by Stephen King

A Horror, 1974 by Doubleday, 306 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• There’s definitely outdated things in this one, things that modern teenagers would not relate to. Then again, perhaps it’s just a male writer writing females thing. Not everything is accurate.
• The story sort of drags after the prom, becoming repetitive in everyone’s POV.
• The story is never intended to be suspenseful, I’ll point that out first, but the lack of suspense does give the book a different rhythm. You know everything pretty early, there’s no surprises. That’s putting a lot of faith in the text to be interesting. 

What I Did Like:

• The varying kinds of text (articles, interviews, etc) is truly brilliant. It adds a level to the story that makes it unique and timeless. 
• Despite the over 50 years it’s been since this one was published there’s still so much that resonates. The bullying, even from the angle of the one who unintentionally followed into the bullying behavior, the disconnect from religious zealots, and the teacher’s reaction to what she saw all ring true even today. 
• The ending is solid. Letting the idea linger without ever having a sequel is just cool. It was supposed to be a topic you always wondered about and this story only fuels it. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Horror fans who like stories that read like realistic tragedies from a horror perspective.  

My Rating: 4 Stars