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gonnicole's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this. If you love classic Stephen King this is perfect for you. Truly terrifying at times.
mymiddlename123's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
- MC's: Dan Torrance, Abra Stone
- POVs Inclided: Multiple POVs (Dan, Abra, Several of the True Knot members)
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SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Dan Torrance's Shining abilities have lessened in intensity over the years. Not completely gone, but not as intense. Until he unwittingly makes mental contact with a girl who also has the Shining and is incredibly powerful.
The girl has found out about a cult group known as The True Knot who siphon energy and life (known as steam) from people who have the Shining. And she reaches out to Dan for help.
As they work to take out the members of The True Knot, they form a bond over the Shining. And they discover that they are related (Dan is her Uncle -- Jack was Abra's mother, Lucy's, father).
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REVIEW:
This is the second Stephen King novel I've read (the first being The Shining) and I am convinced that we are just not compatible. I have many issues with his writing style and narrative that make getting through his super long and slow books difficult.
The first issue is that they just aren't scary. I don't understand how his books are labeled as horror. Maybe thrillers, but not that gripping except for brief moments here and there.
The other (and biggest) issue I have is that his writing style is very long winded and scattered. It just feels unedited to me. There are so many internal thoughts and offshoot-tangents that it really takes you out of the story.
Now, I think I enjoyed The Shining marginally better than this one. Because at least The Shining had some horror-like moments near the end there. This one was kind of a mess.
The True Knot "eats" kids who have the Shining. I don't get how exactly, but they do. Something about extracting their "steam" as they die slowly. It's rather confusing. But when they drink this steam, it enables them to live longer. It's a very weird and strange plot line, but I suppose the basis of it sounds interesting enough and provides a platform to understanding the Shining more.
Unfortunately we don't get into understanding the Shining any more than we already do. It just is what it is.
We do meet a young girl (thirteen) who has the Shining even stronger than Dan believes he ever did. Abra is powerful and the two of them bond over their Shining powers. I did find their relationship a little weird and uncomfortable. Abra has some swoony internal thoughts about Dan and Dan mentions on several occasions how beautiful she is. But she is thirteen, and ends up being his niece. There aren't any outright romantic feelings between them, but the whole situation and their interactions were rather skeevy-sounding to me.
The story itself had its moments of being interesting. I think once it got to Part 2 where they are working to take down The True Knot together, the story moves along a little better. But Part 1, where the story is being setup, felt disjointed and rather boring.
At this point I don't have much hope for other Stephen King novels. I don't really get why they are so popular. They aren't even scary. I might try some of them just for the sake of curiosity. But I don't know...one day maybe.
Overall the book was meh. It is kind of weird and a little boring. A tad bit interesting here and there, but not enough that I'd recommend it.
- MC's: Dan Torrance, Abra Stone
- POVs Inclided: Multiple POVs (Dan, Abra, Several of the True Knot members)
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)
Dan Torrance's Shining abilities have lessened in intensity over the years. Not completely gone, but not as intense. Until he unwittingly makes mental contact with a girl who also has the Shining and is incredibly powerful.
The girl has found out about a cult group known as The True Knot who siphon energy and life (known as steam) from people who have the Shining. And she reaches out to Dan for help.
As they work to take out the members of The True Knot, they form a bond over the Shining. And they discover that they are related (Dan is her Uncle -- Jack was Abra's mother, Lucy's, father).
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
REVIEW:
This is the second Stephen King novel I've read (the first being The Shining) and I am convinced that we are just not compatible. I have many issues with his writing style and narrative that make getting through his super long and slow books difficult.
The first issue is that they just aren't scary. I don't understand how his books are labeled as horror. Maybe thrillers, but not that gripping except for brief moments here and there.
The other (and biggest) issue I have is that his writing style is very long winded and scattered. It just feels unedited to me. There are so many internal thoughts and offshoot-tangents that it really takes you out of the story.
Now, I think I enjoyed The Shining marginally better than this one. Because at least The Shining had some horror-like moments near the end there. This one was kind of a mess.
