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adiajamille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
This is more a murder mystery with a little bit of a ghost story. It built up nicely, with a tense conclusion.
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Ableism, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Classism, Death, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this one, as per usual for King it is heavily character driven, until the last 50 pages when everything happens. We get to really know the main character, Dev, we spend time with him and get down into his soul. We follow him the summer he really grew up, even though he's 21, and watch him go from a whiney infatuated boy to a strong and kind man. A wonderful small theme park, with the colorful cast of characters that brings in, serves as a delightful background. But as per standard, things arent what they seem. A touch of ghost, a touch of sociopath, and a good ol' southern woman with a gun.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gun violence, Murder, Blood, Cursing, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Rape
stampest's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Sexism, Blood, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gore, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
jinkiesjess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In a bit more detail:
At first I didn't find the narrator/main character likeable. But he actually grew on me. It's funny because the story is told by the main character as an older man. And yet his narration seems to undergo the same character development as his younger self does within the story. In the beginning, I was rolling my eyes as the narrator talked about his ex, saying "I was too good for her" and then whining "why wasn't I good enough for her?". But by the end of the book, the narrator's voice seemed to have matured just as his 21 year old self did.
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Ableism
I tagged this book for ableism because there is some ableist language there that I want to give readers a heads up on. The word cr***le is used several times. It's mostly used by a villain in the last half of the book. And that's pretty much the extent of it. But I wanted to put that out there for anyone who may be triggered by the word. Most of the blood/murder talked about in this story is not in graphic detail. But I ended up listing the murder, blood, and body horror under "graphic" because of a scene in the last 30-ish pages of the book. I won't name names, but here's some more detail about it that could be seen as a spoiler:caidyn's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is definitely a good King book, but it's not without its flaws. I thought he tried to jam too much backstory and little details into it. It was good, of course, but there was too much going on. I felt that the mystery got lost in the other details. This could have easily been a 500 page book to properly pace things out. I also wasn't a fan of the ableism in it with the kid who had MD. I also just am tired of the tropes related to chronic illness, with how this is a prime example of a magic sick kid (much like King's use of the magic Black person) and how the sick kid "betters" the MC. It's just a tiring trope and people living with disabilities deserve better representation. Is it still a good book? Sure. Just that things wore on me.
Graphic: Chronic illness and Death
Moderate: Ableism