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adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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:
No
I feel so conflicted about this book! On one hand, I loved it overall, but on the other hand, I disliked much of it.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Started strong, but then it got very, very long. I tried to have an open mind. After talking about it with a few people I feel secure in my feelings about some time travel plot holes and the fact that this could have been 300 pages less if it had started closer to the assassination. This book was not for me.
Spoiler: The only highlight still with me is the 'IT' crossover.
Spoiler: The only highlight still with me is the 'IT' crossover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was good and markedly less disturbing than most King books. (Though there is one murder scene involving children that still got me.) I found the first and final quarter of the book especially to be really captivating and creative! King tells a great story. That said, the whole middle was way drawn out. It would have been better as a 600 page book rather than an 800 page book.
Also, King’s need in recent years to entirely distract and detract from his story to input his own politics and activism pops up some in this one. Mildly, but still enough to be irksome and cheapen the story.
He should have stuck to good story telling like he did in his earlier works.
Also, King’s need in recent years to entirely distract and detract from his story to input his own politics and activism pops up some in this one. Mildly, but still enough to be irksome and cheapen the story.
He should have stuck to good story telling like he did in his earlier works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Way less disturbing than many King books. Nothing drawn out that made you feel ick- but there is still multiple scenes of violence that are pretty graphic and one murder scene involving children that while not overly drawn out, is graphic and disturbing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Best book i've read up to this point. At one point I read 100 pages without even thinking. Very long book, so it's a commitment. But very worthwhile.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If there is love, smallpox scars are as pretty as dimples. I'll love your face no matter what it looks like. Because it's yours.
Dancing is life
5/5⭐
I feel so stupid for thinking Stephen King can't write Romance, based on the few books I've read of him before 11/22/63. It wasn't just Jake Epping who went into the past and fell in love with Sadie, I bet it's everyone who read this book. I can't believe that the idea for this book came to King in the early 70's and I'm glad he finally wrote it, four decades later. One of the most beautiful story I've ever read. I read this book in seven days and almost every one of those days, I kept thinking I'll be able to read the next chapter tomorrow and see what happens next. I don't know how I will feel tomorrow, waking up knowing there aren't any more chapters. Utterly compelling and absurdly entertaining. I read this under comment section of some YouTube video and I didn't understand it back then, but now I can. "one of my life's greatest comfort is knowing that there will always be more Stephen King books to read" I only wish this story never ended, I want to live in the world he created and never come back. I even tried to watch the show that was adapted from this book and it's just not the same.
Dancing is life
5/5⭐
I feel so stupid for thinking Stephen King can't write Romance, based on the few books I've read of him before 11/22/63. It wasn't just Jake Epping who went into the past and fell in love with Sadie, I bet it's everyone who read this book. I can't believe that the idea for this book came to King in the early 70's and I'm glad he finally wrote it, four decades later. One of the most beautiful story I've ever read. I read this book in seven days and almost every one of those days, I kept thinking I'll be able to read the next chapter tomorrow and see what happens next. I don't know how I will feel tomorrow, waking up knowing there aren't any more chapters. Utterly compelling and absurdly entertaining. I read this under comment section of some YouTube video and I didn't understand it back then, but now I can. "one of my life's greatest comfort is knowing that there will always be more Stephen King books to read" I only wish this story never ended, I want to live in the world he created and never come back. I even tried to watch the show that was adapted from this book and it's just not the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I never thought I’d say this about a Stephen King novel — but this may be one of my favorite books ever! It was nonstop, edge of your seat reading. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
This is NOT a horror or thriller. It’s truly historical fiction meets science fiction.
This is NOT a horror or thriller. It’s truly historical fiction meets science fiction.
Content Warnings
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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Content Warnings
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