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pkc'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
fujo_cat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
The pacing was bad to the point I had no idea how it was going to end because it looked like King suddenly forgot he was supposed to give this a conclusion and was like "oh shit, I gotta wrap it up ummmm how about he just suddenly solves the mystery" 🗿 the protagonist was very lame and I can never get used to reading King's view of horny teens/young adults (or maybe I'm just too asexual for it idk lmao) or sExY wOmEN in general; it rly makes me ✨ uncomfy✨
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Death, Drug use, Rape, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
werewolvesnotswearwolves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Cultural appropriation
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: Body horror, Blood, and Murder
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:sheryl_macca's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This same skill is also translated to King's locations and settings. With Joyland, its name alone tells us this is an amusement park clinging on from a bygone age, we can picture the peeling paint and the tired costumes of the knock off characters. We can feel the irony and smell the desperation.
This incredible efficiency is clever, it's impactful and engrossing. It works incredibly well for King in all of his works but in a novella like Joyland it ensures that you still get the full novel experience in a much shorter read. Note: the copy I read had 178 pages.
Joyland is a spooky mystery about murder, heartbreak, grief and belonging. Like it's amusement park, Joyland is sad and old school but with a pure soul. It deserves so much more recognition amongst King's amazing back catalogue.
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness
Minor: Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, and Grief