I have been a fan of Stephen King’s novels since I first started reading his books back in the late 1970s. To date, I have read every one of his books – Revival being the latest. Like with any author, I think some books are better than others. I especially love the books that you fall into right away within the first few pages. The kinds of stories that make it hard to put the book down, where you get lost in the book and feel like you’ve become a part of it. There are many Stephen King books that I have felt this way about – The Shining, The Stand, 11/22/63 – just to name a few.
I just finished reading this latest book. Before I give my impression, here’s the text on the back cover:
“If you want truth, a power greater than yourselves, look to the lightning.
The new minister came to Harlow, Main, when Jamie Morton was a boy doing battle with his toy army men on the front lawn. The young Reverend Charles Jacobs and his beautiful wife brought new life to the local church and captivated their congregation. But with Jamie, he shares a secret obsession – a draw so powerful, it would have profound consequences five decades after the shattering tragedy that turned the preacher against God, and long after his final, scathing sermon. Now Jamie, a nomad rock guitarist hooked on heroin, meets Charles Jacobs again. And when their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, Jamie discovers that the word revival has many meanings. “
For some reason, I had a really hard time getting started with this book. I’d pick it up and start reading, but it didn’t hold my attention. I’d put it down, start reading something else, and then would come back to this book. I finally decided just to keep reading, and hoped it would capture my attention more the further I got into the book. I did.
I think the story is interesting and unique – a theme I haven’t read before. The characters for the most part are also interesting. Like most Stephen King novels, he describes the locations in enough detail so you can picture them in your mind, but not in so much detail that it leaves nothing to your imagination.
Some parts of the book kind of dragged on for me, but in other parts, I didn’t want to put the book down. I have to say that I found the ending to be quite different than I imagined it would be, and I was kind of let down by the ending. The ending seemed kind of rushed to me, but it did leave you thinking.
Overall, I would give this book 3-1/2 out of 5 stars.
Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Share your opinion in a comment below and let’s talk.
