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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I always like the way King constructs his books. There is always this element of challenging the way a story progresses.
This book was majorly intense. I can totally see why they pulled it from print.
This book was majorly intense. I can totally see why they pulled it from print.
dark
funny
medium-paced
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good. Tense. Disturbed. In other words classic King. But short, and not anywhere near the top of his best of lists.
Hmmmmmm...... I have very mixed thoughts on this one.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Hate to say it, but this book is simply not good. Not even in an "ooh it's so problematic" type of way, I just think it's poorly written, annoying, and large swathes of the story make no sense. Firstly, being about a school shooter, it definitely did not age well and I understand Stephen King's decision to stop printing it. I suppose that's not really the fault of the book, but there are several moments throughout that come off as pretty tasteless. Secondly, I have a hard time gauging this book tonally. It seems like some parts are kind of trying to be tongue-in-cheek, but the subject matter is just too dark for that to really fit. And thirdly, I don't particularly care for how the main character was portrayed, nor how the secondary characters reacted to him. This kid is literally a murderer, and the classmates that are being held hostage seem much too ambivalent about that fact. As the book progresses, they even start to side with him! I get that the whole point of the book is this kind of slow revelation of the traumas of Charlie's past and what lead him to his breakdown, but I mean come on. Also, the ending genuinely didn't make any sense to me. The completionist in me is glad I read it, as I'm working through these Stephen King books chronologically, but I don't see myself returning to this one in the future.