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A review by amelialouisereads
Cujo by Stephen King
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Cujo, a huge 200 pound St Bernard, has always been a good dog and loyal friend to young Brett Camber. However, after recieving a bite from a rabid bat, Cujo is becoming increasingly BAD.
The scenes with Cujo as he slowly descends into madness are some of the scariest I've ever read from King - perhaps even more so because everything that happens in this book feels entirely possible. There isn't a supernatural beast at work here, just an incredibly sick dog wreaking havoc.
However, the rest of this book was... Not my favourite, truthfully. I remember reading years ago that King has little to no memory of writing it due to his heavy alcohol/cocaine use at the time, and honestly I felt it showed. There are no proper chapters or sections to the story, and I found the rambling style irritating at times.
I also really wasn't a fan of the soap opera style side plots with cheating spouses and problems at work taking up a lot of the narrative.
Overall, not dreadful, but definitely not anywhere near being a contender for my favourite King.
The scenes with Cujo as he slowly descends into madness are some of the scariest I've ever read from King - perhaps even more so because everything that happens in this book feels entirely possible. There isn't a supernatural beast at work here, just an incredibly sick dog wreaking havoc.
However, the rest of this book was... Not my favourite, truthfully. I remember reading years ago that King has little to no memory of writing it due to his heavy alcohol/cocaine use at the time, and honestly I felt it showed. There are no proper chapters or sections to the story, and I found the rambling style irritating at times.
I also really wasn't a fan of the soap opera style side plots with cheating spouses and problems at work taking up a lot of the narrative.
Overall, not dreadful, but definitely not anywhere near being a contender for my favourite King.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Minor: Rape