The True Knot "eats" kids who have the Shining. I don't get how exactly, but they do. Something about extracting their "steam" as they die slowly. It's rather confusing. But when they drink this steam, it enables them to live longer. It's a very weird and strange plot line, but I suppose the basis of it sounds interesting enough and provides a platform to understanding the Shining more.
Unfortunately we don't get into understanding the Shining any more than we already do. It just is what it is.
We do meet a young girl (thirteen) who has the Shining even stronger than Dan believes he ever did. Abra is powerful and the two of them bond over their Shining powers. I did find their relationship a little weird and uncomfortable. Abra has some swoony internal thoughts about Dan and Dan mentions on several occasions how beautiful she is. But she is thirteen, and ends up being his niece. There aren't any outright romantic feelings between them, but the whole situation and their interactions were rather skeevy-sounding to me.
The story itself had its moments of being interesting. I think once it got to Part 2 where they are working to take down The True Knot together, the story moves along a little better. But Part 1, where the story is being setup, felt disjointed and rather boring.
At this point I don't have much hope for other Stephen King novels. I don't really get why they are so popular. They aren't even scary. I might try some of them just for the sake of curiosity. But I don't know...one day maybe.
Overall the book was meh. It is kind of weird and a little boring. A tad bit interesting here and there, but not enough that I'd recommend it.
theriverwasthere's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mcornell's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.0
sarahetc's review against another edition
1.0
Sometimes we are in a season of life where we can't appreciate things for what they are. I am in one now that does not let me appreciate this book for what it is-- the story of little Danny Torrance and how he grew up to become Doctor Sleep and also how he helped to expiate the sins and horrors of his past by playing the role of teacher and mentor in the Shine the way Dick Hallorann taught and mentored him.
That's the premise and it's great. It's probably pretty good in the execution as well, but I listened to the book, rather than read it, and the actor is stonkingly awful. Like, mind-blowingly awful. I have done enough voice over work to make upwards of $200 and I'm pretty sure I could have done a better job, and a better Irish accent. So I take full responsibility for my consumption, but I still listened to actual words and when it comes to the words, there were just too many of them.
I think for a long time now, maybe since the accident, maybe since he jumped the shark, then turned around, lassoed it and used it to jump yet more sharks in Song of Susannah, that King is out of big, scary, heart-rending, mind-blowing novels. It's nothing to be ashamed of and really, it's to be expected. So few intensely creative people can keep giving 100% gold their whole lives. King's tenure was longer than most. But this read, like so many things lately, like a short story that just kept getting crap tacked on to beef it up to Standard King. God forbid he just put any ol' 350 pager out there for the sake of telling a story.
Those technicalities aside, I think the real story is the story of Dan's recovery. And in many ways, that's some of King's best writing, and where Dan really comes alive. Abra, Rose and the The True Knot all seem like distractions from the real nugget of truth King is getting at, in life and in character. The True Knot itself seems to be cobbled together, all higgeldy-piggeldy, from other baddies he might have had running around in his head, with some spooky gibberish thrown in, because it's Stephen King and there must be spooky gibberish.
Which brings us to seasons in life. I am in a season of recovery. Meaning that I am just like Dan and go to meetings and share and repeat all the little aphorisms all the time because I can't deal with life on life's terms. So perhaps my opinion is skewed because I saw a little of myself in Dan Torrance (and his father, and his grandfather) and instead of accepting those characters for whom they really were, I just kept trying to see more of myself.
That's the premise and it's great. It's probably pretty good in the execution as well, but I listened to the book, rather than read it, and the actor is stonkingly awful. Like, mind-blowingly awful. I have done enough voice over work to make upwards of $200 and I'm pretty sure I could have done a better job, and a better Irish accent. So I take full responsibility for my consumption, but I still listened to actual words and when it comes to the words, there were just too many of them.
I think for a long time now, maybe since the accident, maybe since he jumped the shark, then turned around, lassoed it and used it to jump yet more sharks in Song of Susannah, that King is out of big, scary, heart-rending, mind-blowing novels. It's nothing to be ashamed of and really, it's to be expected. So few intensely creative people can keep giving 100% gold their whole lives. King's tenure was longer than most. But this read, like so many things lately, like a short story that just kept getting crap tacked on to beef it up to Standard King. God forbid he just put any ol' 350 pager out there for the sake of telling a story.
