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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
lay_kone's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, and Rape
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
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
kyleeb4by's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
there were a lot of moments where it was very clear that a man wrote this book… giving “her boobs boobed boobaliciously” . i liked reading it but it was very character based. there was some brief body horror that was pretty gross
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Body horror
pkc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit
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