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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I am not interested much in whether or not this is typical King and whether there is more Owen in it or not. As far as I'm concerned I may not even like "typical King". So, I've read this without any King bias. I seek stories well-told, stories with a heart, stories with interesting premises, ideas, thoughts or emotions that grab me. This one had it. While I wouldn't say it had a heart and not everything fit my preferred style,I still liked it overall, I liked the concept a lot.
It's about a what if situation - what would happen if women fell into a deep sleep and disappeared from this world and about the chaos that ensues when it happens. Great idea and for the most part, good plot but one that sometimes does veer towards excess and sensationalism.
- The worldbuilding is detailed, showing and talking about how the sleeping flu affects the world, not just USA- riots, plane crashes among other things. Utter chaos. The attitudes of men left behind in the rising chaos. There are behaviours that ring true. I like attention to detail, often therein lies the devil. It fleshes out the situation and makes it more believable.
-I like how compellingly detailed the first part is, we see the unfolding of the apocalypse and its implications and how characters deal. Once the apocalypse unfolds sufficiently, the story moves into two planes: the world of men and the world of women (the new Eden almost, created on the ruins of the world of men). That was a great idea to show certain things, among others to highlight the differences between how men and women might go about things if left alone and what happens in each world. We get pov of the animals, also for a reason. Evie, is indeed a very interesting character. I love the ideas and the build up to the finale.
The final part of the book is a bloodbath and seems like from a typical American movie, a showdown. the men go at it all out. But in the end
"who cleans up the battlefields after the shooting"?
And is it only a typical American movie ending? The Kings point to the universality of men fighting it over,by having Evie evoke, for one, the story of Troy. Epic battles- but aren't they senseless? And this is what this battle brings to mind too with Evie at the centre, the bone of discontent, the tragic emissary. She suggests instigates, insinuates, provokes, tempts -but she brings out what's already there.
I like that it has so many characters. They are essential to the story but they aren't likeable or interesting to me, the portrayals aren't compelling enough I didn't really care about them except for Clint and Jared. Frank was good too. I like that the story takes time to introduce us to them so we get to know their various backgrounds and their situations. It makes the experience more complete and fleshed out. We get a very complete picture of the story and unfolding developments. What omniscient narrators do, is to me actually better done by shifting perspectives that can show better. I enjoy a variety of characters when they meaningfully contribute to a story and a variety allows an author to navigate various sides of the story and show it in full. I think the characters here ticked that box, though I didn't like most of them. I don't like the vernacular either..it's excessive. Their inner voices aren't the most interesting for me because most of the characters are not really sufficiently interesting for me but still they are alive and vivid . At the centre of it all is Evie who enters the story in what I think is overly sensationalist fashion But she is a good character, she brings out and highlights vices, uses them but also good things sometimes. She was sometimes tacky but nonetheless, I've found her interesting. Other than Clint and Jared, and Frank I was most focused and interested in her.
I liked the story and concepts, the overall pace was just right for me. One thing I really don't like about it is that it definitely lacks finesse for me. Does everything need to be said? Can't there be more subtlety? And then things like Eve's entrance seems even a little tacky to me. also, some other things felt redundantly graphic. Ideas are for me strong here, as is world-building but not always treated with finesse. Ideas are her though. It's not an empty read. And that, along with the interesting and detailed worldbuilding as well as pacing is what in the end made it compelling.
All in all, this is an original and well-intentioned story, interesting premise, detailed storytelling that thanks to many characters can be told as completely as possible. It will stay with me..it's not perfect, in fact, I'd say the writing is not my preferred style but it is an interesting premise and in the end for once I feel like I can agree with a blurb: like to some of those blurb comments, the story felt like at least a nod of appreciation towards women. But I really think King won't ever be my most favourite go-to writer.
PS. I like to think those father-son moments between Jared and Clint felt genuine for a reason, I really enjoyed them.
It's about a what if situation - what would happen if women fell into a deep sleep and disappeared from this world and about the chaos that ensues when it happens. Great idea and for the most part, good plot but one that sometimes does veer towards excess and sensationalism.
- The worldbuilding is detailed, showing and talking about how the sleeping flu affects the world, not just USA- riots, plane crashes among other things. Utter chaos. The attitudes of men left behind in the rising chaos. There are behaviours that ring true. I like attention to detail, often therein lies the devil. It fleshes out the situation and makes it more believable.
-I like how compellingly detailed the first part is, we see the unfolding of the apocalypse and its implications and how characters deal. Once the apocalypse unfolds sufficiently, the story moves into two planes: the world of men and the world of women (the new Eden almost, created on the ruins of the world of men). That was a great idea to show certain things, among others to highlight the differences between how men and women might go about things if left alone and what happens in each world. We get pov of the animals, also for a reason. Evie, is indeed a very interesting character. I love the ideas and the build up to the finale.
The final part of the book is a bloodbath and seems like from a typical American movie, a showdown. the men go at it all out. But in the end
"who cleans up the battlefields after the shooting"?
And is it only a typical American movie ending? The Kings point to the universality of men fighting it over,by having Evie evoke, for one, the story of Troy. Epic battles- but aren't they senseless? And this is what this battle brings to mind too with Evie at the centre, the bone of discontent, the tragic emissary. She suggests instigates, insinuates, provokes, tempts -but she brings out what's already there.
