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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
started out really slow and the characters are kind of old so it was hard to get into at first. however - halfway through when you figure out what the auras mean and who the docs are like WOW super interesting story and concept. loved how it all connected to crimson king and dark tower, i feel like i liked it a lot more bc i finished the dark tower series so perhaps read at least some of that first. it’s so satisfying how he connects all the stories into his universe
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
Solid entry & detour for my Dark Tower read through. Characters and the Dark Tower connections really carried the load on this one, and IMO one of King's better endings. However, some serious bloat to this story... did not need to be 800 pages, but can't say I was bored through it either.
King maintains his par with his character writing - a lot of great side characters here and a very memorable one in Ralph. First time I can recall him writing an elderly protagonist, but he did a great job making you feel for him throughout the whole book. A fun, thoughtful, and badass old-man, that was also very comical at times and made me laugh quite a few times. Lois was great too and I was bought into their relationship. Was fun navigating the world with them as they learn to harness their "powers".
Was also fun being back in Derry, but could have used more connections. Felt like there were just a couple easter eggs lightly mentioned, would have been fun seeing more (especially for how much of a Dark Tower book this is).
And on that note - the glimpses into the Dark Tower is what really kept the intrigue going for me. I have trouble thinking that someone who hasn't read any of the DT, or knows much about it, would find much enjoyment in this book. Can see them being very confused and/or very bored. That said - for someone in the middle of the DT journey, loved seeing those glimpses at what's to come.
For negatives - there's no doubt about it, that this book has some serious bloat. Not King's best example at showcasing his writing - lots of meandering and saying a whole hellva a lot for things that could be summed up in a couple lines. Can't think of legit sections of the story that needed to be left out, but I bet this could be 150-200 pages shorter if the writing was tightened up and more polished.
I'm also not a fan for when he uses modern-day hot political issues as the crux of the conflict. Thankfully, he doesn't quite club you over the head with his views on the matter (like he does in the last decade or two), but there is still A LOT of discussion here on the everlong pro-choice/pro-life debate. Really is the core of the story he's trying to tell here. Even if I personally side with him on certain political topics, it always rips me out of the story and I typically can't stand reading about those sort of issues, when I'm essentially trying to escape from real life problems and get lost into a good story.
All and all, it's a long and bloated entry but still had a really good time with it. Characters stand out big time, increased my intrigue for going deeper in my Dark Tower journey, and it had a very satisfying ending that had a legit emotional impact. Glad I read it and I would recommend reading at least a few Dark Tower stories before starting this one.
7.5/10
King maintains his par with his character writing - a lot of great side characters here and a very memorable one in Ralph. First time I can recall him writing an elderly protagonist, but he did a great job making you feel for him throughout the whole book. A fun, thoughtful, and badass old-man, that was also very comical at times and made me laugh quite a few times. Lois was great too and I was bought into their relationship. Was fun navigating the world with them as they learn to harness their "powers".
Was also fun being back in Derry, but could have used more connections. Felt like there were just a couple easter eggs lightly mentioned, would have been fun seeing more (especially for how much of a Dark Tower book this is).
And on that note - the glimpses into the Dark Tower is what really kept the intrigue going for me. I have trouble thinking that someone who hasn't read any of the DT, or knows much about it, would find much enjoyment in this book. Can see them being very confused and/or very bored. That said - for someone in the middle of the DT journey, loved seeing those glimpses at what's to come.
For negatives - there's no doubt about it, that this book has some serious bloat. Not King's best example at showcasing his writing - lots of meandering and saying a whole hellva a lot for things that could be summed up in a couple lines. Can't think of legit sections of the story that needed to be left out, but I bet this could be 150-200 pages shorter if the writing was tightened up and more polished.
I'm also not a fan for when he uses modern-day hot political issues as the crux of the conflict. Thankfully, he doesn't quite club you over the head with his views on the matter (like he does in the last decade or two), but there is still A LOT of discussion here on the everlong pro-choice/pro-life debate. Really is the core of the story he's trying to tell here. Even if I personally side with him on certain political topics, it always rips me out of the story and I typically can't stand reading about those sort of issues, when I'm essentially trying to escape from real life problems and get lost into a good story.
All and all, it's a long and bloated entry but still had a really good time with it. Characters stand out big time, increased my intrigue for going deeper in my Dark Tower journey, and it had a very satisfying ending that had a legit emotional impact. Glad I read it and I would recommend reading at least a few Dark Tower stories before starting this one.
7.5/10
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Pregnancy
Minor: Misogyny
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
I liked the characters and that they were all seniors. The story was pretty decent/good and had a nice build up.
Not my favorite King novel, but I still enjoyed the (incredibly long) story!
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated