Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

98 reviews

rat_leoo's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Child death, Death, Medical content, Animal death, Murder, Violence, and Gore

maddsonny's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Pacing of book is great. Judd is a very likable character, I loved him reading this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Child death, Grief, Animal death, Murder, Car accident, Medical trauma, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Cursing

jazzijessi's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• 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? Yes

4.5

Prior to reading this book, I had no previous exposure to the story (including never having watched the movie). I’m so glad that my husband suggested this for our annual King listen / road trip book in October. Truly wonderful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Car accident

jennyjrn's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child death, and Violence

vinett's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Car accident, Blood, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Cursing, and Death

zoe_archambault's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

2.5

throughout majority of the book it dragged and i just felt like it was so long and then by the time the huge climax was happening at the end, i was too put off and literally queasy reading it. it was harrowing and depressing under the guise of ~spoooky~ ?? still a fan of the overall premise and how it leaves off though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Animal death, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Death, and Body horror

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

sarasreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

This was my first King book! I don't think it'll be my last either. I was expecting it to be far more thrilling than it was. Not that there weren’t creepy or disturbing parts, but the book is more sad than scary. Honestly the scariest parts had nothing to do with the supernatural elements at all, and everything to do with the true-to-life medical events.  

 

It deals heavily with grief and death, and the ways various characters react to and process the deaths of their loved ones. I have some trauma around sudden loss, so this book resonated with me in that way. 

 

It’s a slow building book, with most of the horror action in the last 30-40 pages, but from the first inciting incident it sucked me right in and it was hard to put down. King really has a way with words and turns of phrases that I enjoyed, as well as repeating phrases and themes. I’m never going to hear that Ramones song the same way again, that’s for sure. Hey-ho, let’s freakin’ go! (Or don't. Probably better to stay put actually.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Grief, Animal death, Death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Car accident

Moderate: Terminal illness and Animal cruelty

jaimc's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Blood, Grief, Animal death, Medical trauma, and Death

Moderate: Chronic illness, Ableism, Confinement, Terminal illness, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts

paloma_sanchezh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Blood and Car accident

colin_s's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 Quote:

“And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful, staring, unrelenting sanity.”

Setting:

Pet Semetary takes place in the small town of Ludlow Maine. We follow Louis around the town but the majority of the story takes place primarily at his house and the house of his neighbor Jud. This allows us to get very comfortable with the setting before things start to spiral out of control.

Plot:

The majority of the plot follows Louis with the trials that come with moving his family half way across the country for a new job to a house they haven't seen yet. They quickly form a friendship with their neighbors Jud and Norma. Several events then happen that challenge Louis and family in new and hard ways as the story progresses.

Writing:

This is my second Stephen King book and boy does he know how to write great characters and dialogue. You find yourself routing for people even when you aren't sure they are doing the right thing cause you can understand why they are doing it. 

Characters:

Our main character Louis is flawed, not deeply but enough for people to connect to him. All of the characters in this novel are in fact so that helps the story feel very grounded even when the more supernatural things start to take place.

Pros:

Realistic characters

Down to earth setting

Cons:

Very quick lean into supernatural

Very rushed ending

Recommendation:

I read this book at the wrong time as it's topic was really hard to hear. However the story kept me wanting to read more. I found myself finding an excuse to go a little longer, to get a little further. I will say however that I've heard that Stephen King can't write endings and I'm starting to see that as a pattern here. The majority of the book I'd give it a 5, however the ending brings it down a bit. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Car accident, and Death