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midwifereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
King really is a good storyteller in so many ways, and this book is no exception. It starts slowly, establishing the protagonist, his motivations, and his character really well. I loved the first third of the book the most, actually. Getting to know Charlie, his dad, Mr. Bowditch, and Radar (the best doggo) was wonderful! I liked each of them so much, for different reasons.
Speaking of his dad, I loved him! It's always refreshing to meet a healthy father figure in storytelling. His dad battles alcoholism, enters recovery, stays sober, and is so very present for Charlie. 10/10 dad. Not because he's without fault, but because he does the work of healing without making Charlie his support.
I also enjoyed the hints at something more, something magical lurking in the background somewhere. The world-building is interesting and a bit weird, which is great for an "otherworld" setting. Everything is just familiar enough, but off in all the right ways.
Did I mention the incredible illustrations at the beginning of each chapter? They remind me of illustrations in classic horror novels like Dracula or War of the Worlds! All books should have those whenever possible.
I did have a few issues though, which is why my star rating isn't higher.
1) Swearing. Of course, I expect it. It is Stephen King, soooo... However, when did we start limiting it almost exclusively to the f-bomb? I wouldn't call it gratuitous, but dude. No one talks like that. It distracts from the story at times. Drives me crazy.
2) Charlie is supposed to be 17 years old, in present day. He's Gen Z. But he feels Gen X. His references are those from a kid who grew up in the 80's or early 90's. The TCM movie references make sense, because of his relationship with his dad, though. Either Charlie is an old soul (he's not), or King hasn't hung out with Gen Z-ers enough. Still, he's well written as a whole.
3) The payoff doesn't quite match the setup... There's a massive evil creature to defeat at the end, and his defeat is somewhat anticlimactic for me. Some great imagery, for sure, but it feels too fast.
4) The weird language thing. At first, Charlie discovers he can't say certain words in the Other world, and figures out that he's speaking their native language, not English. Cool thought, methinks. But near the end, he CAN say English words that don't have a native translation, and they just don't understand him. So, it felt inconsistent. I wish an editor had caught that and had King polish it up.
Overall, it was a fun read, complete with a Chosen One and a happy ending. A good October read.
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, and Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual content
abernathy_33's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, and Sexual content
skysometimesreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
seattle_jeff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Excrement, Vomit, and Abandonment
rissaread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
and yes, i can say at some points it felt as though there was unnecessary details or pieces in chapters that were definitely not needed ( like that part in a chapter about the jenny girl charlie knew, kind of unnecessary to me ) some parts did drag and i was like alright get to the point lol but i loved the story!
i also saw some reviews here of people saying once charlie enters empis it got boring and they liked the beginning better but i completely disagree. the whole point of this story was about the other world, the world under the well and it was so fascinating to me. again, i get it not being everyone’s cup of tea but don’t pick up a book literally called fairy tale and expect a normal story about a teenager and a dog.
Graphic: Death, Torture, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
unicornofblue's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Sexual content, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
fritopie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma
sabrinaslivingliterature's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
The dog survivesladyhunbun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Violence, Excrement, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
hannahrose_fgc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing