Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Finderlohn by Stephen King

12 reviews

ruthypoo2's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

For a book that promised me buried treasure, Finders Keepers was extremely disappointing.

One of the things that made Mr. Mercedes so interesting was the villain.  While I was never keen on Bill Hodges, Brady Hartsfield was twisted and interesting.  A strong King villain. Morris Bellamy... is... not.  His motive was weak and tired.  And while our young POV Pete Saubers had potential to be interesting, I found King's other young protagonists (Jake Chambers!) to be much more compelling.

Basically, Finders Keepers is tired.  The story offers nothing that other King novels don't already do better.  There's a little The Body (Stand By Me, for movie fans) and a lot of Misery in the plot, but without the suspense or intrigue of either.  Bill Hodges, our series lead, doesn't even appear until at least 70% of the way through the book, and even then, he's just another one of King's nondescript cantankerous old white men characters without anything to make him appeal to the reader.  King's written better villains and better protagonists.

What's more, for a seasoned writer, it's disappointing how apparent the second-book-blues are in Finders Keepers.  This book feels very much like a bridge between Mr. Mercedes and End of Watch.  For me, Mr. Mercedes was an average-to-interesting book... and the sheer boredom of Finders Keepers really has me in a place where even Brady Hartsfield's return in End of Watch can't tempt me back to finish the series.

The pacing is really rough.  This is a common attribute of King's books.  We spend the first third of the book getting to know Morris and Pete's individual histories.  At about 50%, the plot starts moving forward.  A little.  At 70% we have Bill, Holly, and Jerome enter.  All the real action happens in the last 15% of the book, pushed through quickly and tied up in a not particularly satisfying way.  I'm left with a feeling that everyone suffered - myself and the characters alike - for no real purpose here.

And yet, somehow, this is one of King's short novels.

I suppose King fans should check this one out, and those who really enjoy crime novels.  Personally, I can think of a dozen better recommendations if you're looking to pick up a Stephen King novel.  And while I don't read a lot of crime thrillers, I'm sure there are more compelling recommendations out there for those as well.  Finders Keepers is a hard pass.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings