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A review by merissareadsstuff
The Mist by Stephen King
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really like how quick this is to read. It goes by really fast, because it is so fast-paced, but it's not at all boring. It would have been better if it were longer, actually.
The end wasn't great, though.In the end, they are just in a motel or somewhere (I wasn't super clear on that) after 4 days being in the mist. It doesn't say if they ever get out or where these things came from, or what Arrowheadwas doing. We never find out anything about the mist. We don' even know if they ever escape it. He simply ends by telling his sleeping son to have hope. I would have liked to know more about the mist. I have heard that even King thinks the movie had a better ending, so I will have to watch the film to see if I agree.
Unlike most of King's other books, The Mist is not character focused so much as plot-driven. I generally prefer a plot-driven book, so I really like this aspect. For me, the most important thing is whether it is creative, which King does well in this book. We do get quite a bit of information about the main protagonist, but very little about anyone else.
The crazy cult lady was not likeable, but most characters were. They were just scared and did what I would think most would do in their situation. I like how realistic all of the character's reactions were in this book.
I like the creativity of the creatures. The mystery of it all really drew me in and kept me engaged the whole way through. The descriptions of the creatures were vivid and graphic. I have aphantasia, so I can' put images in my head very well, so I appreciate when creatures are well described in books.
The best part is before we know exactly what is in the mist. King does a great job building the tension about the mystery of whatever is in the mist.
I was sad when many of the characters died,especially Ollie. There is some gore. If you are not used to horror, the gore might feel like a lot, so that's why I rated it moderate, but if you have really any horror experience, I think you'll find that the gore is pretty mild compared to many other popular books.
I would say this is good for 14 or older. There is a sex scene that is moderately graphic, but not more than most PG-13 films. It last for a paragraph or two.
The end wasn't great, though.
Unlike most of King's other books, The Mist is not character focused so much as plot-driven. I generally prefer a plot-driven book, so I really like this aspect. For me, the most important thing is whether it is creative, which King does well in this book. We do get quite a bit of information about the main protagonist, but very little about anyone else.
The crazy cult lady was not likeable, but most characters were. They were just scared and did what I would think most would do in their situation. I like how realistic all of the character's reactions were in this book.
I like the creativity of the creatures. The mystery of it all really drew me in and kept me engaged the whole way through. The descriptions of the creatures were vivid and graphic. I have aphantasia, so I can' put images in my head very well, so I appreciate when creatures are well described in books.
The best part is before we know exactly what is in the mist. King does a great job building the tension about the mystery of whatever is in the mist.
I was sad when many of the characters died,
I would say this is good for 14 or older. There is a sex scene that is moderately graphic, but not more than most PG-13 films. It last for a paragraph or two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore and Sexism