A review by zakcebulski
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.75

Spoiler
I can absolutely understand why people were disappointed with this book. But, in comparing a book to its predecessor there will always be hurdles- especially if you are expected to follow one of the cultural watermarks of the 20th century- The Shining.
Regardless, I thought that Doctor Sleep for what it is, was a very interesting read that I felt built on the foundation which King laid down in The Shining very well.
The story follows Dan (Danny) Torrance- a man plagued by the traumatic events of his time in the Overlook Hotel. Dan finds himself an alcoholic who is not above stealing money from single mothers solely to pay for his next drink.
As time progresses Dan eventually starts in AA and becomes sober with the help of Billy the fucking MAN Freeman, and Dr. John. He becomes employed as a worker at a hospice center where he helps people pass through the veil of death. He is gifted the nickname of "Doctor Sleep", as he phrases passing away as "going to sleep".
While working here he comes in contact with Abra Stone- a young girl who not only has the shining, but, who has a shit your pants strong version of it. Dan and Abra are in contact for a little while before it becomes evident that her shine is being targeted by... a group of bumbling goons.
The True Knot are the central antagonists of this story and quite honestly, they were a fucking disappointment to me. I have not recently read a book where the villains were so so so outclassed by the protagonists to the point where I was certain that none of the protagonists would perish at their hands. And, you know what? I was right. These characters had such an easy time dismantling the enemies in this book that I truly didn't feel like there were any stakes at risk, which is a bit disappointing, especially when compared to things like Salem's Lot, The Stand, Duma Key, Needful Things... every fucking book by King. Even the ending of the Shining had the main characters battered and bruised, but, the villains in this book were so fucking nonthreatening. I thought that more background to these characters would have been really appreciated as well. I mean, they are people who are in some cases centuries old, and all we know is that they have been around for a while. 
I was not cheering for any of the good guys to win, but, there was scarce a moment where I thought someone could even die. 

In comparison to the movie, I felt that the book versions of the True Knot were much less interesting. I did appreciate, however, how we could see and understand the desperation which each of them faced. I thought that the characters themselves were interesting as they were all archaic by standard human lifespans, but, they were still just psychic vampires who prey upon the "steam" released when a person with the Shine is killed. 
I thought that these were some of the most doofus ass characters, because they were continually outmatched by the tag team of Dan and Abra. 
I got such fucking satisfaction from these characters dying, because they are child predators who have a god complex due to their chronological invincibility (perceived). 

I thought that the final showdown was.... kinda boring to be honest. However, I did like the feeling of catharsis that follow when Dan utilized the "ghostie people" who he had locked away for 30 years to kill members of the TK. I thought that this was a symbolic release of the trauma that Dan had been carrying. And, reading about him getting his 15 year chip from AA? I was like a proud son. Hell yeah. I read this book and got the feeling that Dan had become the man that Jack had aspired and ultimately failed to become, as he fell victim to his demons of addiction. Ultimately, Dan broke the chains of generational trauma and addiction. 

I felt that this book was a strong follow up to one of the greats in terms of horror fiction. The pacing, however, was wonky to me, and there were sections wherein I felt that the book could have hurried the fuck up, but, all in all I appreciated getting a bit of closure regarding Dan Torrence. 
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