A review by tifftastic87
Desperation by Stephen King

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

On an isolated desert road a couple is pulled over by the local police and take into custody. The cop himself is a little off and Mary and Peter Jackson are feeling decidedly uncomfortable. The Carver family has all four of their tires blow out on the same stretch of road, a local cop tells them someone laid a strip of nails in the road and must be out there still, he takes them to the local town for safety. Johnny Marinville, author, is on a cross country tour on his Harley when he is stopped for public urination on a stretch of desert highway. The cop, formerly Collie Entragien, is no more and what he is now is horrifying. What follows is a wild ride of survival, religion, and terror. Bloody, visceral and emotionally distressing the unlikely group must cut off the source of Officer Entragien's demise, or die trying. 

On a re-read this book hit me so much harder than the first time around. I was disgusted, horrified, frustrated and felt tears welling at multiple times. The characters all work so well together and their interactions and inner monologues really led the story. Within the genre this is a five star for me. 
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