Another one by Stephen King. God, I love his writing! I've read almost anything that man ever wrote and he is my number one author by far. My husband asked me if I liked this book and I had to tell him that I did. I don't know why exactly, but I liked it. Once I was past half of the book I couldn't put it down. He hypnotizes you with words, no kidding. The next question my husband asked was if there was any book of Stephen King I didn't like. Believe it or not, I couldn't think of a single one. They all have this same quality to them. He weaves a story and you get stuck in it. With dozens of books written already you'd think he's get it wrong some day, maybe that's why I waited so long before reading this because of the HARD CASE CRIME series it was published for. That doesn't interest me one bit, and I thought King had gone off the deep end, but he managed to make me like, no love it!
Alright, that's enough praise shoved down your throat.
Joyland is a novella, about a young man going through a heartbreak and trying to work through it by volunteering at a carnivale. A kind of eighties Disneyland, before Disneyland began swallowing up the little places of fun. The places you adored when you were a kid, but when you see pictures you laugh at having been so silly and gullible. Still, almost everyone loves to go to a themepark. It's getting in touch with our inner little self and just having fun.
Well, Devin, the main character, is selling fun all summer long. During his time there he hears a story about the horror attraction being haunted. He never sees the ghost of a girl murdered there, but you still get goosebumps how King describes the setting. A paranormal crime novel. Kuddo's!
I know, again with the praise.
As he decides to take leave of school for a while and keep working at the entertainment park he digs deeper into the mystery with a little help from his friends. He also get to know a local woman and her son whose got a serious illness. Everyone plays a definite part in this novel and I liked it how King kept me on the edge of my seat.
Joyland is quickly read, and maybe that's it's only fault. I loved it and can't wait for the next King to be released!
I give it an 8 out of 10.
