Joyland

"Joyland has been on my radar for a while now as something I knew I would like. Stephen King? Check. Kickass main character? Check. Tragic storytelling that hits the deep parts of you? Check. Serial killer mystery thriller? Check. Amusement Park subplot that teaches you the ins and outs of the job? Check. I mean what more could you ask from a book? Stylistically I felt some aspects of "The Dead Zone" in this one. The book is set into two different halves that link together but are still definitely separate. (Also, the one-night stand kinda deal) This style worked for me again and I actually really like it. This was really a genre masher too, it had aspects of mystery, horror, thriller, tragedy, and heartbreak. The messages about how unfair some people can turn out smoked me. Especially Mike. This novel is worth a read. "

"Loved it! Different than his horror books, but it was an extremely well written story."

"There is not that much of a plot. This book didn’t feel like a horror book. It didn’t even feel like a mystery. The mystery was so much on the side that it is easy to forget about it. This book is more of a coming of age story. <br/><br/>This book is a character driven story. The characters saved it from being terrible. I didn’t love them but they felt like actual people. I liked the interaction between Devin with Mike and Annie. Mike is disabled so i liked reading about that too."

"I did not think I was going to like this book at all. Although it seems like it’s a different path from his other books, it is a good one. It held my attention and the ending was great. I swear everything that comes out of that minds mind scratches a special itch in my brain I didn’t even know I had. "

"Just boring 🤷🏼‍♀️ nothing really pulled me into the story"

"Stephen King is a great storyteller! This one is not scary, though there is a ghost. It's a quick read, not too long, but a good mystery with a surprise ending. I enjoyed it!"

"Not your typical Stephen King book. But a really good read about a young man, his summer job working at a carnival and solving a 20+ year old mystery. It's about the friends he makes and the friends he loses. And it's a little about love. "

"I start every summer by listening to audio version of this masterpiece thriller! Being a New Englander it is one of if not my most favorite book!"

"Great story that takes place in the summer of 1973 following a 21 year old college student who decides to work for an amusement park during summer break. His name is Devin Jones and he makes some good friends in North Carolina long the shore working at Joyland where the Horror House ride has a secret that Devin is supposed to uncover. The ghost of a girl who was murdered there haunts the ride, but only certain people can see her. Devin (with the help of his friend Erin Cook) figure out who the murderer is. Devin also becomes very close to Annie (a 31 year old) and her 10 year old son, Mike, who has muscular dystrophy and gets to have his own private tour of Joyland thanks to Devin."

"Among King’s best. Short, sweet, and a powerful plot. "