Scan barcode
nightmare_maven's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.25
i continue to stand by my thoughts on King: the man can sure write a scary scene, but he is long-winded af.
and the over-sexualization of any feminine characters is 🤢
and the over-sexualization of any feminine characters is 🤢
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Pedophilia
Moderate: Rape
valkyriecain82's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
sc_schwartzm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, and Alcohol
iamother's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
After reading this book, I came away with a mixed bag. I liked how this is a different interpretation of how vampires are portrayed and his usage of the setting in the plot. Where it struggled was in its character development. I liked King’s interpretation of vampires. Vampires that seemed to have different motivations for being what they were. The outward terrifying appearance represented the inward turmoil that they endured. This was the one bright spot in the character development because some became vampires in effect to right a perceived grievance, whether it was legitimate or entirely in their own heads. Also how the setting of a small town played a role in how the vampire was able to manipulate people and grow his flock. Those that remained in the town faced dwindling prospects, harmful relationships, and self sabotage from internal pressures. Not fighting and being overwhelmed by the vampire was their way of choosing the best worst option. Almost like they were giving up and choosing numbness. I felt like King missed the chance to really hone in on these themes if he focused on fewer characters. He had so many of them that some of them felt like afterthoughts with plots left hanging unfinished. Because so little time was devoted to them, I didn’t feel much of anything when they faced peril. Nor did I believe that the decisions these minor characters made either way would impact the plot. So why include it? This prevented the main storyline from having the heft necessary because of the constant breaks. Much of the inner dialogue and struggles of these main characters felt like it happened off screen. To me, the story felt like it was giving insight into the lifestyle of small town neighborhoods. How difficult it is to have the courage to leave or the strength to stay. Knowing when to let go when something does more harm than good and how inability to recognize this can leave you lingering in the shadows of your decaying life like a proverbial vampire. The horror aspects were also a lot more muted than what I was anticipating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Violence
kit_kat006's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I was really excited to read this book. I kept it for the spooky season specifically. This was not my frist Stephen King book but unfortunately I struggle a lot with it. The pace is really slow and the description way too long that I lost focus. I never seen a book with this many characters. It was interesting to see the impact of the story on the whole town but sometimes it was just too much. I had to keep check my note to understood who was who and related to whom... Overall the story is good but I never actually wanted to pick it up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Car accident
caspian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs
Minor: Rape
karina_dreamsinwords's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This was such a slog to get through and had wayyy too many characters for me to care about more than 2 (if even that).
I’m counting the fact that I finished this book as a win because I was close to giving up a few times. Thank goodness for audiobooks and the ability to speed them up otherwise all hope would have been lost! This definitely served some eerie atmosphere, and was kind of enjoyable in the end.
Now that I’m somewhat familiar with King’s writing style, I can tamper my expectations with anything else I might pick up from him.
p.s. Why do your chapters have to be SOO long??!
I’m counting the fact that I finished this book as a win because I was close to giving up a few times. Thank goodness for audiobooks and the ability to speed them up otherwise all hope would have been lost! This definitely served some eerie atmosphere, and was kind of enjoyable in the end.
Now that I’m somewhat familiar with King’s writing style, I can tamper my expectations with anything else I might pick up from him.
p.s. Why do your chapters have to be SOO long??!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death
libraryofdoe's review against another edition
Not only is this a dnf, it’s the reason I cleared out my entire Stephen King collection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Domestic abuse
booksandcoffeewithlexi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
jexjthomas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia