, engaging, and descriptive. The characters: I loved them all, even the ones I absolutely hated. There are thoughts regarding society as a whole and they way in which we treat each other, but it’s not preachy…it just is.
In closing, I leave you with this. Buy this book. Read this book. It’s amazing. -
I've seen Chad Lutzke in my twitter feed for a few months and I've heard high praise about him, so I picked up Skullface Boy last night to give him a shot. Finished the book in just a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.
This tale was a kick, the character was likable (if a bit odd), it was written in the voice of a 16-year old kid and it held my interest with the promise of either a happy or devastating ending, depending on which way the author decided to take it in the last few paragraphs.
In my judgment, Levi, the main character, would have benefited from a slower indoctrination to the world. He had never been beyond the walls of Gramm Jones Foster Care and yet at 16, he comes across as already road-weary. I found this disconcerting and found myself wishing Lutzke had taken a bit more time and a few more pages to allow Levi to form attitudes and opinions about the world he'd just thrown himself into.
Skullface Boy didn't hit a homerun for me because of its length but it definitely hit a triple. I couldn't decide if it was a short story that was a tad too long or a novel that was about half the size it needed to be. I would have liked to see more character development, some reasoning behind the "Skullface," and would especially have liked to see one of the smaller subplot lines resolved (no spoiler, but it has to do with tomatoes).
Either way, I'm looking forward to reading more from Lutzke because I saw tremendous potential in this book. Good writing makes you forget you're reading--Lutzke was on that like white on rice. -
So authors use parts of their life and bleed on the page. Chard lutzke has slit his throat and soaked it. A coming of age tale about a boy with an interesting deformity sets out to find the someone rumored to be just like him. This book had me cheering on Levi as he encounters the best humanity has to offer, as well as the worst. I highly recommend this book and will be checking out my of this authors work.
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Classic Lutzke, and one of his best. While not your typical horror fare, Skullface Boy is a road trip novel that relies on compelling storytelling and Lutzke's uncanny ability to inject character and heart into minimal pages. Whether it's Rainbow Rick's or the impromptu yard sale, Skullface Boy is packed with unforgettable moments that stitch together to endear Levi to your reader's heart and help leave an indelible imprint behind.
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Lutzke never fails to capture my interest. What a wonderful story.
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This is my fourth experience reading Chad Lutzke, previously having read The Pale White, The Neon Owl, and his collaboration with John Boden Out Behind the Barn. I have loved everything he has written and I need to consume all of his work. There is something special about a Lutzke tale that’s hard to put into words. They all have this genuine and magical quality to them that whisks the reader away and has you falling in love with his characters.. Chad is a natural born storyteller and though I am sure he puts a lot of time and work into his writing it all seems so effortless.
We follow 16 year old Levi. He’s not like most kids. For one he has grown up in a foster facility. Two, he has a skull for a face. That’s right, a skull for a face. He gets odd looks to say the least and has felt like an outcast his entire life. One night packs his meager belongings and sets out on an adventure of a lifetime.
Levi’s journey takes him across the western United States heading towards California where he runs into numerous odd and colorful characters along the way. From a one armed man to an overweight woman with cancer. It seems that everyone he encounters has some sort of “societal blemish” is the best way to describe it. Something about either their physical appearance or their mental state that society at large would look down upon. Through these happenings Levi learns life lessons that he was never exposed to during his time in foster care. He learns that no one is perfect, everyone has flaws and who is anyone to judge someone else for their “imperfections”. Levi experiences the darker, more gruesome sides of humanity but also catches these warm, shining glimmers of hope that show that the world isn’t always a completely awful place.
A hitchhiking odyssey of self discovery brimming with heart. Chad Lutzke’s Skullface Boy is a feel good story about embracing our differences and learning that no matter what no one is truly ever alone.
Video review:
https://youtu.be/wVg2kn1DsnY -
What a book!
I’m a huge fan of Lutzke and I’ve read a tonne of his work, what with Chuck Palahniuk, Josh Malerman, Stephen King and Gemma Amor - I’d say Chad is in those ranks of authors I’ve read most of.
SkullFace Boy is a wonderful book, a coming of age tale that is parts road trip, parts damaged writer, parts finding your place in a world that you don’t feel you belong or should belong.
It holds a powerful message, one that is rooted in ever page, in every beautiful turn of phrase and poetic and challenging prose. It’s a story for our times, a story that begs for you to discover it.
This is up there as one of my favourite works my Lutzke and I for one will continue to read this word wizard my entire life… awesome!
