Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Dead Zone by Stephen King

11 reviews

mainereading's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book was great, but it was hard to read. It dealt with sexual assault of people but also a small child. It also not only had animal death but animal abuse and animal murder at the beginning of the story, among other hard things to read about. So when I say it was hard to read, I mean it. Also, I hoped the villain would get a healthy dose of karma. But that didn’t go down the way I was hoping it would. I liked the book, but I didn’t love it, unfortunately.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rockysoap's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

chloeshea's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’ve had this book for a few years, never touching it. Brought it with me this summer to read while off-grid doing field work. I didn’t know anything about the book besides the first few pages. Coincidentally, I finished reading it a week after Trump’s attempted assassination. Weird.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

joshkiba13's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

James Franco did great with the audiobook, though I had to accelerate his slow reading to 1.30 speed. Really interesting premise, and I really enjoyed the 3rd person omniscient view where we got to jump from character to character, sometimes even within a scene. And I liked that some of the scenes involved bystanders watching Johnny, the main character. I've noticed that King often goes for a slow, slow burn, and this book was no exception. That said I remained interested all along and cared about the characters. The only part that bothered me was
Johnny's vision of the rapist while in the act of abusing a child. Far too graphic for me
.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

seeker42's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rosereadsalot's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

travisppe's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • 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

4.0

Classic King romp
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kell_xavi's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

Stephen King writes a story of belief and desperation, class, politics, and disability. I liked Johnny Smith, and I liked King’s elaboration on how fear can manifest in religious obsession, in trust of the strangest authority when the working class is neglected and unheard for too long. I liked the setting in the 1970’s and quiet northeastern states, both far away places to me, made familiar by these pages. The first third is often slow, creaking along and introducing a number of scattered points that disappear and come back later (I forgot who kicked the dog, what happened to the waitress, what state we were in, a few times—made more difficult by the audiobook, where I couldn’t flip back easily). But once Sarah visits and then Johnny gets a call from Castle Rock, the story has more life. 

Johnny goes from a smart, likeable small town teacher to a haunted, sick man in the ten years this story covers; King articulates the internal pain and shame of his disability, coupled with the curiosity and hope and anger of those who encounter it, very well. I was on his side the whole way through, because he remains intelligent, considerate, the whole way through, even as he loses his ability to be part of the same reality as those around him. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

molsreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

sheryl_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my favourite King novel and rereading it didn’t change my mind! 

The Dead Zone follows John Smith who wakes from a coma with psychic abilities. Usually, he just finds lost things, or predicts something happening in the near future, but when he touches Greg Stillson, he sees a much bleaker future for the world.

This is very much a story of extraordinary events happening to ordinary people. John isn’t special, other than his ability. The supporting characters are also very well realised.  Stillson doesn’t ever fall into a parody - tho I’m sure when the book came out in 1979, people never thought that someone who acted like an idiot and riled crowds up could get elected to anything... 

There’s a lot of similarities between The Dead Zone and another of my favourite King’s - 11.23.63. Both pose the question: what would you do if you have the chance to change history? 

There’s also a few references to the King universe (whether intentional or not!). It’s set in the Maine area, just like a lot of King novels, there’s a lot of 19 references and one blue chambray work shirt! We also have manically religious mother’s (two!) and a reference to the movie Carrie.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings