A review by athirah_idrus
Night Shift by Stephen King

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I’m not a fan of horror and for the longest time, I’ve been avoiding the genre like a plague! I feel like I scare easily but it’s mostly my overactive mind that does the ‘scaring’ long after I’ve watched or read anything within the genre. 

 

However, there is something about the way King writes that draws me in. I have to admit that I am both wary and attracted to the weird and extraordinary, which is something King excels in. His writing might not be my cup of tea but I relish his stories that many of the scenes in his books remain on my mind for years. In the past, I’ve also realized that many of the movies especially those pertaining the supernatural that I had enjoyed, were adapted from King’s books. While I lament every time I get into his books because I’m not fond of his writing, his stories are impeccable and I’d be pressed to name another author who writes bizarre stories the way he does. 

 

Night Shift is a collection of his short horror stories, and I have to say I enjoyed many of the stories more than I expected to. While it falls under general horror, I was delighted to find stories that ranged between the macabre, weird beasts, unexplained phenomena and the simpler run-of-the-mill haunted areas. I realized most that I enjoyed were the ones recalled by small communities about scary happenings and my least favorites were the more scifi-ish beasts or dimensions. My favorite stories featured in this book were The Boogeyman and Quitters, Inc.