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tyler_dickson's review against another edition
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
1.0
Awful book that has every negative Stephen King trope without any positive elements to counterbalance them.
It’s filled to the brim with dull, flat characters. King clearly wrote the dialogue on autopilot. The description is clunky, and we never have a good sense of how the locations in the park relate to each other. It’s hard to get your bearings.
Devin Jones is a boring 21-year-old kid, but he’s not boring like most younger people who are boring because they’ve not experienced much; he’s boring because he has zero character traits, and King writes him as this perfect, moral kid who never makes a wrong decision.
Every female character has their breasts, butt, and figure described—even during moments of extreme distress. King has a heavy interest in this character navigating the sexual landscapes of young adulthood, but he’s so awkward with it that it turns into fantasy rather than any coming-of-age “how I lost my virginity” story.
A dull mystery at the heart of the story serves as nothing more than an occasional “Oh yeah, aren’t we supposed to be doing something in this book?” rather than a narrative that pushes you to keep turning pages. 90% of the investigation occurs offscreen with a character who is not the main character!
Only read this if, like me, you love carnival settings and carnies. The one positive aspect of the book is that King lets the scenes in the carnival breathe, and he did a decent amount of research into how an amusement park in the 70s would have been constructed. I enjoyed reading the pages where Devin or another character works on the rides or games at the park.
I would skip this book and read Nightmare Alley by William Lindsey Gresham instead. There’s also an incredible film adaptation from 1947 starring Tyrone Power that will knock your socks off. It’s a must-read and a must-watch.
It’s filled to the brim with dull, flat characters. King clearly wrote the dialogue on autopilot. The description is clunky, and we never have a good sense of how the locations in the park relate to each other. It’s hard to get your bearings.
Devin Jones is a boring 21-year-old kid, but he’s not boring like most younger people who are boring because they’ve not experienced much; he’s boring because he has zero character traits, and King writes him as this perfect, moral kid who never makes a wrong decision.
Every female character has their breasts, butt, and figure described—even during moments of extreme distress. King has a heavy interest in this character navigating the sexual landscapes of young adulthood, but he’s so awkward with it that it turns into fantasy rather than any coming-of-age “how I lost my virginity” story.
A dull mystery at the heart of the story serves as nothing more than an occasional “Oh yeah, aren’t we supposed to be doing something in this book?” rather than a narrative that pushes you to keep turning pages. 90% of the investigation occurs offscreen with a character who is not the main character!
Only read this if, like me, you love carnival settings and carnies. The one positive aspect of the book is that King lets the scenes in the carnival breathe, and he did a decent amount of research into how an amusement park in the 70s would have been constructed. I enjoyed reading the pages where Devin or another character works on the rides or games at the park.
I would skip this book and read Nightmare Alley by William Lindsey Gresham instead. There’s also an incredible film adaptation from 1947 starring Tyrone Power that will knock your socks off. It’s a must-read and a must-watch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Rape
Moderate: Chronic illness and Child death
clairebau's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Baby's first King! But certainly not my last. Gorgeous, gorgeous worldbuilding and deliciously descriptive language. Satisfying foreshadowing and great pacing of clues - and I'm not usually the mystery/thriller type. It wasn't a jaw-dropping, genre-defying, incredible ending that blew my mind completely, but man, this was so much fun. The narrator, Dev, was so richly built and relatable. Joyland itself was so well-described. Maybe I loved it so much because it was evocative of my favorite movie, Adventureland. I was always excited for the time I'd get to spend reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault
veronikar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Murder
juffnstuff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Rape and Child death
lilcarol's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Suicidal thoughts
adiajamille's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I was looking for a horror book for October, and all the ones I wanted were checked out. I found this one and thought I’d give it a try.
This is more a murder mystery with a little bit of a ghost story. It built up nicely, with a tense conclusion.
This is more a murder mystery with a little bit of a ghost story. It built up nicely, with a tense conclusion.
Content Warnings
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
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Classism, Death, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
wperdue92's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Chronic illness
violettiaras's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Rape
zakcebulski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Well this was an interesting read, that is for sure.
This is the first of two (I believe) books published under Hard Case Crime as part of their "hardboiled" detective crime series.
Admittedly I was unsure what to expect when I saw this book- was it going to be a complete departure from King's usual works? Was it going to be a hardboiled detective work with King's usual flair for characters and dialogue full of vulgarity?
Well... no, to put it simply and succinctly. This book takes place from the point of view of Devin Jones a 21 year old guy who recently had his heart broken. In an effort to escape the feelings of heartbreak and loneliness, coupled with the malcontent of a life he is unsure and unhappy with, he opts to go to the titular Joyland- an amusement park where he works as a carny.
This is actually the part of the story that enticed me to read this book. The setting of a crime book that takes place in an amusement park? After the toy factory in Child's Play or the research center in The Thing I don't know if I can think of a setting for a horror work that would draw me in more.
But, to be honest, there is not much horror in this horror book- at least not in the sense that I think of when I think of King.
There is, supposedly, a haunted house that is actually haunted by the ghost of a young girl who is murdered while inside the house. That in itself is horrific, especially when it is discovered that the murderer is likely responsible for four certain other murders and is never caught. But, to be completely honest, the resolution of this book with the reveal being one of the carnies that befriends Devin immediately- Lane- being the killer fell flat for me. As soon as he was introduced I had a feeling that he would have something to do with the crime, and lo-and-behold- he did.
I also felt that the inclusion of Annie and Mike- a single mother and her son who is ailing with muscular dystrophy- was sort of half baked. In fact, that is my main gripe with the story is that most of these characters feel like they were very one dimensional. This is a critique that I never give to King's works, and I think because this book is by King and I know his characters are usually a strong point, that I am so disappointed with the showing here. It is odd, if this book was just another hardboiled crime novel, I would have likely liked it much more, or, at least, would not feel as harshly toward it.
I will say that the scene with Mike, Annie and Devin in Joyland exploring and experiencing carefree jubilation is one of my favorite passages of any fiction book that I have read recently.
Overall, this book was cool, but, it is definitely one that left me wanting more. It is unfortunately full of forgettable characters and a conclusion that didn't really mesh well with the vibe that King established with this book being a coming of age story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Medical content, and Child death