A review by ricksilva
Later by Stephen King

emotional tense fast-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

5.0

Stephen King's take on a boy who sees dead people, ends up going in a pretty different direction than the film The Sixth Sense, but the inspiration for the idea is pretty clear.

Jamie Conklin can see the recently dead, and they must answer his questions truthfully. Jamie just wants to live a normal life, but when people close to him discover his abilities, they begin to think of ways it could be useful.

This had a surprising number of plot twists considering its relatively short length. What would be described as "false finishes" in pro wrestling come fast and furious. 

The story is a bit more "typical" King than I was expecting given the marketing of the Hard Case Crime imprint. I went into it expecting something with no (or at least minimal) supernatural elements, something more like Mr. Mercedes.

Still, the story and characters were great, and in spite of relying on a lot of standard King tropes, the plot kept the surprises and twists coming right up to the end.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings