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A review by nikimorr
Billy Summers by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Billy Summers may be my favorite character by Stephen King. I felt personally connected and attached to him. I never stopped rooting for him. Billy knew who he was and lived with it - not a perfect person but an aware one.
I loved the first part of the book the most when Billy is living under a fake persona. He’s living a conflicted life but maybe is learning what it is like to live a “normal life” for the first time ever. That part of the story isn’t tied up perfectly, but it is left exactly as it should be. I appreciated that this part of the story could not realistically be wrapped up for Billy and therefore couldn’t be wrapped up neatly for the reader. Reading Billy’s autobiography was heartwrenching and a wonderful aside to the main story.
The introduction of Alice at first felt to drag a bit, but then I realized the importance of building their relationship to make the subsequent events seem realistic. It truly is like multiple books in one.
The only reason I gave 4.5 stars versus 5 is that I did not love the final “hit” for Billy. It felt very rushed and the storyline made me squeamish.
The ending, however, was incredible. It ended exactly like it should have - but boy did I cry!
I loved the first part of the book the most when Billy is living under a fake persona. He’s living a conflicted life but maybe is learning what it is like to live a “normal life” for the first time ever. That part of the story isn’t tied up perfectly, but it is left exactly as it should be. I appreciated that this part of the story could not realistically be wrapped up for Billy and therefore couldn’t be wrapped up neatly for the reader. Reading Billy’s autobiography was heartwrenching and a wonderful aside to the main story.
The introduction of Alice at first felt to drag a bit, but then I realized the importance of building their relationship to make the subsequent events seem realistic. It truly is like multiple books in one.
The only reason I gave 4.5 stars versus 5 is that I did not love the final “hit” for Billy. It felt very rushed and the storyline made me squeamish.
The ending, however, was incredible. It ended exactly like it should have - but boy did I cry!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War