Dr. Sleep, by Stephen King

Dr. Sleep

THE BLURB:
Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon.

My thoughts at 25%:

This book doesn't have quite the same creep factor as The Shining did, but I love the way King stayed so true to Dan Torrance and the way he was impacted by his childhood traumas. I also love the sneak bits of pop culture hidden in the story, and particularly enjoyed the brief mentions of towns from other Stephen King novels. But where with The Shining I was already a little horrified by this point, in Doctor Sleep I'm not so much horrified as I am curious.

My thoughts at 50%:

It has taken me a while to get this far but not because I lack interest in the book itself. Truthfully, I've been super busy with work, focusing on building my other blog - but I've been missing reading so much! This book is fascinating in a strange way; it fits perfectly with the Shining and is a great sequel, but so far it lacks the sense of horror I usually feel with Steven King. Instead, I'm still curious ... so intensely curious. It's nothing like a train wreck, but I still can't look away just out of a need to see how it all unfolds and where the story is going next.

At this point, Abra's in trouble and Dan has realized he really has no choice but to help. Things are heating up with the True, and ... well, we'll see where it goes.

My thoughts at 75%:

Still not horrified, but at this point I'm pretty much utterly unable to put this book down. Not because it's irresistible but because the sense of fascination that's been with me this whole time is still here. Dan Torrance's development of his talent is amazing, and his quick relation to Abra as a fellow shiner feels like finally coming home after a long day. And to see him surpassed by her power - to see him both fascinated and afraid of her capabilities ... I have to keep going simply because I can't stop until I know how it all turns out.

Stephen King is a genius ... But then, I already knew that.

My thoughts at 100%:

I really loved the way this book ended - it fit so perfectly, not only with the stories of the characters, but with Kong's style of wrapping everything up so nicely. There was a great surprise in this section of the book too, a flashback to The Shining which was a nice relief. Dan Torrance has now stepped up to take his place as my all-time favorite Stephen King character, and I'm as glad that I took a chance on Doctor Sleep as I was glad to have finally read The Shining last year.

Five stars for

great entertainment value,

strong characters,

and a plot only Stephen King could dream up.

Buy It Here.