A Brief Review of Tom Perotta's "Ghost Town" by Chuck Trunks (Trunks Art)

Nampa, Idaho - October 23, 2026 - Ghost Town (2026) is a coming-of-age story that left me weepy-eyed and pining for the good old days of innocence. Tom Perrotta, The New York Times best-selling author of The Leftovers, is close to my age, so when he wrote about what life was like in the early to mid-1970s for a young boy, he nailed it. But not only that—the New Jersey setting of Ghost Town is situated less than 100 miles from where I grew up in Philadelphia. The only thing I didn’t like about the book is its title. If I didn’t read the back cover, I would’ve left it on the library shelf. Thank goodness I didn’t.

The format and narrative of Ghost Town reminded me of what a script from ABC’s The Wonder Years (1988-1993) might’ve looked like since the story of 12-year-old Jimmy is told through his older self. Perrotta’s clever novel follows Jimmy, the only son in a middle-class family of four, who, during his last year of junior high, must deal with tragedy, bigotry, and peer pressure, as well as the normal teenage angst one can expect from budding puberty. To disclose more about the story would only ruin it for those who haven’t read it. Suffice to say I laughed out loud, wiped away a few tears, and nodded knowingly.

If J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye were to have a baby with one of John Hughes’ movies from the 1980s, say Sixteen Candles (1984) or The Breakfast Club (1985), or with Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me (1986)—the literary offspring would have the look and feel of Tom Perrotta’s Ghost Story. I simply can’t imagine anyone (at any age) not enjoying this heartfelt novel.

-Chuck Trunks

“This work was written independently by the author without the use of generative AI.”

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All my books can be found on Amazon. 💓💓💓

Trunks Art moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Nampa, Idaho, in 2025 and has made this city his home and writing inspiration.

To see more of my work, please have a look at more posts or email me at chucktrunks@gmail.com. Or, visit my website at www.trunksart.com.  Also, you can find me on Instagram (chucktrunks) and Facebook (Chuck Trunks).