Tried to read this last year but was too busy, tried it again last month and it was one of the best decisions i've made this 2022 so far.
The main comTried to read this last year but was too busy, tried it again last month and it was one of the best decisions i've made this 2022 so far.
The main complaint that I see so far is that first it took forever for something to actually happen. That's a bit common with some of King's novels since he really tries to develop the characters well enough to form an emotional attachment to the readers. It's almost always the case with me and it's not different with this novel. While the plot itself isn't outstanding, I've learned to love the characters so much. Almost made my favorites shelf but maybe I'll need to think about it some more first.
5/5 stars, best read of 2022 so far and could actually be the best already since I'm going to be extra busy starting the next few months till probably the end of the year. Stephen King truly ages like fine wine...more
Based on experience it's a personal preference of mine that short stories are just not enjoyable, unless it's a short story about characters or a plotBased on experience it's a personal preference of mine that short stories are just not enjoyable, unless it's a short story about characters or a plot point in a certain series. The main problem I had with this novella is that the characters are not developed enough for me to feel anything for them throughout the story. I've read a few fantasy short stories that I enjoyed but that's more on because I really liked the main series and already care for the characters and would like to read more lore. I guess my main problem is; this shouldn't have been the first thing out for the story/series. It would've maybe been better if we even got a first full novel out before this
Another thing that I couldn't ignore was the writing. I know it's a debut novella but personally it felt like I was reading a Young Adult novel. It was just the choice of words and sentence construction. It didn't have that fantasy writing vibe to it, the complexity was just not there yet. One could argue that this is more of an Urban Fantasy novel but even the more popular ones I've read did not read like a Young Adult novel. I'm fairly certain this is something that will be improved on in his succeeding novellas/novels
1.5/5 stars. It was honestly "weak" for a debut novella, but I'm hoping that the next one would be better than this. I am a subscriber of Daniel, and I usually agree with his opinions/reviews of stuff so I'm still going to read the next novella and hopefully have a more pleasant experience...more
I didn't really check my friends' reviews before reading this. All I got from the synopsis was that this might be a Dresden Files kind of novel considI didn't really check my friends' reviews before reading this. All I got from the synopsis was that this might be a Dresden Files kind of novel considering it's urban fantasy and screaming with magic but it wasn't quite like I thought it would be. The novel is about Ivy Gamble's life as a non-magic person and she's been assigned a detective case to find out who murdered someone. Well having read the synopsis more than twice I shouldn't have expected this to be a Dresden files type of novel considering the main character doesn't even have magic powers but weirdly I missed that part out multiple times. I didn't mind though that Ivy didn't have powers, it actually highlighted the story in a positive manner. I also have to admit that I saw the ending coming, although it wasn't as accurate as I guessed. The plot in its entirety isn't the best, I'm sure it's not gonna stick with me for a long time, but it was enjoyable at most. I also didn't like the chosen one trope or how it was handled in this novel. It felt very forced and not well developed for me considering the length of this novel. Another complaint would the characters. While they are interesting, none of them are interesting enough to be remembered. 3.5/5 stars. Novel was pretty good but overall it's quite forgettable...more
This was a very refreshing experience to be able to really enjoy something written by King again. I really loved the first ~200 pages of The InstituteThis was a very refreshing experience to be able to really enjoy something written by King again. I really loved the first ~200 pages of The Institute but I felt like the novel went off course and I ended up putting that book off and I still haven't tried reading it again. When I found out that this was coming out I didn't even know that it was going to be a collection of short stories, and one thing that I don't really enjoy are.... short stories. One exception to that fact though would be Night Shift written by King years ago. That one I enjoyed a lot but any other short stories I always end up with the feeling of inadequacy and always wanting for more. I was honestly a bit scared to read this because of the whole short story fiasco I personally have, but once again King managed to deliver.
As always, here I am trying to figure out how to write a review for a collection of short stories and having been retired from writing reviews, I'll try my best. As always I'll try my best not to spoil anything
Mr. Harrigan's Phone 4.5/5 stars "Youth is a wonderful thing," said Mr. Harrigan. "What a shame it's wasted on children."
