Reviews

I just finished reading this.
It took me a while to get through but life happened. But I got myself to finish it these last 3 days...
Let me just say, what a ride.
It's very hard to find a copy of this where I live and I happened upon a second-hand copy at a 2nd hand bookshop a couple months ago.
So I'd obviously watched the Netflix movie first. Which i wasn't sure how spot on it was in comparison to the book, I'm now thoroughly impressed cause they got it exact.

So my first thoughts are: wtf did I just read, I'm so uncomfortable in so many different ways and I am disturbed. For me to say that is very rare cause I watch horror movies for fun and am so desensitized at this point... But this book. Something else. King really is a literary genius. If his intention was to make the reader incredibly uncomfortable and unsettled to their core. He 100% achieved that and deserves my 5 star rating honestly. I'm blown away.

I do think if there are reprints in future or whatever... There should be a trigger warning in the beginning as some of the themes in this book were very hard for me to read... As it probably is for most people who have experienced such things.

However, I am really impressed and I'm honestly at a loss for words... I don't think a book has ever shook me to my core like this in terms of the horror genre.

Overall a really good book. Really disturbing but it achieved what it was meant for. I watch the movie zero issues. Maybe a tad uncomfy in some scenes... But nothing unbearable. But with King's descriptions and just the way he puts his imagery down... It's just something else.

Had to tell my best friend to give this one a skip as he definitely wouldn't be able to stomach it

19mclaste's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.5

Content Warnings

a_randomsoul_onjourney's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

3.75

Gerald's Game felt like it was less about the "game" itself and more about Jessie facing her trauma, which all started with that specific game.

For me, the heart of the story wasn't the handcuffs or the terrifying predicament Jessie found herself in, but the emotional and psychological journey she was forced to go on because of it.

I really liked how the book portrayed the way unaddressed trauma can impact a person over time, in ways they may not even realize until something drastic forces them to confront it. Jessie's experiences with her father and later with Gerald showed how deeply these events can scar someone, and how avoiding dealing with them can cause them to linger, even in the background of your life.

The introduction of Space Cowboy felt necessary to me. With both of her abusers—her father (and Gerald)—being dead, it gave Jessie a tangible figure to confront. It wasn't just about surviving her physical predicament but about coming face-to-face with a manifestation of her fears and memories. Space Cowboy allowed Jessie to finally close the loop on her trauma, in a way she might not have been able to otherwise.

I also appreciate how the book tackles the subject of sexual assault, in all its forms, and explores what it means to survive in the most dire of circumstances.

Overall I liked this book, although I am not sure if I would ever recommend it to anyone. I give it a 3.75/5 ⭐