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Update: will i be thinking about this book forever and ever?
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Medical content, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Stalking, Suicide attempt
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
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
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Stalking
This book has an amazing, well-thought out, invigorating plot, for the most part. It's so interesting, and with the exception of the slower middle half of the book, it was a real page-turner. That middle part was kind of rough though. I'm not kidding when I say this took me a few years to get through. I wanted to persevere through this book because I liked the story, but the middle part just dragged on and on, and I put it down and then picked up several times the past few years. Once I got passed the middle part, however, I was back glued to the book.
I loved that this revolved around the trope of a historian-type figuring uncovering the truth about something that happened in the past, and I liked that it actually used time travel too. Stephen King, as he always does, successfully worked horror into the story as well, and I thought it was very well done in an understated kind of way. I didn't love the ending, but it was okay, and I was just happy to find out how it ended.
This book's romance was lacking, in my opinion. The book used the 'not like other girls' and 'man teaches woman what good sex is', and I really dislike those tropes. I feel like the romance could have written so much better than it was, but it wasn't the main plot that drew me in anyways.
Overall, I enjoyed it, felt 'meh' towards some aspects of the story, and will keep the book around in my personal library. Will I read it again? Not sure, but maybe someday.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, War
Minor: Ableism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Pandemic/Epidemic
This is NOT a horror or thriller. It’s truly historical fiction meets science fiction.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, War