Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Long Walk

There was no reason for this audiobook to be almost 11 hours long. I thought, surely the whole book cannot be just the long walk but it is.

Buckle up for a lot of teenage boy inner dialogue that is somehow both overly horny and very contemplative, kids getting

violently shot and killed when they stop walking for over two minutes

and Kings classic over descriptions.

Also, the ending is classic King, and is annoyingly infuriating. If you are looking to read a King novel, look at almost any other book. It is well written, and you do get attached to the characters but that almost makes the book harder to read.

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cepbreed's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was disappointed by this book from the get-go. Stephen King didn't even give me a chance to form a positive first impression before Garraty notices that his mom's “breasts were almost nonexistent: token nubs.” There is absolutely no reason that had to be included. What did that add to the plot 💀 I kept reading because I was intrigued by the premise. It kept me hooked but I also kept waiting for more world-building and by the end I was sorely disappointed. This is a dystopia so I would've loved more details of how The Long Walk came to be. I do get why King didn't describe more of past winners even though I kind of wanted that information.

The plot became redundant to an exhaustive degree. How many times can you describe the exact same thing? Garraty's feet hurt, he struggles for a moment, gets a couple of warnings, and then comes to his senses (with the help of McVries). I feel like the message would. have been just as successful if this was a short story instead. I also didn't get the point of the quotes that began each chapter. They were just so random.

I loved McVries (and Garraty wanted him sooooo bad)

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saoreads's review against another edition

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The reason I couldn't finish the book "The Long Walk" by Stephen King is that I got bored halfway through. I found myself trying to convince myself numerous times to continue, but ultimately, I had to admit that it wasn't my cup of tea. The constant scenarios in the story seemed useless and didn't capture my attention. Additionally, I felt that the pacing of the narrative wasn't to my liking, making it challenging to maintain my interest in the book.

Content Warnings