Scan barcode
A review by hopeloveslit
Night Shift by Stephen King
3.5
I loved Jerusalems Lot. It’s a chilling vampire short that will leave you wishing there were more pages. I highly recommend reading Salem’s Lot before this story for a better experience. (4.25/5)
Coming from someone with mild musophobia (fear of mice and rats,) Graveyard Shift creeped me out. Is that a good thing? Well, yes, we are reading horror! King will make your skin crawl with this ratty tale. (3.5/5)
Night Surf is a prequel to King’s novel ‘The Stand.’ I haven’t read it yet, but I must say, this story made me want to read it immediately. The story withholds the perfect amount of information to intrigue you. My favorite part was the ending. We don’t know what happens next, and I love using my imagination to fill in the blanks. (2.5/5)
I Am the Doorway is a creepy tale about a disabled ex-astronaut and an alien mutation he picked up in space. The ending was disconcerting. I would give anything to know what happens next. This story should’ve been a novella or at least longer!! (3.5/5)
I’m almost 100% sure The Mangler inspired King’s novel ‘Christine.’ From what I read online, this isn’t confirmed. However, this story centers around an iron that’s possessed and killing people. In other words, the original “Christine.” Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story! It’s outlandish and fun. (3.5/5)
I would have liked The Boogeyman more if Lester Billings wasn’t such a piece of sh*t. The story follows Lester recounting the tale of his children’s deaths at the hands of The Boogeyman. (2.25/5)
Gray Matter is odd, to say the least. It’s definitely one of my least favorites from this collection. (2/5)
Imagine you’re a hitman, and your next job is to kill a toy store owner. Then, toy soldiers come after you. Battleground is outlandish and highly improbable. However, I enjoyed it! It’s entertaining and requires you to suspend disbelief. (3/5)
Trucks is a tale about a group trapped inside a diner by killer trucks. This story is like a cross between King’s “The Mist” and “Christine” while being very unique. It’s so unlikely, but I love this plot. Who knew trucks could scare me? (4.25/5)
Sometimes They Come Back is a short story about a high school teacher who is haunted by three spirits. Why, you may ask? They blame him for their deaths. Although I liked this story more towards the end, I feel it’s too long. Other stories in this collection could’ve benefited from extra length. However, Sometimes They Come Back isn’t one of them. (2.25/5)
Strawberry Spring is about a weather phenomenon that occurs every eight years. A serial killer known as Springheel Jack uses the fog of ‘Strawberry Spring’ to commit a string of brutal murders. At first, I wasn’t vibing with this story. I got to the plot twist (and had a wtf moment,) reread the story, and I was simply in awe. (3.25/5)
The Ledge is a story about Stan Norris and a man named Cressner, a crime lord. Norris has an affair with Cressner’s wife and is then challenged to walk the ledge of a skyscraper. The prize? Marcia, Cressner’s cheating wife. Surprisingly, I loved this story. It’s a testament to human resilience blanketed under a cruel tale. (4.5/5)
The Lawnmower Man is such a bizarre and engrossing tale. King tells the story of a guy who orders a lawnmower service, and let’s just say things did not go as you’d expect. Honestly, how the hell does King come up with stuff like this? It’s admirable but, at the same time, so strange. (3.25/5)
Quitters, Inc. is a witty story about addiction and the drastic measures that may be needed to kick the habit for good. I didn’t know what to expect from this one, which exceeded all my expectations. (4/5)
I Know What You Need is a story about obsession and manipulation. Ed uses black magic to know the needs of others. He uses this power to make Elizabeth, his lifelong crush, fall in love with him… by any means necessary! Dark romance fans would love this story. (3.75/5)
Children of the Corn is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. Therefore, this story was a highly anticipated read. The plot is pretty simple. A married couple drives through rural Nebraska, and they stop in Gaitland. However, the town is rampant with killer children who murdered the town’s adults. I’ve always found this premise to be so horrific! Just imagine it. There’s something so scary about getting chased through corn by a four-foot child. (4.5/5)
The Last Rung on the Ladder yanked on all my heartstrings. Did I expect King to rip my heart into shreds? No, but it’s fine. This story is one of the most powerful pieces of literature I’ve ever read. It’s been a day since I read it, and I can’t get it out of my mind. The story follows Larry and Katrina as Larry recounts an incident from their childhood. This tale is a must-read for anyone with a beating heart. (5/5)
The Man Who Loved Flowers is a story about a man in New York. We follow him as he goes to buy flowers for his lover. I can’t say too much about this story without spoiling it completely. It’s very short, and there isn’t much to cover besides the twist. (3.5/5)
One for the Road is about two good samaritans who attempt to rescue a New Jersey man's family from Jerusalems Lot. You can jump into this story if you’ve read Salem's lot. The events take place after Salem's lot, and it acts as a sequel. (3.5/5)
The Woman in the Room is a heartbreaking story about a man debating whether to euthanize his terminally ill mother. I enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t very horrific. I can see how some might find the topic horrifying, but it just wasn’t to me. (2.5/5)
3.5 stars (average rating.)
