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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fast-paced, increasingly horrifying, this dystopian tale, a send-up of the wealthy, is prescient in all too many ways. In King’s nightmare future, which happens to be 2025, there’s a huge disparity between the rich and the poor, health care is inaccessible, everyone is obsessed with their TV (iPhone) screens, and environmental regulations are nonexistent. It’s a terrifying vision of how bad things will get.
I had some difficulty suspending disbelief. When is Ben Richards eating, going to the bathroom, sleeping? After eight-plus days running, he’s doing pretty well for someone so sleep-deprived. We know he can’t go to the bathroom when he’s being so closely watched that he’ll be jumped the minute his back is turned. How’s he supposed to be walking as well as he is on a broken ankle?
That said, it’s a gripping story - I read it all in one sitting. It’s easy to root for the good guy, especially when everyone else is so repulsive.
A caveat: as when I read the 1980s Presumed Innocent a few days ago, I found this to be quite dated as far as racism and homophobia go. These are used to show how offensive and disgusting some of the characters are. Unfortunately, I found the racial slurs so offensive that I was shocked out of the story each time.
I had some difficulty suspending disbelief. When is Ben Richards eating, going to the bathroom, sleeping? After eight-plus days running, he’s doing pretty well for someone so sleep-deprived. We know he can’t go to the bathroom when he’s being so closely watched that he’ll be jumped the minute his back is turned. How’s he supposed to be walking as well as he is on a broken ankle?
That said, it’s a gripping story - I read it all in one sitting. It’s easy to root for the good guy, especially when everyone else is so repulsive.
A caveat: as when I read the 1980s Presumed Innocent a few days ago, I found this to be quite dated as far as racism and homophobia go. These are used to show how offensive and disgusting some of the characters are. Unfortunately, I found the racial slurs so offensive that I was shocked out of the story each time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
What a fun ride! This was VERY pulpy for King but I found it really worked well. It was a blast getting to see King’s idea of 2025 back in the 80s and how in some ways how scarily close he came. While the main character wasn’t the most lovable, I still found him to be fully fleshed out and nuanced. This book has a breakneck pace and ends with a bang (who says King can’t write endings?!?!)
B- 4/5
B- 4/5
A- 4/5
R- 4.5/5
F- 3.5
Here at Hobby Vomit we rate books using our B.A.R.F. system. Each category is scored out of 5 and the book’s score is the average of the four categories. The following categories are:
B. (Believable) - how believable are the characters in their setting
A. (Authorial Voice) - this includes prose, world-building, general appeal
R. (Rhythm) - this includes the pacing and plotting
F. (Feeling) - did the book succeed at making me feel anything
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5/5
The ending... oml all Stephen King's books i've read (except Cujo) give me shivers im not kidding yall
The ending... oml all Stephen King's books i've read (except Cujo) give me shivers im not kidding yall
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was the first I've ever read from Mr. King. I had some reservations about his style of writing -- would it be too gory? Too horrific? Too scary? This story was written so well -- a futuristic dystopian 2017 (it was written in the 1980's) about a man who is literally on the run from his govenernment, but has done nothing wrong. He is on a GAME SHOW to save his daughter. (Not quite the 2017 we currently live in!)
I found this book so easy to devour, because of its tiny chapters, as well as its quick-paced action and suspense.
The ending was something I didn't see coming, but I loved it!
I found this book so easy to devour, because of its tiny chapters, as well as its quick-paced action and suspense.
The ending was something I didn't see coming, but I loved it!
fast-paced