Author: Christopher Tuthill

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing

ISBN: 978-1955065528

“Until this morning, Jacob had planned to spend most days riding his bike to Jon's house and reading comics. He figured they'd go fishing in the Meetinghouse Creek, near Jon's house, and maybe take some hikes through the pine barrens when they didn't have anything else to do."

Christopher Tuthill captures the experience of growing up both movingly and effectively in his coming-of-age YA novel set in the summer of 1984. Centering around the protagonist, a young boy named Jacob, who loses his best friend to a bike accident just before the end of the fourth grade. 

'Osprey Man,' pulls you in right away by showing Jacob's shock and devastation as he is informed of his friend's accident and makes you feel for the boy immediately. From that moment on, I wanted Jacob to succeed in whatever he wanted, which, in this case, was the completion of the comic book that he and Jon were working on. 

As someone who loves comic books, Osprey Man sounded like a very cool superhero. A lover of animals, with giant hawk-like wings of his own and sharp talons that he uses to stop poachers and anyone that wishes to hurt animals, Osprey Man had a lot of the great classic comic elements. 

Between the heat of summer, going to the comic book shop and hanging out with friends, Tuthill perfectly evokes the nostalgia of childhood.

Despite Jacob's hardships and dealing with his grief, I found myself envying his childhood freedom and wishing that I could go back to the summer after fourth grade, myself. 

This is an exceptional story for all ages, and I definitely found myself tearing up over the ending. Exactly the kind of book that I would recommend to a friend who enjoys coming-of-age stories, The Osprey Man, is worth the read, even if just for the nostalgia. For myself, it was much more!

About Christopher Tuthill

Christopher Tuthill’s short fiction has appeared in The Mythic Circle, Dark Tales from Elder Regions, and Tales of Reverie.

A native of Riverhead, on Long Island, and a graduate of Catholic schools, Chris grew up around many of the places and people that inspire his writing.

He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with his wife and children. He works as a librarian, and his hobbies include board games, baseball, hiking, camping, and telling stories to his three children. 

Among his other interests, he is co-founder of the New York Tolkien Conference.

Follow Here To Read Bee's Interview With Christopher Tuthill