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marco5599's review against another edition
3.5
Christine's hungry little brother. Short, but sweet, although the ending felt somewhat abrupt to me. Loved the opening though. Location, atmosphere; vintage King. Pete's exploration brings back memories and when he goes to sleep and the car wakes up, it's game on. The whole thing is a hoot and strong characters, especially the kids, add an extra bite to those chapters. Thoroughly enjoyable. How about a sequel, Stephen?
kandicez's review against another edition
4.0
April 2015 -
This is a fun story. Seems wrong to call a horror story fun, but it is. I have always loved King's short fiction. I can never get enough of his writing, but he is well aware of the limits in short fiction and so writes differently. The ending of this one felt almost like a cheat. I'll get to why later.
I want to say first that King's description of the taste and feel of vodka is perfect! I took a swallow of straight vodka after reading the bit where King describes it as hot in the mouth and throat, then an explosion in the stomach, almost oily liquid and then a hot burp later. I wonder little things as I read his stuff, like did he take a swig of vodka so that his description would be perfect? Or did he write it from memory? I'd love to know.
King peppers his writing with pop culture references that may date it years from now, but feel like little "in jokes" with his Constant Readers now. He mentions shows that we know he likes, the comic for which he wrote the first issue, mentions music we know he likes, etc. I love that!
His use of foreshadowing in this little story is almost clumsy. I'm referring to the magnifying glass in Pete's pack and King's continual references to the sun or lack of it. I'm not sure if it really is literary clumsiness or simply due to short number of pages King has limited himself to. Again, I'd like to know.
The cheat I referred to in my first paragraph is the way he ends the tale. I understand and enjoy the fact that short stories are usually small helpings of what could be a bigger story. We are often dropped into the middle of a situation and seldom given a complete or satisfying resolution. I'm ok with that. What I found sloppy here is that two children are left with no parents. Usually when King creates some crazy, wackado event that can't be believed, he also makes it possible for the other characters to just forget or ignore it. That can't happen here. There are TWO orphaned children to deal with!
Overall, great little story.
This is a fun story. Seems wrong to call a horror story fun, but it is. I have always loved King's short fiction. I can never get enough of his writing, but he is well aware of the limits in short fiction and so writes differently. The ending of this one felt almost like a cheat. I'll get to why later.
I want to say first that King's description of the taste and feel of vodka is perfect! I took a swallow of straight vodka after reading the bit where King describes it as hot in the mouth and throat, then an explosion in the stomach, almost oily liquid and then a hot burp later. I wonder little things as I read his stuff, like did he take a swig of vodka so that his description would be perfect? Or did he write it from memory? I'd love to know.
King peppers his writing with pop culture references that may date it years from now, but feel like little "in jokes" with his Constant Readers now. He mentions shows that we know he likes, the comic for which he wrote the first issue, mentions music we know he likes, etc. I love that!
His use of foreshadowing in this little story is almost clumsy. I'm referring to the magnifying glass in Pete's pack and King's continual references to the sun or lack of it. I'm not sure if it really is literary clumsiness or simply due to short number of pages King has limited himself to. Again, I'd like to know.
The cheat I referred to in my first paragraph is the way he ends the tale. I understand and enjoy the fact that short stories are usually small helpings of what could be a bigger story. We are often dropped into the middle of a situation and seldom given a complete or satisfying resolution. I'm ok with that. What I found sloppy here is that two children are left with no parents. Usually when King creates some crazy, wackado event that can't be believed, he also makes it possible for the other characters to just forget or ignore it. That can't happen here. There are TWO orphaned children to deal with!
Overall, great little story.
leland_hw's review against another edition
5.0
Today on "Cooking With The Masters Of Horror"' we'll start with a closed and decaying rest area. Then add in a young boy abandoned by his older brother to go play with "the big kids". We'll finish up this delectable dish with 6 abandoned cars, 2 abandoned children, and one abandoned horse. Man! Doesn't Sai King use the best cookbook ever?
Why the cooking references? Well, some people may be into the raw food movement, but I prefer mine cooked. *grins* really, though you'll just have to read this wonderful little novelette to see what I mean!
