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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: Chronic illness, Cursing, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Rape, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
latham9's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Gore and Gun violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved the setting of this book. We follow college student Devin Jones as he finds a summer job in North Carolina to work as a carny. In typical King fashion, things do not go as planned, and Devin finds himself following the threads of a long-ago secret. Nothing too, too crazy happened; I was expecting more twists but this was still a satisfying mystery.
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Blood, and Murder
jourdanicus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol
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
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