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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
this was so much better than i was expecting! i have a harder time with anything king published after the 2000s but i was really into this. there's a little bit of americana patriotism towards the end which irked me a bit, and the anticommunism was strong within this one, but it wasn't anything i wasn't at least aware that could pop up in a book with these kind of themes.
dark
emotional
tense
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was my first Stephen King book (If you don't count short stories) and it was better than I imagined it would be. While I'm not the biggest fan of detailed descriptions, It pulled through for me. I was transported right to the past with the protagonist and the tense ambience it created followed me even after putting my kindle down.
First of all, I'm not gonna lie, my favorite characters were not that important to the overall plot, but I still connected with them very deeply : Deke and Mimi. They were truly amazing and their dynamic was really lovely for me. Now, I also heavily enjoyed the subtle terror asptect of the book, and I can admit that King knows how to write a suspenseful scene. He also knew (at least in this book) how to give it a great end.
There are a few reasons this is not a 5 star book for me, but it's mostly my subjective experience while reading it. While there were moments I was tense and needed to keep reading, there were others where all I wanted was to stop reading and take a pause. Maybe for me it was a bit too long, nevertheles, I do appreciate and recognize the amount of effort, detail and
research that went into this book.
Another thing that put me a bit off was the relationship portrayed in the book. There were moments when it felt a bit like the intimacy of the relationship was only there because of the physical attraction they both felt for each other. It was kind of like the "poundcake" was the main reason they were together. Towards the end of the book, and after reading two or three scenes that captured a much more real intimacy, I ended up liking them though.
The last thing that was a bit weird for me was the protagonist. He was (in my opinion) kind of too perfect. He always knew what to say, what to do. He was always charming and likeable. It almost felt like a "This is who I wish I was" kind of person. This made the book seem a bit like a self-insert or fantasy, especially after learning that King was a professor. I still enjoyed it. I still liked him. I still really empathized with him, specially at the end.
Overall, this book was really great. I don't know when or if I will give Stephen King another try but I guess if the past always harmonizes with itself... we'll see.
First of all, I'm not gonna lie, my favorite characters were not that important to the overall plot, but I still connected with them very deeply : Deke and Mimi. They were truly amazing and their dynamic was really lovely for me. Now, I also heavily enjoyed the subtle terror asptect of the book, and I can admit that King knows how to write a suspenseful scene. He also knew (at least in this book) how to give it a great end.
There are a few reasons this is not a 5 star book for me, but it's mostly my subjective experience while reading it. While there were moments I was tense and needed to keep reading, there were others where all I wanted was to stop reading and take a pause. Maybe for me it was a bit too long, nevertheles, I do appreciate and recognize the amount of effort, detail and
research that went into this book.
Another thing that put me a bit off was the relationship portrayed in the book. There were moments when it felt a bit like the intimacy of the relationship was only there because of the physical attraction they both felt for each other. It was kind of like the "poundcake" was the main reason they were together. Towards the end of the book, and after reading two or three scenes that captured a much more real intimacy, I ended up liking them though.
The last thing that was a bit weird for me was the protagonist. He was (in my opinion) kind of too perfect. He always knew what to say, what to do. He was always charming and likeable. It almost felt like a "This is who I wish I was" kind of person. This made the book seem a bit like a self-insert or fantasy, especially after learning that King was a professor. I still enjoyed it. I still liked him. I still really empathized with him, specially at the end.
Overall, this book was really great. I don't know when or if I will give Stephen King another try but I guess if the past always harmonizes with itself... we'll see.
This was an excellent book and I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. It falls into a few expected tropes and overdone plot lines, but overall it is very engaging and well written.
Spoiler free plot: through pure chance, a whole in time is found that takes the passenger to the same moment in 1958 (I think?) every time you exit and renter the hole. It is decided that the best use of this hole would be to prevent JFK from getting assassinated, which in theory will prevent a lot of other bad things from happening. The main character embarks on this very involved plot after successfully testing the possibility of changing time, and so ensues the book.
Spoilers from here on:
I have never read a Stephen King book, and they’re not really in my read list, but this one was recommended by a friend. I have it a shot because it didn’t sound like stereotypical horror that I thought King was known for. I’m very glad I gave it a shot. Also with this being my first King novel, I had a first hand experience with his interconnected universe; I think it’s a cool concept. The first 1/4 of the book basically takes places in Derry and you even run into the looming presence of IT as well as the protagonists of the IT novel (I think it’s one book?). Very cool stuff. That section all felt very spooky and I liked it. The rest of the book was somewhat like a detective novel, somewhat like a romantic drama, depending. The only real complain I had was a minor one; the plot ends with the most cliche ending, where you find out *shocker* messing with time is a bad idea, always period full stop. It was still good, and there was some sadness in seeing how it closes with the protagonists sacrifice of his relationship to save reality, but I didn’t think it was all that heart wrenching or unique.
Spoiler free plot: through pure chance, a whole in time is found that takes the passenger to the same moment in 1958 (I think?) every time you exit and renter the hole. It is decided that the best use of this hole would be to prevent JFK from getting assassinated, which in theory will prevent a lot of other bad things from happening. The main character embarks on this very involved plot after successfully testing the possibility of changing time, and so ensues the book.
Spoilers from here on:
I have never read a Stephen King book, and they’re not really in my read list, but this one was recommended by a friend. I have it a shot because it didn’t sound like stereotypical horror that I thought King was known for. I’m very glad I gave it a shot. Also with this being my first King novel, I had a first hand experience with his interconnected universe; I think it’s a cool concept. The first 1/4 of the book basically takes places in Derry and you even run into the looming presence of IT as well as the protagonists of the IT novel (I think it’s one book?). Very cool stuff. That section all felt very spooky and I liked it. The rest of the book was somewhat like a detective novel, somewhat like a romantic drama, depending. The only real complain I had was a minor one; the plot ends with the most cliche ending, where you find out *shocker* messing with time is a bad idea, always period full stop. It was still good, and there was some sadness in seeing how it closes with the protagonists sacrifice of his relationship to save reality, but I didn’t think it was all that heart wrenching or unique.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes