A review by sommarborne
The Long Walk by Stephen King, Richard Bachman

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is one of King’s most underrated books. It was also technically the first book he wrote but not the first he published. The plot seems silly, but he executes it beautifully and somehow makes it gripping the entire time. 

Although the book is not explicitly queer, it is one of King’s works often referenced in queer theory. As a queer theorist, I have written essays on this book as well, and for good reason. There is plenty of queer coded moments and the overall book can easily be enjoyed through a queer lens.