Coming from someone with mild musophobia (fear of mice and rats,) Graveyard Shift creeped me out. Is that a good thing? Well, yes, we are reading horror! King will make your skin crawl with this ratty tale. (3.5/5)
Night Surf is a prequel to King’s novel ‘The Stand.’ I haven’t read it yet, but I must say, this story made me want to read it immediately. The story withholds the perfect amount of information to intrigue you. My favorite part was the ending. We don’t know what happens next, and I love using my imagination to fill in the blanks. (2.5/5)
I Am the Doorway is a creepy tale about a disabled ex-astronaut and an alien mutation he picked up in space. The ending was disconcerting. I would give anything to know what happens next. This story should’ve been a novella or at least longer!! (3.5/5)
I’m almost 100% sure The Mangler inspired King’s novel ‘Christine.’ From what I read online, this isn’t confirmed. However, this story centers around an iron that’s possessed and killing people. In other words, the original “Christine.” Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story! It’s outlandish and fun. (3.5/5)
I would have liked The Boogeyman more if Lester Billings wasn’t such a piece of sh*t. The story follows Lester recounting the tale of his children’s deaths at the hands of The Boogeyman. (2.25/5)
Gray Matter is odd, to say the least. It’s definitely one of my least favorites from this collection. (2/5)
Imagine you’re a hitman, and your next job is to kill a toy store owner. Then, toy soldiers come after you. Battleground is outlandish and highly improbable. However, I enjoyed it! It’s entertaining and requires you to suspend disbelief. (3/5)
Trucks is a tale about a group trapped inside a diner by killer trucks. This story is like a cross between King’s “The Mist” and “Christine” while being very unique. It’s so unlikely, but I love this plot. Who knew trucks could scare me? (4.25/5)
Sometimes They Come Back is a short story about a high school teacher who is haunted by three spirits. Why, you may ask? They blame him for their deaths. Although I liked this story more towards the end, I feel it’s too long. Other stories in this collection could’ve benefited from extra length. However, Sometimes They Come Back isn’t one of them. (2.25/5)
Strawberry Spring is about a weather phenomenon that occurs every eight years. A serial killer known as Springheel Jack uses the fog of ‘Strawberry Spring’ to commit a string of brutal murders. At first, I wasn’t vibing with this story. I got to the plot twist (and had a wtf moment,) reread the story, and I was simply in awe. (3.25/5)
The Ledge is a story about Stan Norris and a man named Cressner, a crime lord. Norris has an affair with Cressner’s wife and is then challenged to walk the ledge of a skyscraper. The prize? Marcia, Cressner’s cheating wife. Surprisingly, I loved this story. It’s a testament to human resilience blanketed under a cruel tale. (4.5/5)
The Lawnmower Man is such a bizarre and engrossing tale. King tells the story of a guy who orders a lawnmower service, and let’s just say things did not go as you’d expect. Honestly, how the hell does King come up with stuff like this? It’s admirable but, at the same time, so strange. (3.25/5)
Quitters, Inc. is a witty story about addiction and the drastic measures that may be needed to kick the habit for good. I didn’t know what to expect from this one, which exceeded all my expectations. (4/5)
I Know What You Need is a story about obsession and manipulation. Ed uses black magic to know the needs of others. He uses this power to make Elizabeth, his lifelong crush, fall in love with him… by any means necessary! Dark romance fans would love this story. (3.75/5)
Children of the Corn is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. Therefore, this story was a highly anticipated read. The plot is pretty simple. A married couple drives through rural Nebraska, and they stop in Gaitland. However, the town is rampant with killer children who murdered the town’s adults. I’ve always found this premise to be so horrific! Just imagine it. There’s something so scary about getting chased through corn by a four-foot child. (4.5/5)
The Last Rung on the Ladder yanked on all my heartstrings. Did I expect King to rip my heart into shreds? No, but it’s fine. This story is one of the most powerful pieces of literature I’ve ever read. It’s been a day since I read it, and I can’t get it out of my mind. The story follows Larry and Katrina as Larry recounts an incident from their childhood. This tale is a must-read for anyone with a beating heart. (5/5)
The Man Who Loved Flowers is a story about a man in New York. We follow him as he goes to buy flowers for his lover. I can’t say too much about this story without spoiling it completely. It’s very short, and there isn’t much to cover besides the twist. (3.5/5)
One for the Road is about two good samaritans who attempt to rescue a New Jersey man's family from Jerusalems Lot. You can jump into this story if you’ve read Salem's lot. The events take place after Salem's lot, and it acts as a sequel. (3.5/5)
The Woman in the Room is a heartbreaking story about a man debating whether to euthanize his terminally ill mother. I enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t very horrific. I can see how some might find the topic horrifying, but it just wasn’t to me. (2.5/5)
3.5 stars (average rating.)