Scan barcode
lillowo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I totally understand why when this book came out it was really popular. It blends the hard conversations of talking about death with children and the horror of losing a child and really interesting ways.
That being said, if you are not intending to read a King book because you want to read King's stuff, I would suggest the book How To Sell A Haunted House instead. I found there was a lot of dated language used (the r slur as a major example and ableism generally, the use of an "ancient indigenous burial ground" that brings people back to life), and the perspective of Louis that we got, felt like the idea of her King was looking at was grit and dark things to say to make it feel like a darker read. There were multiple comments that were just made offhandedly that gave the main character this air of being incredibly cynical but without much to back it up. I also felt like some of the through lines that were there weren't fully explored for the sake of
I also felt like a lot of the logic that the characters explored in the book were very half-hearted at best.
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Sexism, and Murder
pholcidae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The story is paced perfectly and I have been reading it nonstop. The author’s use of language to create suspense and terror is reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
This was my first King novel and I think it was the perfect one to start on! Very tense and lots of fun easter eggs in there :)
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and War
mlovesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Gaslighting
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't want to live my life again."
-The Ramones
Louis Creed has moved his family from Chicago to Maine for a job. The house is idyllic with one exception, the road out front is a throughway for very large tanker trucks. When Louis's daughter's cat, Church, is hit by one of these trucks, the neighbor, Jud, shows Louis what to do. They bury Church in the real pet cemetery, a place where the dead don't stay dead. Church comes back not quite right, but he's definitely back. So, when Louis's 2 year old son gets hit by a different truck, Louis does the unthinkable.
I first read this book back in high school and I remember finishing it and being terrified to be home alone. This time around it was just as eerie, but 20 years has given me some perspective. The trope of the "ancient Indian burial ground" is definitely outdated and a little more than gross as is the use of a Wendigo. But the imagery of everything is still spooky.
I really liked Jud and the relationship he had with Louis. It is always nice to see wholesome relationships between men and I feel like King always does a good job at that. The same with the relationship with the other doctors at the University.
There's a lot of good here, but there is a lot of cringe too. Oh, god the bathtub scene. I forgot it was in this book.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Antisemitism
madamenovelist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism
chrisp189's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death and Child death
Moderate: Racism
archaicgambit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Medical trauma
Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Antisemitism
murderofcrows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Racism, and Cannibalism
kt2e56's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
chloseencounter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma