Ok, so. Just finished reading & my first thought was "Stephen King Lite". I've read a lot of reviews & know a lot of people loved this novel, and I did, too, but I have to say (even though I've only read a couple of his books, what I imagine his most "scary") I thought this book was
All in all, I liked this book, but I also didn't. I love Dan. I really do. And Billy Freeman was an excellent "sidekick" I guess I'd call him. But, and I'm sorry if some of you are screaming at me through your monitor, but I just felt this book rushed and superficial and not anywhere near the quality of the other two novels of SK I have read. I'm not writer or critic, but I just wasn't left emotionally touched by this book at all.
almost beneath SK's typically incredible story lines. This book almost felt Young Adult to me, and not just because one of the main characters was a teenager. The parts that could have been really creepy, the parts that harkened back to Danny's past at the overlook, seemed stunted. Now, to be fair, this novel did include SK's seemingly trademark characterization of humans, touching on Dan's humanity and whatnot, but again, that felt stunted. Dan had a huge character arc, but it seemed superficial, only the surface scratched. Almost like SK had a point to make (Dan became his father, then changed like *gasp* Jack didn't)and once made, that was it. Another thing that bothered me for whatever reason, the supermarket line novel twist that *gasp!* Jack had an affair and Dan had a half sister! The mother of the girl who had contacted Dan, Abra. Again, I get it, connection not coincidence BUT come on. I feel like, even though SK wrote this years after the Shining, that somewhere in the Shining, Wendy would have felt that Jack could potentially be unfaithful but that wasn't even a concern. Jack didn't come across as the "party boy" as Dan said, he was a violent, explosive drunk. Like I said, I doubt SK had the sexual in mind as he wrote the shining, but infedelity wasn't an issue, so to make Jack out as a "party boy" seemed like a far stretch, or like a lot of plot had been omitted. Some of the characters felt just..there. Like Doctor John. I didn't get anything from him, except support, which I guess any major character needs. I thought the dialogue to be superficial, and I couldn't really imagine Abra saying most of hers either. I thought Rose was mostly blowing smoke, I wasn't scared of her and never thought she would get what she wanted in the end. I was never afraid that something would happen to Abra or Dan, not like in the shining when I was sick thinking Dick would meet his end at the Overlook, or that Wendy would actually die from Jack's attacks. I guess the Hotel was like a sleeping, creeping murderer, whereas Rose and the True were so overconfident and well, stupid.
All in all, I liked this book, but I also didn't. I love Dan. I really do. And Billy Freeman was an excellent "sidekick" I guess I'd call him. But, and I'm sorry if some of you are screaming at me through your monitor, but I just felt this book rushed and superficial and not anywhere near the quality of the other two novels of SK I have read. I'm not writer or critic, but I just wasn't left emotionally touched by this book at all.