Finished : 11/22/63 (review below)
Reading : A Dance with Dragons
Review 5/5 stars easy
King has really hit a home run with this story, and this after already coming out with a couple other home runs in the last couple years with Duma Key and Under the Dome. Still, as good as both those were, neither of them really came close to being as compelling, poignant or as thrilling as the heights King reaches in his latest masterpiece, especially given the controversial nature of the ending of the Under the Dome for some. (Personally I wasn't bothered by it but it didn't do much for me either). While I've been a life long fan of Kings for his ability to tell gripping, suspenseful and often scary stories, it's his ability to develop very believable characters that I love and can relate to that keep me coming back for more. In 11/22/63, he creates a set of characters in Jodie, Texas that are among his finest creations since the Dark Tower series or The Stand.
While I won't spoil any thing about the story itself because it wasn't at all what I thought it might be going into the story, I will say that much like the main character in this book, I'm not a person who cries often and very few stories have the power to move me to that level of emotion, but this story did just that and not just once, but several times throughout the book. It's a true testament to the wonderful character's he's created here and this one is going to stick with me for quite a while.
I don't really have any complaints of any kind about the book which is a rare thing for me as well, though the book didn't surprise me as much as a King book usually does. Still, given the themes running throughout the story, I guess it's not that surprising that the events that unfolded were not exactly unexpected. The story has many powerful moments from the tragic, to the uplifting, the romantic to the devastating and everything in between and manages to keep the story at a pace that makes the 850 page story feel about half as long. I won't go into any more detail than what I've talked about to this point because I really think the book is best read without any expectations going into it, just know that this is among King's finest works that truly anyone who enjoys a well crafted story can enjoy.
