A review by emily_m_green
Revival by Stephen King

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

4.0

 
Revival by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A big thank you to Montgomery County Public Library for making Stephen King’s Revival readily available to the public, free of charge.

Revival starts out pretty normal for a Stephen King novel. Jamie Morton, a kid in a small town, befriends the new minister, who shows him a trick with electricity. The minister is a bit electric himself, and he, his wife, and their son make a golden family that reels the local townspeople into the church. Reverend Jacobs' residency is short lived, and when he leaves the community, Jamie has no reason to think that he will see him again. However, as the story continues and Jamie grows up and grows into a budding rock star, he finds himself in Reverend Jacobs' presence again and again.

The plot gets strange at about a quarter of the way through the book, maybe even quicker than that, and Jamie realizes that he has a tie to Reverend Jacobs, whether he likes it or not. And if he doesn’t like it, then Jamie has to decide what he’s going to do about it.

It is difficult to discuss this book without spoilers, though what I can say is that at points the story feels like an homage to Lovecraft. It is both a pure part of the King cannon and a departure.

Would I teach this book? While I enjoyed Revival, it would not be my first candidate to teach. In the grand future, when I am given full-reign to design a literature course and I make it all Stephen King, all day, maybe I would include the book to demonstrate a foray in science fiction/horror. Maybe. But Jamie is not the strongest of King’s characters, and he’s a bit lackluster, especially for a rockstar. However, if you are a King fan like me, then it is worth a read at the beach. Or in the car. Or over Shabbat. Or any old time when you want to tempt the darkness.