While at first I was thinking it a pretty far-fetched idea for a story, I reminded myself that there is very little about supernatural horror that isn't far-fetched and then I fell head-long into loving the story. It reminds me to great extent of "The Raft", another favorite short from Uncle Stevie!
Why the cooking references? Well, some people may be into the raw food movement, but I prefer mine cooked. *grins* really, though you'll just have to read this wonderful little novelette to see what I mean!
While at first I was thinking it a pretty far-fetched idea for a story, I reminded myself that there is very little about supernatural horror that isn't far-fetched and then I fell head-long into loving the story. It reminds me to great extent of "The Raft", another favorite short from Uncle Stevie!
reasonpassion's review against another edition
4.0
A great short story from the mind of the master of horror. There is a moment where you think the story may not go there and then it does and the true lasting horror will forever be embedded. Taking a simple experience, in this case an abandoned car, and spinning it into horrific gold, this is what I have come to appreciate.
shade_seigo's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure what ending I was expecting, but it was not this one......it just sort of stopped without any conclusion. However.....I still really enjoyed it.
narniaru's review against another edition
3.0
This is very much like a one act play for Christine. It is actually quite humourous, while weird and creepy. Read it all in one sitting if you can.
leigh_reidelberger's review against another edition
3.0
This story really deserves 3 1/2 stars, not a lonely 3.
Typically, I love everything by Stephen King. Even if the entire piece isn't great, there is still something about the story to love. In this particular short, a mysterious car pulls off the interstate and does.. mysterious things. Of course there is the token kid with a sense of adventure and the token kids who become wise beyond their years. As is usually always the case, Stephen King has nailed it again-- I don't know of any other author who can write children SO well.
Despite this being a short story, he still manages to devote enough time to fleshing out characters, giving them a clear voice and past. Some authors won't take the time to do that when they are limited in page numbers.
Now, all that aside, this story falls victim to the Stephen King curse-- there is great build up, great development, then just as the climax hits, the entire thing is resolved too quickly. I was really disappointed with how it ended.
Overall, a nice little story and though the ending left me slightly underwhelmed, I would recommend this book to others.
Typically, I love everything by Stephen King. Even if the entire piece isn't great, there is still something about the story to love. In this particular short, a mysterious car pulls off the interstate and does.. mysterious things. Of course there is the token kid with a sense of adventure and the token kids who become wise beyond their years. As is usually always the case, Stephen King has nailed it again-- I don't know of any other author who can write children SO well.
Despite this being a short story, he still manages to devote enough time to fleshing out characters, giving them a clear voice and past. Some authors won't take the time to do that when they are limited in page numbers.
Now, all that aside, this story falls victim to the Stephen King curse-- there is great build up, great development, then just as the climax hits, the entire thing is resolved too quickly. I was really disappointed with how it ended.
Overall, a nice little story and though the ending left me slightly underwhelmed, I would recommend this book to others.
ant_joseph's review against another edition
2.0
Obviously Stephen King is a great storyteller, in which he delivers in this short book (which it is really hard to write a solid short story), but the concept in this one was a little silly for my taste.
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Avoid reading plot summary here on goodreads if possible. Too spoilery!! The less you know what to expect, so much the better.
Many readers have been underwhelmed by this one: too short to be a novella, too long to be considered a short story, King fans have been left feeling he'd written a tepid, and ultimately forgettable, little piece. The reception has been split though, because many other fans enjoyed it immensely. I am lucky enough to fall into the latter category. This story really gripped me and I won't be forgetting it any time soon. I could be wrong of course, but I don't think so.
