A review by justjacq
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was magical. I am 99% certain this will be my favorite book of 2023. I don't think I've been as obsessed with a book since reading Harry Potter as a kid. I am so surprised to see such mixed reviews on this - I truly loved everything about it. But, it was my first King read, and so much of the feedback seems to say this was so unlike his normal stuff - I can't speak to that, but I can say I want more of this, please, and I am absolutely motivated to pick up more King! The world-building in this story was phenomenal. I loved the blurred lines between fairy tales and our reality, and I loved the implication that Empis has been bleeding into the "real world" and our stories for who knows how long. I have never been more in love with a fictional dog - ever. I was on the edge of my seat with every turn and just couldn't stop listening. It had suspense and love, humor, wit, darkness, hope, fantasy, loyalty, friendship, bravery... you get the picture, right? It had everything. The narrator was also phe👏🏻no👏🏻me👏🏻nal. The perfect balance of emotion, great tone and pacing, believable change in characters... just perfection. I'm sad it's over and definitely see myself re-reading/listening at some point. 
5/5⭐️s