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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
This was my first foray into Stephen King, and it won't be my last! I was sucked in from the first page through to the end. That is a feat for an 850-page book! Stephen King does tension and settings so well. The parts in Derry were chilling and eerie and contrasted perfectly with the more idyllic Jodie. The sense of urgency builds and builds so that I could not put it down toward the end.
I loved the character work done at the beginning with Jake, but I was a bit let down by the central relationship. It felt like a lot of telling versus showing. I was told they were madly in love, but I didn't really see it develop or feel the chemistry. Part of the problem was that Sadie didn't feel as real as the rest of the characters. Jake and a lot of the side characters leapt off the page, but she fell flat. Because of this, the ending fell a little flat for me as well.
Overall, I did really enjoy this and had a fantastic time reading it.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
For ONCE I'd love to finish a SK book without sobbing my heart out. I'm in awe of this book from beginning to end, and I've no idea how in 2011 a man of King's profile managed to pull off this incredibly rich and detailed novel that sits along his other two greats (The Stand and It, of course). Truly a modern classic.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the best book I’ve ever read. Ever.
I started this book the summer before I started law school (Summer 2020) and didn’t pick this book back up until June 2025. So this go around I read a little more than 500 pages.
Where to begin with this book. You don’t feel its length at all. There’s always something or someone to focus on and the story moves so smoothly that it really does feel like you’re listening to someone tell you the story off the top of their head. I became engrossed with everything: the time period, the characters, the plot, EVERYTHING. I damn near cried at the end and I’ve never come close to crying over a book in my life. I legit did not want this to be over; I need this book injected into my veins. I’ve read some really really good books but I’m confident that I’ve never had a book pull so deeply into its story in this way before. You could give me the best multiple-part anthology and I’m sure it wouldn’t take me on the journey that this book did. I’m still thinking about the ending.
I started this book the summer before I started law school (Summer 2020) and didn’t pick this book back up until June 2025. So this go around I read a little more than 500 pages.
Where to begin with this book. You don’t feel its length at all. There’s always something or someone to focus on and the story moves so smoothly that it really does feel like you’re listening to someone tell you the story off the top of their head. I became engrossed with everything: the time period, the characters, the plot, EVERYTHING. I damn near cried at the end and I’ve never come close to crying over a book in my life. I legit did not want this to be over; I need this book injected into my veins. I’ve read some really really good books but I’m confident that I’ve never had a book pull so deeply into its story in this way before. You could give me the best multiple-part anthology and I’m sure it wouldn’t take me on the journey that this book did. I’m still thinking about the ending.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was never a great student of history. If people ask me about timelines and the years of great historic events, I usually draw a blank. Then I discovered that I actually learn and retain a lot more about history through reading! Wonderful. Let's learn about the Kennedy assassination through this book. Perfect.
The time travel plot device was interesting, and the pieces of this story that focused on the historical events were great. The beginning parts of Jake's time travels as he experimented with the rabbit hole and its effects were great too.
When Jake reached Texas, the story stalled in a very big way. His personal life as a teacher in a small town in Texas, his romantic relationships, friendships and personal growth were mildly interesting at best. If the aim was to make the reader feel as "stuck" in time as Jake during these years, I'd say King achieved that.
I only recently started reading Stephen King a couple of years ago (The Outsider, The Shining) and already his writing style seems familiar and predictable. Just like Jake Epping talks about "harmonies" in the past, with patterns resonating again and again in his story, I seem to be experiencing the same "harmonies" in King's books. The characters, their backgrounds, the settings, their flaws and quirks all seem to repeat.
Still, the historical setting fascinated me enough to push me on. When I finally got to the crucial moment, it was sufficiently satisfying but the aftermath and the ending sort of petered out. King also included an afterword detailing some of the research he did for this book which I actually found worth reading.
The time travel plot device was interesting, and the pieces of this story that focused on the historical events were great. The beginning parts of Jake's time travels as he experimented with the rabbit hole and its effects were great too.
When Jake reached Texas, the story stalled in a very big way. His personal life as a teacher in a small town in Texas, his romantic relationships, friendships and personal growth were mildly interesting at best. If the aim was to make the reader feel as "stuck" in time as Jake during these years, I'd say King achieved that.
I only recently started reading Stephen King a couple of years ago (The Outsider, The Shining) and already his writing style seems familiar and predictable. Just like Jake Epping talks about "harmonies" in the past, with patterns resonating again and again in his story, I seem to be experiencing the same "harmonies" in King's books. The characters, their backgrounds, the settings, their flaws and quirks all seem to repeat.
Still, the historical setting fascinated me enough to push me on. When I finally got to the crucial moment, it was sufficiently satisfying but the aftermath and the ending sort of petered out. King also included an afterword detailing some of the research he did for this book which I actually found worth reading.
This book forever changed the way I will think about writing and storytelling (and time travel). As I mentioned in my review partway through the book, I am now questioning if I gave out 5 star ratings to willy nilly. This is the strongest 5 star I could ever imagine. Unlike anything I have ever read. I am genuinely worried that nothing I read from here on out will meet this new expectation I have for books. The bar is now set SO high.
Stephen King, this is a masterpiece. You blew me away in so many different ways. This book will stick with me forever and ever.
Stephen King, this is a masterpiece. You blew me away in so many different ways. This book will stick with me forever and ever.