sommarborne's reviews
33 reviews

Thinner by Stephen King, Richard Bachman

slow-paced

1.0

This is, imo, the worst Stephen King book or at least one of the worst. While the plot could have been interesting, its execution is borderline cartoonish and the whole thing has aged horrifically. I am not normally one to hold things against the time something was written, but this book is just objectively in poor taste and offensive on so many levels & not in any thought provoking or intriguing way. It is just a bad product of its time. Not even worth reading.

The Body by Stephen King

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

Another amazing story by King. I will say that this one has an incredible movie adaptation that feels perfect. I almost prefer the movie over the book just because the book has some poorly aged moments & King’s common brand of sexism. Regardless of its relatively minor (in presence) flaws, it really is a worthwhile read. This was the first story I ever properly read of King’s and it is a great memory.

The Dark Half by Stephen King

dark slow-paced

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

2.5

This book just feels far too long for an otherwise simple premise. The idea somehow feels incredibly stale and while there are good moments, it is a forgettable story.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Arguably my favorite King book and an incredible read for people who may not usually enjoy his books or horror. While this book does contain some frights, they are mostly inspired by the understandable anxiety of a child lost in the woods.

This is far more a survival story and is one of his best books by far. You are invested almost immediately and the main character is easy to root for. King always writes children better than he does adults, so the narrative is genuinely so likable and well crafted. It does have a happy ending too so this can be an inspiring quick read.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional fast-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? Yes

5.0

If you are new to Stephen King then this is the best book to begin with. It is a classic for a reason. The story is incredibly gripping and is, to this day, genuinely one of the scariest books that I have read. It sticks with your soul.

If you are concerned about excessive animal violence or gore because of the title and general premise: don’t worry! The animal death in this is completely off screen and surprisingly tame compared to the rest of the book. I think King really wanted the focus to be on the death of the child. 

Im personally sensitive to animal violence in stories, but as far as King goes & horror in general, this book is far easier to get through than most horror based animal deaths. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

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.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This is definitely more of a memoir than a book on how to write. While he does talk about writing and some tips, it focuses more on his personal relationship to writing and the things he has learned over the years. I do think it is a great book worth the read, just don’t expect to be a groundbreaking writer’s guide on how to write better.

Misery by Stephen King

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Misery is one of King’s better books, but I will warn you that the segments where the book switches to the perspective of what the main character is writing - it can be a bit brutal and tedious to get through and really slows down the pace of the otherwise awesome story. You could honestly just skip those parts and nothing of value would really be lost. 

I do think this book is a must though purely because the main villain is so iconic and incredibly well-developed. Annie Wilkes is incredibly gripping and the whole premise is just absolutely genius.

The Shining by Stephen King

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Carrie by Stephen King

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0