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:
This is my first Stephen King book I have ever read. I was scrolling through the new books and was about to pass this one by until I realized that it was the sequel to The Shinning. I loved the concept of that movie even though I never got a chance to read the book. I figured I would make my book club read this book and see how it goes.
I must admit the book did drag at points but I understand that King can get lost in his descriptions but as I have read books with more description than this one, it feels as though it was not that bad. It dragged because the story took too long to develop. It was great to see little Danny all grown up and see how the behaviors of his father affected him so deeply and how he had to combat that. I enjoyed the growth of this character throughout the book and how he was willing to save another kid with the Shinning like his friend Dick did. The book truly did not pick up until the last 60 pages of an over 400 page book. I wish there was more action or at least more scary. I was not afraid for the characters and I did not feel my typical connection to the characters. This is concerning because I usually connect quite well with characters of a book.
There are a couple of great revelations but again they do not occur until the last 60 pages. It is a must read as you need to know what happens after the The Shinning but I would recommend waiting until it goes on sale or at the local library because the book is lacking and feels forced. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
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