Certainly, before even picking it up I was predisposed to love it. It's King after all, and it's been a while since I've been able to indulge in my addiction. You could also say this story acted as one of the prime motivators for me to finally get myself an eReader, seeing as how I wouldn't get to read it otherwise. I'm sure it will be released in print at some point, but I didn't want to wait! And I am loving my touch Kobo. It is the bomb :)
Because a car features prominently in the story, comparisons have been made to [b:Christine|10629|Christine|Stephen King|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q6ASNSD6L._SL75_.jpg|1150571] and even [b:From a Buick 8|22076|From a Buick 8|Stephen King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304686732s/22076.jpg|2818729]. I wasn't really reminded of either of these though. If it felt familiar it was because it got me thinking about
The story instantly engrossed me as did the cast of characters who all find themselves arriving, for one reason or another, at the deserted Mile 81 rest stop. King makes it look all so easy – the abandoned building is the perfect setting for a malevolent force to set its web and draw in all the victims it can. Almost immediately, we know there is something sinister afoot (it is King after all), but it isn’t immediately obvious from what direction the threat is going to come from. It’s hard to steel yourself when you don’t have that vital piece of information. The subsequent dread this creates is palpable. Then, when you finally know where the danger is coming from, the dread doesn’t cease, but escalates exponentially; by this time we have characters to care about and it becomes that desperate feeling of “watch out! Oh no! Don’t do that!”
Do I think this is the best thing King has written? Of course not. But I do think it’s memorable. It was also a whole BAG of fun. It tickled my heebie-jeebies bone and left me wanting more. Whenever I’ve been away from King for a while and I finally get to read something new, it is the best feeling in the world (like slipping into my beat up old Levis or that ancient pink sweater with holes I can’t seem to throw out even though my boyfriend has threatened to burn it). It’s comfort. It’s coming home. It’s sitting down with an old friend. I felt all of those things reading this little gem, and I hope if you do pick it up, you’ll feel some of that too.
October Country 2011 #6
Many readers have been underwhelmed by this one: too short to be a novella, too long to be considered a short story, King fans have been left feeling he'd written a tepid, and ultimately forgettable, little piece. The reception has been split though, because many other fans enjoyed it immensely. I am lucky enough to fall into the latter category. This story really gripped me and I won't be forgetting it any time soon. I could be wrong of course, but I don't think so.
Certainly, before even picking it up I was predisposed to love it. It's King after all, and it's been a while since I've been able to indulge in my addiction. You could also say this story acted as one of the prime motivators for me to finally get myself an eReader, seeing as how I wouldn't get to read it otherwise. I'm sure it will be released in print at some point, but I didn't want to wait! And I am loving my touch Kobo. It is the bomb :)
Because a car features prominently in the story, comparisons have been made to [b:Christine|10629|Christine|Stephen King|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q6ASNSD6L._SL75_.jpg|1150571] and even [b:From a Buick 8|22076|From a Buick 8|Stephen King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304686732s/22076.jpg|2818729]. I wasn't really reminded of either of these though. If it felt familiar it was because it got me thinking about
Spoiler
King's short story “The Raft” (from [b:Skeleton Crew|13440|Skeleton Crew|Stephen King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1271861632s/13440.jpg|1814]). I just absolutely love that story, it creeped me out and I never forgot it, not only because it’s just so simple and effective, but because I find myself re-reading it every few years. Like the mysterious oil slick in that story, the car in Mile 81 just appears out of nowhere to “feed” as it were, and then move on. Where it comes from, how or why it got there, doesn’t matter so much as the potential victims and their imminent survival or violent death.The story instantly engrossed me as did the cast of characters who all find themselves arriving, for one reason or another, at the deserted Mile 81 rest stop. King makes it look all so easy – the abandoned building is the perfect setting for a malevolent force to set its web and draw in all the victims it can. Almost immediately, we know there is something sinister afoot (it is King after all), but it isn’t immediately obvious from what direction the threat is going to come from. It’s hard to steel yourself when you don’t have that vital piece of information. The subsequent dread this creates is palpable. Then, when you finally know where the danger is coming from, the dread doesn’t cease, but escalates exponentially; by this time we have characters to care about and it becomes that desperate feeling of “watch out! Oh no! Don’t do that!”
Do I think this is the best thing King has written? Of course not. But I do think it’s memorable. It was also a whole BAG of fun. It tickled my heebie-jeebies bone and left me wanting more. Whenever I’ve been away from King for a while and I finally get to read something new, it is the best feeling in the world (like slipping into my beat up old Levis or that ancient pink sweater with holes I can’t seem to throw out even though my boyfriend has threatened to burn it). It’s comfort. It’s coming home. It’s sitting down with an old friend. I felt all of those things reading this little gem, and I hope if you do pick it up, you’ll feel some of that too.
October Country 2011 #6
alcame's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0