I have really mixed feelings about this book. My main problem with it is that the main plot thread only really begins more than halfway through the novel. Prior to that, it's a pleasant little book about life in Devon during the Second World War. It is almost a collection of short stories, a set of anecdotes, some poignant, some highly amusing. There are some beautifully drawn, eccentric characters. The central protagonist is Bobby, a young evacuee sent to live with a benevolent spinster with no previous experience of children. Bobby finds himself drawn into the world of the Five Boys of the title. They are involved in some interesting escapades. So far, so unremarkable. Then something strange happens. Bobby disappears abruptly from the narrative when his mother arrives to reclaim him, and the mysterious Bee King arrives. Suddenly the entire tone and atmosphere of the book changes. The latter part of the book is dark and compelling. This section of the book is, in my opinion, worthy of 4 or even 5 stars. I'm just left wondering why I had to wait so long.