This collection starts off really strong with this short story about a kid and an old man. I honestly don't know what to say without spoiling anything but the character development here is pretty good. Craig is this interesting enough character and he's paired up with the mysterious Mr. Harrigan. What got me thinking in the beginning though was where this whole story was going to, because I found it so odd that Craig spends so much time with Mr. Harrigan who he isn't even related to, and his dad is completely fine with it. Maybe not completely fine, he did ask him about it at one point but I guess it's just me finding it a bit odd and early on I just kept thinking if Mr. Harrigan had other vile motives. This story was actually pretty much used before already but I still found it interesting. It's the way King writes that makes it different from other books/shows that have used this plot already. Really enjoyed this and a lot of life lessons you can get after reading this
Here are some more quotes that I really liked, I actually have a few more but these are my favorites
I don't have a doctor. Men in their mid-eighties can eat all the corned beef hash they want. and they no longer need doctors, unless the have cancer.
We live in the real world where money talks and people listen
Business is like football, Craig. If you have to knock someone down to reach the goal line, you better damn well do it
The Life of Chuck 3/5 stars Unfortunately this one is my least favorite of the 4 stories, but we gotta have a least favorite, right? Well this short story is actually told in reverse. It starts off with an apocalyptic-themed chapter then works its way to Chuck's childhood. It was actually really good especially the post-apocalyptic one and his childhood and what makes up the mystery of it. While it was pretty good, it just didn't have the same level of attachment I had with the other 3. I might have to reread it though I'm sure I was not in the right mindset reading this second one considering I was really busy playing Final Fantasy 13. Although the next "short" story I was even more in depth playing FF13 but I loved it. We'll see after the reread next time I guess
Also one interesting reference here that I wanna mention that this novella had "He lived on the next block over and got hit by a drunk driver when he chased a ball into the street" Sounds familiar?
If It Bleeds 5/5 stars
Here you go the title of the collection. This one features King's recurring character, Holly Gibney. This is a direct sequel to his 2018 novel, The Outsider. Disclaimer: my suggestion is to read that novel first before reading this, also read Bill Hodges trilogy since there are a bunch of references from there. I enjoyed The Outsider a lot I remember giving it 3.5 or 4 stars but I remember that the "mystery" was a let down for me, if I'm not mistaken. I've read mixed reviews regarding Holly in general but I personally like her. Even Jerome I really like and reading about them again really sparks my fond memories of the Outsider and the Bill Hodges trilogy, in which I considered the first 2 books as amazing (especially the second one) but the third as a huge disappointment (3 stars), well as compared to the first 2. This not that short story was fast paced and brought back a lot of memories especially of The Outsider, I mean the character. Can't really say much here and might end up spoiling but this was my favorite of the 4
Rat 5/5 stars This is the more mixed-received by the readers, or at least of the reviews that I've read. Some really enjoyed it while some didn't care for the story that much. Some also say that it isn't original at all but let's be honest, how original can you really be in the year 2020? I mean someone has to have used your "new idea" by now and hasn't King used this himself? Well for me it wasn't a problem at all and I really enjoyed this short story. This is a story about a struggling writer who has troubles finishing a novel and must make a very hard decision. This actually reminds me more of King's old writing. The very relatable struggling main character topped off with a supernatural element, but the supernatural element doesn't feel as forced. It really brings back memories of his older novels and short stories. Once again, I don't want to spoil this so let's leave it as it was my second if not tied with the first favorite of the 4
Very highly recommended collection of short stories. I might have to reread The second short story probably tomorrow in order to reassess if this 4.5 star rating can be bumped into a 5 considering that was the only one I didn't enjoy as much. I bought this on kindle since quarantine makes it impossible to get a hardcover or any physical copy of this but I intend to when this whole coronavirus situation dies down (hopefully soon, but I don't really think so). To wrap things up, just go read this (if you've read The Outsider and maybe the Bill Hodges Trilogy)
One thing I noticed though was the hefty amount of Trump getting mentioned here. If you follow King on twitter this shouldn't be a shock to you and I personally have no problems whatsoever with him incorporating the truth in his novels. I don't think it makes it too political or what. Just wanted to mention that cause I'm sure there will be complaints about it but personally I didn't mind ...more