Scan barcode
clfenters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Sexism
newswoman's review against another edition
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Alcohol, Gore, Sexual content, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Terminal illness, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Chronic illness, Cancer, Body horror, Antisemitism, Animal death, Racial slurs, Drug use, and Cursing
funkaroo12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Stalking, and Racism
pwnyboy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Gun violence, Murder, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Grief, Torture, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Car accident, Toxic relationship, and War
natrix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
- (Unnecessary) use of racial slurs and sexist language and the clearly white male perspective on those issues (in the past and present)
- There is too much happening with the characters, making the plot that the book is supposedly about, almost seem like an afterthought
- I really didn't like the protagonist..
- The ending.. (but that's to be expected I guess when you pick up a Stephen King novel)
But, I did finish it and there were parts that I was really enjoying it, but that doesn't make up for the story overall being underwhelming in the and, on top of the problems listed above..
Also, I read some positive reviews about the narrator of the audiobook, but I really cringed the way he portrayed the speech patterns and accents of certain characters, especially foreign, black and mentally challenged people.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Cancer and War
bambicat234's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Gore, Grief, Car accident, Medical content, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, and War
productioneer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Racial slurs, Stalking, War, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
ldasoqi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had a big Stephen King phase in high school. I totally overdid it. In fact, I read so much of him in such a short time that all the books sort of blended together and I managed to get turned off of his stuff. In my experience, Stephen King is a master at getting readers to binge the first half of a story like it's crack and then letting his stories slowly fizzle out. I pretty much swore off of King by the time this novel was published, and shortly thereafter I was firmly off of the reading wagon altogether.
What's that got to do with 11/22/63? Well aside from having the most engaging premise mankind's ever seen fit to imagine, 11/22/63 also happens to have an ending that wasn't entirely composed by Stephen King. It is his son, Joe Hill, to whom we have to thank for a Stephen King book with a proper ending. I can't stress this point enough because it was this little tidbit that got me to read this book to begin with, can you imagine it? A Stephen King book without the drawback of a shitty pissy little half-assed ending!
There are a few things about 11/22/63 that are special, these are small touches that elevate it beyond standard SK fare in my eyes:
The first is that it takes place in the same universe as many of King's other popular works, most notably It and the town of Derry features prominently. This is a book aimed squarely at the fans, there are more small nods than I could try to list, and as I worked my way through the book I was constantly finding them (to my delight).
The second is that this book is not a reference for reference's sake kind of story. I think it would have been all too easy to get lost in the nostalgia sauce/exploration of the late 50s/early 60s; this book does have a ton of 60's material to get lost in but it's doled out with a measured hand. This could have easily read like a 60's Highlights/SK bibliography highlight reel, but everything that Stephen King has added to the pot is in there for a reason.
The final touch is one that ties it all together; the theme and tone of the book are just perfect. This is a story of echoes, and the focus is on harmonics and repeating patterns. With every little detail, the story is meant to evoke a sense of Deja Vu, and there's plenty of that to be had between the nostalgic 60's callbacks (a decade which thanks to TV and film we are all nostalgic for, even if we never lived it) and in-universe references. Everything the main character sees and does is mirrored bizarrely in another section of the book, and the story itself reads more like a collection of stories set in the lead-up to, and aftermath of, the Kennedy assassination. There's a lot of interplay is the point, and the more you pick up on it, the more it amplifies the feelings that King wants you to feel as you read the story. I am a sucker for this kind of attention to detail, it's rare and hard to pull off but like I said before, we are in the hands of a master for this one.
TL;DR: Finally an SK novel with a proper ending. For my money, this is the best thing he's ever written. It's definitely aimed at SK and JFK fans, but I wouldn't consider it necessary to care about either to enjoy this book.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Stalking
ligiandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
_
⚠️
Graphic: Racism, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Gore, Racial slurs, Suicide, Death, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Grief, Stalking, Alcoholism, and Cancer
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Antisemitism, Car accident, and Body shaming
calimie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Torture, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Stalking