Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Dolores Claiborne

The scariest king book I've read so far. I genuinely had a jump scare at one point. If you find real life situations scarier than things like monsters, this is the horror story for you.

There are no chapters. Just one long story as told from the narrator in one sitting. This added so much to the story. It felt like I was right there in the room. The accents are shown through stylistic spelling choices which also adding to this as you read the whole book from this perspective.

This book is going to linger with me for awhile.

Content Warnings

venusdapoopiehead's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense fast-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

4.75

absolutely devoured this book tbh. i loved the complexity of dolores character and understanding her motives and why she did the things she did-and how despite what she did, she did it for love, for her children, because she’s simply just a mother trying her best, who wants nothing but the absolute best for her kids. would i consider her a monster? no, moreso just a misunderstood mother trying to reclaim her agency and fight against the injustice inflicted upon her and her kids. but most importantly, she’s human. a flawed human, but nonetheless a human we can all somewhat relate to in a way.

fair warning though, this book isn’t for everyone. there’s no chapters and the writing is just a stream of consciousness, with a thick southern accent throughout. there’s also some dark subjects (obviously because it’s horror) discussed-so make sure to check out content warnings. but if you’re fine with all that, then this might be the book for you.

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shrektien's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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finnsnowbevi's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

4.0

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joshkiba13's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious slow-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

3.75

"Time's a reach, too, you know, just like the one that lies between the islands and the mainland, but the only ferry that can cross it is memory, and that's like a ghost-ship--- if you want it to disappear, after awhile it will." -Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne.

This was a unique one for sure in terms of style. No chapters or breaks, just a nearly 400 page monologue-confession. This means we are locked in to Dolores and her personality right away. And it ended with a sfylistic device King uses from time to time with excerpts from fictional articles and journals, which I always like.

I loved Vera Donovan's character and how the book started with Dolores's story of the three ways Vera could be a bitch. Setting her up that way and then having her be such a vital piece in Dolores's life and choices was great.

King does great making us love to hate some characters and just flat out hate others. The development builds over time and eventually gets our stomachs turning and blood boiling. We really start to root for our mama bear protagonist.

It really feels like a person telling a story, since it jumps around time-wise and is filled with rambles, Maine slang, and such. Several of her phrases made me smile while reading.

Some of my favorite parts were the little touches of horror, like Vera's hallucinations of dust bunnies and wires, and Dolores's subsequent nightmares. Perhaps I need to read a true King horror like The Shining . . .

Overall it was an intriguing read that came to surprise me at the end. Stellar character development and a unique style.

". . .the love a natural mother feels for her children [is] the strongest love there is in the world, and it's the deadliest. There's no bitch on earth like a mother frightened for her kids . . . In the end, it's the bitches of the world who abide."

Content Warnings

trisjt's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

Mostly read through the audiobook, which worked really well. Not one of King's most plot heavy stories but a great character study looking at how far people will go to survive.

I really enjoyed the references to Gerald's game and spotting these kind of Easter eggs the more King I read

Content Warnings

kelseyholler's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.75

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