Stephen King

The Stand: Expanded Edition: For the First Time Complete and Uncut (Signet)
$8.99
I have read many Stephen King books lately. I have to say though, this is one of his greatest. The novel turns unexpectedly with great characters that are formed as the book goes on. It is a little long, but evil hasn't been so strong before in previous Stephen King books. A true wickedness forms and great heroes emerge to stand strong and survive the cruel world of Randall Flagg.

The Long Walk
$7.99
While entertaining, the book is simply too long. The plot is so simple ( walk or die ) that by the time I was half finished I was getting bored. The suspense does pick up again but the ending was pretty much a dud for me. The main problem is keeping the reader interested when pretty much all is going on is the same thing over and over.

Under the Dome: A Novel
$35.00
Once again, Stephen King does not disappoint. Okay, maybe the concept of trapping a community of people has been done, but I give King two thumbs UP for "Under the Dome".

His characterization never lets me down, and "Under the Dome" is chock full of good ones...those I loved to hate and those I found myself cheering for until the very end. These characters are far more than one-dimensional cardboard. They feel like real people living real lives and dealing with real problems.

"Under the Dome" is dirty rotten, power-hungry political maneuvers and sci-fi all mixed together into one luscious, tasty batter. A monster to carry around and hold while reading, but a definite read-again-in-the-future King brick!

Desperation
$7.99
I am a huge Stephen King fan. I usually buy his new books the first day they're out and read them within a few days. If I were to rank his work, I would put this novel somewhere near the bottom. I have also never understood its strange relationship with The Regulators, in which many of the same people who lived and died in Desperation are unaccountably present for a nightmarish confrontation with a bunch of cartoon characters. Huh?

But I digress. Desperation is one of several glaring examples of Steve's inability to find an editor who can be honest with this huge genius. He has rolled these characters out from his giant basement of stereotypes, with the plot jolting along from one head-scratching sequence to another. This was the book that almost made me lose faith in Stevie, and that's really saying a lot. Avoid at all costs. Jump ahead to the more mature, thoughtful, altogether inspired Steve of Bag of Bones, Lisey's Story and Duma Key.