Review: Later

Author: Stephen King

Started reading: July 10th 2021

Finished the book: August 25th 2021

Pages: 248

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller

Published: March 2nd 2021

Source: Storytel

Goodreads score: 4.04

My score:

Synopsis

The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.

Later is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King's classic novel IT, Later is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.

My thoughts

YES! I was so happy that this book was available on Storytel. It's a really fun story to listen to, one where Stephen King's telling voice definitely shines through. I did take a break when I was on vacation, so that's why it took a bit longer to listen to this book, but I highly enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

Pros

• References: What I love about Stephen King, is that he always puts little Easter eggs in his book. If you've read some other books by him, he'll drop some references here and there. In this book, there is a part about deadlights and I immediately recognized that from the book IT. I know that Stephen King also does this with movies of books that he has written. He'll always star in those movies with a little role for himself. So cool!
• Telling voice: I loved the telling voice in this book. The voice was really well chosen, but also the choice of words was so well done. It really makes you feel like someone is telling this story straight to you, instead of it being a book. That definitely was a fun experience!
• Authentic: Jamie Conklin felt very authentic to me. I loved his telling voice. There was a big part of this book that takes place when he was younger, but it didn't feel childish. Well done!

Cons

• Underwhelming end: I felt like the ending was a bit underwhelming? I know there is action, yeah, yeah, yeah. And also scary things, but I felt like it was wrapped up pretty fast. And after that King throws in one of his weird bombshells, that I should've seen coming, but didn't. And then, the book ends...

Overall

Another story that I highly enjoyed by Stephen King. I mostly enjoyed Jamies telling voice and the way the story was told overall. Reading this book was definitely a fun ride (pun intended). If you love a good, fast horror story, you should read this one! Yeah, yeah, yeah, just read it!

Really a lovely ride, with a bit of Stephen King's weird bombshells and a touch of horror!

Other opinions on this book

"Part detective tale, part thriller. Touching and genuine."

- The New York Times

"Packs a punch. You're in the hands of a master storyteller."

- Washington Post

Memorable quotes from this book

"Smart people know a lot, and maybe that makes them think they know everything."

Thanks for reading!

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