Those technicalities aside, I think the real story is the story of Dan's recovery. And in many ways, that's some of King's best writing, and where Dan really comes alive. Abra, Rose and the The True Knot all seem like distractions from the real nugget of truth King is getting at, in life and in character. The True Knot itself seems to be cobbled together, all higgeldy-piggeldy, from other baddies he might have had running around in his head, with some spooky gibberish thrown in, because it's Stephen King and there must be spooky gibberish.
Which brings us to seasons in life. I am in a season of recovery. Meaning that I am just like Dan and go to meetings and share and repeat all the little aphorisms all the time because I can't deal with life on life's terms. So perhaps my opinion is skewed because I saw a little of myself in Dan Torrance (and his father, and his grandfather) and instead of accepting those characters for whom they really were, I just kept trying to see more of myself.
bbrassfield's review against another edition
5.0
A near perfect continuation of the story of Danny Torrance from Stephen King's excellent novel, the Shining. When I discovered not too long ago that Doctor Sleep would check in on the adult Dan Torrance I was skeptical. The Shining is one of the great horror novels. Sure, I get why a writer, not to mention the legions of fans the novel has, would want to see what happened to the young Mr. Torrance as he ages. After all, a lot of awful things happened to Danny in the Shining. Things that could well fuck up a kid's life for the rest of his natural days (and unnatural ones since Danny has the shining). I'm happy to report, dear reader, that fans of the first book will not be disappointed. Doctor Sleep is fantastic, both as a standalone story and as a "let's see how Danny is doing as an adult" novel. King's story is very organic, and by that I mean it seems all together natural that the events depicted in Doctor Sleep would indeed be things Dan would encounter as an adult. Not only that, Doctor Sleep is the work of a mature writer and the adult themes that Dan faces in the pages of this novel are exceptionally well captured and conveyed to the reader. We see Dan face the demons of his past, partially begotten by an alcoholic, abusive father driven to madness by a very nasty, very haunted hotel, and the burden of having the shining. As an adult Dan Torrance struggles mightily at first but when he begins to right his own ship the story really takes off as he is able to put his shine to healing use, both in the service of the dying and of a young girl whose shine (one that greatly exceeds Dan's) attracts monsters worse than the malevolent spirits that preyed upon young Danny and his father in the Overlook hotel all those years ago. The conclusion is both satisfying and entirely natural.
Re:Read: Holds up well. I re-read this after seeing Mike Flanagan's film. I didn't remember some of the events towards the end of the novel and the film while excellent for what it is, a proper sequel to Stanley Kubrick's the Shining, is still inferior to the novel IMHO. Enjoy both for what they are, but Doctor Sleep remains one of King's finest and really works incredibly well as a sequel to a classic novel of horror. No easy task!
Re:Read: Holds up well. I re-read this after seeing Mike Flanagan's film. I didn't remember some of the events towards the end of the novel and the film while excellent for what it is, a proper sequel to Stanley Kubrick's the Shining, is still inferior to the novel IMHO. Enjoy both for what they are, but Doctor Sleep remains one of King's finest and really works incredibly well as a sequel to a classic novel of horror. No easy task!
mr_sosotris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this one. Still as tense and sharply plotted as the first one, though not as scary, but that’s okay. This is a companion to the first one. Whereas The Shining is about the destructive capabilities of addiction, this is about the struggles of moving beyond addiction. The characters are great, and the expansion of the lore is really well done. The villains are creepy and imaginative, and I love how all the threads come together. Overall, this feels more like a supernatural thriller.
Would recommend!
Would recommend!
nursebooksgalore's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
notatrace280's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
4.0
Wow great sequel.
Not only does the opening scene stay with Dan, it certainly wasn't far from my thoughts.
Dan struggles with sobriety and becomes friends with a little girl named Abra. She has many of Dan's abilities- but stronger. Together they must face the True Knot- people who thrive on children with the Shining.
Not only does the opening scene stay with Dan, it certainly wasn't far from my thoughts.
Dan struggles with sobriety and becomes friends with a little girl named Abra. She has many of Dan's abilities- but stronger. Together they must face the True Knot- people who thrive on children with the Shining.