A review by eburgardt
Night Shift by Stephen King

dark mysterious reflective 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

2.0

• Short story collection, honestly kind of an exploration of fear itself, what we fear and why
• That said, “Battlefield” was literally what if a pack of green army guys came to life and waged war against you in the middle of your living room
• Not a bad read but ultimately short stories are kind of a punchy medium and King is at his best when he has us sit in small towns, old traumas, lonely childhoods. Maybe he was still finding his voice, maybe the short story format just doesn’t play to his strengths
• My favorites were about loss of childhood innocence, like “Sometimes They Come Back,” “Children of the Corn,” “The Last Rung on the Ladder”
• Ultimately none of these hold a candle to “The Green Ribbon” and nothing ever will