It took me a while to get into this book.  King uses a mosaic-style prose to introduce a large number of characters from a California middle school in short segments, returning to each over time.  I almost set it aside because I didn't yet care enough about them to find it worthwhile keeping track of all of them.  Boy, would THAT have been a mistake!  By two-thirds of the way through, I was riveted.  The ending was spectacularly choreographed.