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.

My Favorite Books In 2016

Since I started this blog so late in the year, here's a list of the books I loved most in 2016, which I posted recently on my author blog. The first four books featured in the list linked above are not reviewed on this site because I read them before the launch of The Quarterly Book Review - but the post does include links to my reviews on Amazon.

Featured books include:

• Girl Least Likely To Marry, by Amy Andrews (Contemporary Romance)
• The "A Dance With Destiny Series", by JK Ensley (Epic Fantasy)
• Wonder, by RJ Palacio (Children's Fiction)
• Girl In The Water, by Dana Marton (Romantic Suspense)
• Slammed, by Colleen Hoover (Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction)
• The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green (Teen/Young Adult Fiction)

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

THE BLURB: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars brilliantly explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

My thoughts at 25%:

I'm so confused. Why is this book hilarious, with all its witty banter and thoughtful philosophy? Shouldn't I be crying over the depth of the subject matter? Shouldn't I be feeling broken by the abject loss of the power of death - the way it's so all-consuming and doesn't care who it touches or who it hurts? How is it that I keep smiling this delighted smile and laughing gleefully over the way these characters find joy in spite of their suffering? Maybe it's the irony of Hazel's cynicism, I don't know. 

My thoughts at 50%:

Okay. The end of Chapter 10? I can't stop crying. Augustus is funny and smart and intellectually stimulating. He's quick and clever and patient and gentle. But he's also a little bit of a smartass and he's impossibly fun. It's brutally endearong, especially combined with Hazel's matter of fact personality, her acceptance of life as what it is and not what she wishes it was. My emotions are so raw right now ... I need a break from the story ... And yet I cannot force myself to take one.

My thoughts at 75%:

I wear glasses because chronic dry eye syndrome gives me progressively horrifying eye fatigue, which blurs everything more and more the longer the day goes on. But right now I'm reading with my glasses off, and everything is a blur, because I can't wear glasses while crying.

My thoughts at 100%:

I finished this book somewhat disappointed. I didn't cry my way through the end, as I had expected to. But I read that last word, closed it out, and promptly burst into tears. For its appreciation of both life AND death, for its humor AND its realistic portrayal of devastation, for its twists AND its inevitable turns ... For its lessons and its inspiration ... Five stars.

Another great book to add to your collection - and a story you'll be glad to have experienced.

Buy It Here.

Slammed, by Colleen Hoover

THE BLURB: Falling in love can feel like poetry. Or it can feel like a slam to the heart.

Colleen Hoover’s romantic, emotion-packed debut novel unforgettably captures all the magic and confusion of first love, as two young people forge an unlikely bond before discovering that fate has other plans for them.

Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the rock for both her mother and younger brother. She appears resilient and tenacious, but inside, she's losing hope. Then she meets her new neighbor Will, a handsome twenty-one-year-old whose mere presence leaves her flustered and whose passion for poetry slams thrills her.

Not long after a heart-stopping first date during which each recognizes something profound and familiar in the other, they are slammed to the core when a shocking discovery brings their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart. Only through the poetry they share are they able to speak the truth that is in their hearts and imagine a future where love is cause for celebration, not regret.

My thoughts at 25%:

How is it that I'm only at the 25% mark and I've already fallen in love AND had my heart broken? I love Lake and Will, I already love Kel and Caulder, and I like Eddie too. Bold and brazen, that one, but I'm curious about the heart tattoos ...

My thoughts at 50%:

I can't put this book down. It's past midnight and I have to be up at five. My eyes are so tired I can't see and everything is a blur. But I can't put this book down.

My thoughts at 75%:

"So you keep your ocean, I'll take the Lake." I don't know if I'm delirious from exhaustion (it's 1:45am) or if Colleen Hoover some kind of witch doctor ... But I can't stop crying. The mom and the balloons and the slam ... It's just ... I can't. I just can't.

My thoughts at 100%:

It's 2:30 in the morning and I have to get up at five. I have no idea how I'm going to function tomorrow, when I'm supposed to be editing my 8th book for the final time before publication on Tuesday. I have no idea how I'm going to be productive and be a calm and patient mother when I'll be running on less three hours of sleep. And I have no idea how long it's going to take me to recover from this book ... But I bet it's gonna be a while. Five stars. If I could, I'd give it fifty.

Buy this book. Believe me, you want to.