I like that it has so many characters. They are essential to the story but they aren't likeable or interesting to me, the portrayals aren't compelling enough I didn't really care about them except for Clint and Jared. Frank was good too. I like that the story takes time to introduce us to them so we get to know their various backgrounds and their situations. It makes the experience more complete and fleshed out. We get a very complete picture of the story and unfolding developments. What omniscient narrators do, is to me actually better done by shifting perspectives that can show better. I enjoy a variety of characters when they meaningfully contribute to a story and a variety allows an author to navigate various sides of the story and show it in full. I think the characters here ticked that box, though I didn't like most of them. I don't like the vernacular either..it's excessive. Their inner voices aren't the most interesting for me because most of the characters are not really sufficiently interesting for me but still they are alive and vivid . At the centre of it all is Evie who enters the story in what I think is overly sensationalist fashion But she is a good character, she brings out and highlights vices, uses them but also good things sometimes. She was sometimes tacky but nonetheless, I've found her interesting. Other than Clint and Jared, and Frank I was most focused and interested in her.
I liked the story and concepts, the overall pace was just right for me. One thing I really don't like about it is that it definitely lacks finesse for me. Does everything need to be said? Can't there be more subtlety? And then things like Eve's entrance seems even a little tacky to me. also, some other things felt redundantly graphic. Ideas are for me strong here, as is world-building but not always treated with finesse. Ideas are her though. It's not an empty read. And that, along with the interesting and detailed worldbuilding as well as pacing is what in the end made it compelling.
All in all, this is an original and well-intentioned story, interesting premise, detailed storytelling that thanks to many characters can be told as completely as possible. It will stay with me..it's not perfect, in fact, I'd say the writing is not my preferred style but it is an interesting premise and in the end for once I feel like I can agree with a blurb: like to some of those blurb comments, the story felt like at least a nod of appreciation towards women. But I really think King won't ever be my most favourite go-to writer.
PS. I like to think those father-son moments between Jared and Clint felt genuine for a reason, I really enjoyed them.
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay. SO the 2 star rating does not mean I don’t think anyone should read the book. In fact I think the book can and should have a wide audience. That being said, I could not rate it anything above the 2.
A lot my feelings boil down to the fact that there were entirely too many points of view, and for a 700+ page novel it feels like you didn’t spend enough time with any particular character long enough to entirely care about them. I cared a little bit, but my capacity to care was stretched pretty thin but the overwhelmingly large amounts of people I was meant to care about. What was there was a lot of potential that could have been better if there were less characters and less points of view, or the same amount of characters and more time with them in a longer book. There was so much potential with the characters that I feel like there was a 3D outline of them, they just weren’t entirely filled in.
I liked a lot of what this book is saying, but found what they were saying very on the nose and in your face. I would have loved something subtler or more subversive. Although the premise really should have indicated the novel would be that way from the get go.
I am very interested in watching the mini-series (which is what this book was originally intended to be).
A lot my feelings boil down to the fact that there were entirely too many points of view, and for a 700+ page novel it feels like you didn’t spend enough time with any particular character long enough to entirely care about them. I cared a little bit, but my capacity to care was stretched pretty thin but the overwhelmingly large amounts of people I was meant to care about. What was there was a lot of potential that could have been better if there were less characters and less points of view, or the same amount of characters and more time with them in a longer book. There was so much potential with the characters that I feel like there was a 3D outline of them, they just weren’t entirely filled in.
I liked a lot of what this book is saying, but found what they were saying very on the nose and in your face. I would have loved something subtler or more subversive. Although the premise really should have indicated the novel would be that way from the get go.
I am very interested in watching the mini-series (which is what this book was originally intended to be).
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
This was an interesting story, to say the least, but I found myself questioning the motive for the plot: were Stephen and Owen King desiring to write an almost apologetic book about how unfairly women have been treated in society and somehow turn it into a fantasy (I wouldn't say horror) novel? Or, was it simply an answer to an age-old question: what would happen in a world without women?
Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and his son Owen King has a great concept. Their team writing was seamless, and I didn't even try to figure out who wrote what.
But, as some other reviewers have noted, it feels like familiar territory for Stephen King. I like the methods of transportation for the women in the book, and King leans on his tropes of a few men being good but most of them being horrible in some way or another. I like how it reflects on the societal bullcrap that women deal with on a daily basis.
This is another entry where it feels like Stephen King (and his son) wrote a good novel, but it comes across as uninspired, or lackluster. Still a good story.
But, as some other reviewers have noted, it feels like familiar territory for Stephen King. I like the methods of transportation for the women in the book, and King leans on his tropes of a few men being good but most of them being horrible in some way or another. I like how it reflects on the societal bullcrap that women deal with on a daily basis.
This is another entry where it feels like Stephen King (and his son) wrote a good novel, but it comes across as uninspired, or lackluster. Still a good story.
4.5 stars
I haven’t read a Stephen King book for a long time but I was so happy that when I read this. I felt that same magic as I did many years ago.
Lots of intertwined characters, who the authors gave plenty of time to develop, alternate universe, good vs. evil, build up of suspense - it was all there for me
I took my time reading it, savoring every page. The ending felt right - maybe not the exact ending I would have picked but it was right.
Cheers to Stephen & Owen King for their willingness to take a hard and honest look at the differences between the natures of men and women
I haven’t read a Stephen King book for a long time but I was so happy that when I read this. I felt that same magic as I did many years ago.
Lots of intertwined characters, who the authors gave plenty of time to develop, alternate universe, good vs. evil, build up of suspense - it was all there for me
I took my time reading it, savoring every page. The ending felt right - maybe not the exact ending I would have picked but it was right.
Cheers to Stephen & Owen King for their willingness to take a hard and honest look at the differences between the natures of men and women
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes