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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
They were watching, and maybe what they saw was a little bit of their own souls, flashed at them in a cracked mirror. It was fine. It was like new grass in spring.
for such a short story it was intense as fuck
This is a very short novel, apparently started by Stephen King when he was a senior in high school. As the story goes, years later he found the manuscript, finished it, and shopped it around. There were a few nibbles, but no bites. After the success of CARRIE and SALEM'S LOT, he found a publisher, but decided to use a pseudonym, for a variety of reasons. Eventually, the pseudonym was revealed, and the book gained about a billion readers because, you know, STEPHEN KING!
It's an interesting piece of King history, but it doesn't come anywhere close to CARRIE or SALEM'S LOT in terms of quality or effectiveness. There are some interesting parts, but it really does read like the work of a young, talented writer working out their issues with identity, sexuality, and school. (Which, of course it is!)
There are no supernatural aspects to the story, just a troubled young man, a school, and a gun, which makes it scary enough. Still, this is ultimately no more than a quick diversion. If it weren't written by King, it would probably have been one of those novels that "outsider" kids read and passed around, or a minor "cult novel."
Of interest only to Stephen King completists.
It's an interesting piece of King history, but it doesn't come anywhere close to CARRIE or SALEM'S LOT in terms of quality or effectiveness. There are some interesting parts, but it really does read like the work of a young, talented writer working out their issues with identity, sexuality, and school. (Which, of course it is!)
There are no supernatural aspects to the story, just a troubled young man, a school, and a gun, which makes it scary enough. Still, this is ultimately no more than a quick diversion. If it weren't written by King, it would probably have been one of those novels that "outsider" kids read and passed around, or a minor "cult novel."
Of interest only to Stephen King completists.
I don't wanna say I liked this book... But it was a very interesting read. The ending felt a little bit out of nowhere but I actually enjoyed going into the experiences of different characters and Charlie's past. Some of the writing did feel a little bit wordy but I think that's just King's style. All in all I'd say interesting read, though with the controversial subject matter definitely not for everyone.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
I understand why this is out of print, I enjoyed it and the ending was actually a surprise. King did a good job of capturing the disconnected feeling of adolescence.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A kid with a gun hijacks a class and what happens there is insane. It's a quick read, highly recommended if you want to read something short by Stephen King (under the pseudonym Richard Bachman).
It is quite different from the vast majority of stories because it does not have a supernatural component but it is so real that it is scary.
It is quite different from the vast majority of stories because it does not have a supernatural component but it is so real that it is scary.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quick read, wasn't too bad. You can tell it's a first novel, though. I enjoyed it well enough.
I felt that the story was a bit bland, lacking "excitement" but I suppose that's missing the point. However, even stories that are supposed to carry meaning beyond their written text should strive to captivate the reader. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad story, no, not at all, but it doesn't have a captivating structure (think of those graphs that English teachers everywhere teach, the little mountain with the word "climax" at the top before falling away again).