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Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Drug use, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Pedophilia, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual content
Jake Epping is a high school teacher in Maine who learns he can go back in time and decides to attempt to stop the assassination of JFK.
I started this book many years ago (around when it came out) and never got back to it, so it was the latest in my “Project DNF” attempt to finish every book I’ve ever DNFed. I’ll start with the positives: it was entertaining and I am glad I finally got back to it. That said, I also found it WAY too long—over 800 pages/30 hours on audio for absolutely no reason.
My biggest problem, however, was that I really disliked the ending, and it made the length feel even more oppressive (who wants to read for that long and not even have a good payoff?) Overall, it felt like a very self-indulgent book…and while an author has every right to publish something self-indulgent, I strongly feel like edits could have been made so this book was *also* as good as the super intriguing premise promised it could be.
If you like historical fiction with a side of time travel/alternate history, you might like this one, but be prepared for a long and winding road.
CW: Murder/blood/violence/injury/death; suicide
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
But I kept going because hos books so often start slow building a base for the action, this was the first of his books I finished still thinking it was boring.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Classism
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Car accident, Murder
For me, it's not so much about the overarching plot of trying to save JFK that makes this stand out. Instead, it's the attention to detail which vividly brings this man's journey to life, both in terms of the factual elements - tracing Lee Harvey Oswald's life in the lead up to the fateful day is fascinating in and if itself - but also the seamless weaving in of the fictional characters and their goings-on to 'harmonise' the past. It's so very easy to fall down your own rabbit hole and come to believe in these characters; it really wouldn't take much to convince me that George Amberson/Jake Epping did actually write his story, and Stephen King is just 'the face'.
The concept of time travel might be sci-fi, but the writing makes it effortless to just 'go with it'. There's no real explanation as to where this hole in the world came from or why it exists, but there wasn't a single point where I didn't accept the position as plausible. The plot device just works. The exploration of the butterfly effect and the repercussions of George/Jake's actions do drag you into a type of dystopia, and I love how enough detail is given to allow you to understand exactly what has happened, while leaving enough to the imagination to have you thinking of the consequences for a long time after you put the book down. In turn, it inevitably leads to you questioning what you would do if you had the same or a similar opportunity.
There are some very dark moments throughout, with depictions of murder and domestic violence being important to the story. In some cases it's quite graphic, but it's not gratuitous and these moments are truly gripping to read. They're also important to our main character's development as he learns about the world he's now inhabiting and how the rabbit hole works.
Even in the quieter moments though, he writing remains engaging. I wouldn't say it's a fast paced book, and certainly there are plenty of more 'domestic' interludes that by all accounts should drag, but every moment is beautifully and thoughfully written and really digs into your psyche. I adore the romantic element - definitely not something I was expecting in a Stephen King book! - and to be honest I almost stopped caring about the world in jeopardy! And when the main character finds his 'people', the book develops a sweet small town cozy feel, albeit with shadows looming...
I'll admit to wanting a different ending, but the one we got is absolutely fitting, if heart-wrenching .
I'd thoroughly recommend this to anyone.
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Misogyny, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail