1.14k reviews for:

Rose Madder

Stephen King

3.62 AVERAGE

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional tense medium-paced
challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The audiobook for this was very good! Both narrators did a great job. There was atmospheric music at times that did seem a bit loud haha. 
Stephen king did a very interesting story of taking a domestic abuse escape but adding layers of supernatural/magic realism. The further the story goes, the deeper you go into the characters and their psyches. I appreciated that things connected back throughout the story. Based on the cover as well I was curious how a bull or symbolism of a bull would play in. (You should listen to find out.) I always really enjoy Stephen king books! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

The only book of his that gave me nightmares. The abuse the wife went through was so realistic that it filtered into my dreams and took me a while to continue on finishing. Well worth it at the end imo. Not everyone cup of tea. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have read this book in the past and wrote a bad review about it. On my re-read, I can say that it was better than my previous review, but not by much. The story of Rosie escaping her abusive husband and making friends with the battered womens centers' leaders and residents was really cool. The relationship building the story tells is a great and welcome addition to the book. Her relationship with her love interest is also a very welcoming addition. The abusive husband's tracking skills and blatant violence is so interesting to read and terrifying in knowing there are nuts like these out in the real world... It makes it real. The sheer language and violence expressed by the husband makes this book amazing (I'm not offended by a little language - I'm an adult!). The slip comes a little after halfway through the book. The addition of the other world Rosie visits is unnecessary. I understand SK involves fantasy/horror into most of his books, but this one should have remained a story that we could actually visualize happening. A realistic telling. I think the fantasy aspect killed the book in its tracks. It was readable, but it definitely took a dive after the "other world" introduction. In true SK fashion, the ending was blah. Not horrible, but definitely not a memorable one. It lives in my mind as a 2.5/5

3.5
challenging dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is one of my favourite King books, and it holds up with an audiobook re-read, although a newer copy really needs to be recorded. Excellent story 5 ⭐ ❤️