Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Different Seasons by Stephen King

8 reviews

asourceoffiction's review against another edition

dark hopeful slow-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

RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 

⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟/5

Just one of the best things King has ever written, in a little over 100 pages. The film does absolute justice to the story (though I'm pretty sure Red was originally a redhead, and Andy is supposed to be short 😂) and it lives rent-free in my heart.

It's amazing how much is packed into such a short story, given how long some of King's books go on (I'm looking at you, The Dead Zone). Andy Dufresne is almost deified the way Red tells it, because he represents hope when life is at its most hopeless. And that's what the whole novella is about, and how it ends. With hope.

APT PUPIL

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

In stark contrast to Shawshank, there's no hope to be found in Apt Pupil. It's a study of darkness, and it only gets darker as it goes on. As the longest of the four stories by far, it's heavy. Todd scares me a lot more than Dussander as he sets everything in motion, and their association just gets creepier. I'd forgotten almost everything about this story except that ending, which haunts me.

THE BODY 

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

The first half of this is 3⭐, the second half is a solid 5⭐. It's the classic coming of age story, but has so much beauty and melancholy as the boys get further into their journey and Gordie becomes more reflective. Chris is just a wonderful character.

THE BREATHING METHOD

⭐⭐⭐/5

Wow. I mean... I read this 20 years ago and didn't remember any part of it. I think I repressed it. Only in Stephen King's mind could the Lamaze Method = horror story...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Confinement, Rape, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Child death, and Death

mmadill227's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Racial slurs, War, Car accident, Child death, Death, and Vomit

Minor: Genocide, Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, and Fatphobia

eternlbloom's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I didn’t finish Shawshank Redemtption, it was too boring for me lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Child death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and War

sappypatheticm's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Genocide, Death of parent, Rape, Antisemitism, War, Confinement, Car accident, Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Homophobia

sareena's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racial slurs, Death, Violence, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, War, and Confinement

thecatsmum's review against another edition

• 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

4.0

If you're new to Stephen King, and you ask for recommendations on what to start with, this is likely going to be one of the first you're given. 

I'm not going to tell you that this collection of four novellas are bad or should be avoided. Two are excellent, one is pretty good, and one is awful. They are all graphic and disturbing. 

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body are great and have been adapted into what are now classic films. The novellas are much more explicit than the films, so check the content warnings. The Breathing Method is a classic gothic feeling King tale. The less said about Apt Pupil the better.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Racial slurs, Child death, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Homophobia, Bullying, Torture, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

uhm_kai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

nice and spooky

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Body horror, Car accident, Gore, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Death, and Genocide

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Gore, Murder, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Animal death, Suicide, Racism, and Rape

Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Ableism, and Abortion