A review by bookbelle5_17
Lisey's Story, by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a novel about Lisey's grief over the loss of her husband Scott Landon, who was a famous author, from two years ago. Not only is she haunted by her husband but she is targeted by a hitman who wants Scott's unpublished manuscripts. On top of that, she has to help her sister, Amanda, has become catatonic again after she gets her heartbroken by her boyfriend.
Lisey's story comes off as a cross between Rose Madder and Pet Sematary. All three stories deal with grief, love, and finding your own strength. This is King, so like the other two this novel has some supernatural. The human antagonist reminded me of Shotter Shooter from the novella "Secret Garden, Secret Window" To cope with his demons Scott creates another world that he escapes too and takes Lisey along for the ride. This one not only deals with grief but also with mental health issues as Scott's family had a sickness that made them savage. Lisey feels real and relatable, especially with her relationship with her sister's. They didn't always agree or along, but they loved each other. This one is one of the stories where the horror isn't about a monster but about humans and the supernatural is secondary to Lisey's journey.
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