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readingoverbreathing's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have to say that having now lived through a global pandemic, this book hit home all the harder, even made it seem like we all got off pretty easy. Pre-2020, I might have found this a lot less believable and emotionally engrossing than I did. The first part especially really brings you back to March 2020, when everything descended into chaos almost overnight and suddenly all the problems you had before paled in comparison to the fear and uncertainty. That chapter where King traces the spread of the superflu from the one state trooper — wasn't that all what we spent months trying to reconstruct in real life?
I recognize that the classic moral battle between good and evil that King imposes here may not be for everyone, but I found it utterly fascinating, especially against the backdrop of 20th-century America. That being said, I will add that I was rather frustrated that we never hear much about how the superflu affects the rest of the world. I get that there was no way for the characters to really find out and that this is already 1200 pages long, but I found that Americentrism as equally frustrating as I did thematically fascinating.
Okay, I know there are those out there sick of hearing me talk about Ayn Rand, but there was a lot here that honestly reminded me of Atlas Shrugged. There's that same wide, continental, truly American reach, coast to damn coast, the sanctuary in the mountains, the moral crisis at hand. Fran and Stu, I'd argue, even could have been Dagny and Rearden in their previous lives. But thankfully, here King lays off the capitalist crusade (in fact, even seems to argue against).
Let's go back to the characters, though. Stu, Fran, Larry, Glen, Nick, Tom — I loved them all so much, again in a way that's rare for me these days. I also loved how, once we got to the Free Zone, King incorporates such an array of equally vivid side characters and townspeople. This attention to character and detail, science fiction though it may be, really lent the story a sense of reality. The variety of perspectives offered in the early part, where we get a sense of everyone's pre-flu life and early experiences and loss, again reminded me of March 2020. Like the Free Zoners, we all had our own tales of plans that were cancelled and knew exactly what we were doing when we realized just how serious the virus had become.
1200 pages afford a lot of detail, but King did not waste any of it. You get every angle, every ounce of desperation, every inner struggle. Few could take on a book of this magnitude and make it work, but King sure does. It's a commitment and it can get gross, but to me, it was so worth it. Talk about a great American novel.
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Abortion
yellowpurple500'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? It's complicated
5.0
I went into this expecting to enjoy a story about a pandemic. Nothing prepared me for the emotional journey I was taken on. I love the cast of characters and how everyone gradually links together. I love how all of kings stories have a supernatural element and I enjoyed the "is this supernatural or are we just going insane".
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It's not an easy read but it's so worth it.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
urnee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
abimi's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
This book might be my true first horror read, or at least it feels that way. Other horror books I’ve read were not nearly as terrifying.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Sexism, and Suicide
Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Vomit, and Cannibalism
doctoracula'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic
calypso_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
As usual, Stephen King has unprotected sex with racial slurs. Just something to be aware ofmon11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
kirtreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book starts off so strong. I was gripped from the beginning and couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened to each of the characters. Everyone was interesting and dynamic. The book moves along at a nice pace until it doesn't. It comes to a screeching halt
Then, the story picks up again finally and there is movement again towards some kind of resolution.
There also are some frustratingly huge issues with the ending.
This book really highlights the best and worst of King.
- Pro: Characters are amazing and really fleshed out. You end up feeling connected to each of them and rooting for them
- Pro: It has a great premise and he has great world building at the beginning of the novel
- Con: The ending blows and falls flat
- Con: It is so long and needed some heavy editing. I know that people say that it "fleshes out the world" but you know what I didn't need?
Chapters of council meetings that had literally no hold on the plot.
If you are a die hard King fan and you want to complete all his works, then this book provides some really great highs and I recommend it for the great characters.
If you are not a huge King fan and are not sure if you are willing to put in the work, just stay away. The pay off is not worth it.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
gagereadsstuff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Trafficking, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
Minor: Abortion
katie_helf96's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic