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A review by captainmadeline
Billy Summers by Stephen King
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I want to start by saying that I never thought I would so deeply care about a hitman.
<spolier> I saw some non-spoiler reviews about this book that touted a lot about how this is one of the most interesting pairings King has ever done, and I was like "hmm sure, I'll see about that", but it was. I loved Billy and Alice's relationship immediatley. I loved them both immensely. Billy is probably one of the most interesting characters that I have met in a long while. Oh, and not to mention Bucky!!
The plot of this book was also amazing. It kept me engaged and I wanted to know more the entire time. I really appreciated how, even though there were quite a few scenes where there could have been really long, expansive descriptions of military operations or assassinations, they were never that long. King stuck to the important bits that pertained more to the main character than the plot, which I prefer.
Also, can I just say, one of my favorite things about King is when he writes references to his other novels into his books? It makes me smile like an idiot every time it happens.
I think that one thing that I could say about this book that might be negative is that sometimes it was hard to get into the chapters where Billy was writing about his time in the war. But, as soon as I did get into them, it was extremely engaging and I found myself wanting more. I don't think there was any other way for this to have been done, so I don't really mind. I just write this so that if anyone is feeling put-off by those parts, just give it some time!
<spolier> I saw some non-spoiler reviews about this book that touted a lot about how this is one of the most interesting pairings King has ever done, and I was like "hmm sure, I'll see about that", but it was. I loved Billy and Alice's relationship immediatley. I loved them both immensely. Billy is probably one of the most interesting characters that I have met in a long while. Oh, and not to mention Bucky!!
The plot of this book was also amazing. It kept me engaged and I wanted to know more the entire time. I really appreciated how, even though there were quite a few scenes where there could have been really long, expansive descriptions of military operations or assassinations, they were never that long. King stuck to the important bits that pertained more to the main character than the plot, which I prefer.
Also, can I just say, one of my favorite things about King is when he writes references to his other novels into his books? It makes me smile like an idiot every time it happens.
I think that one thing that I could say about this book that might be negative is that sometimes it was hard to get into the chapters where Billy was writing about his time in the war. But, as soon as I did get into them, it was extremely engaging and I found myself wanting more. I don't think there was any other way for this to have been done, so I don't really mind. I just write this so that if anyone is feeling put-off by those parts, just give it some time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Pedophilia, Trafficking, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit