Book Review: Revival by Stephen King

Time to review the first book from July's reading list. You can view my reading list here: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/july-reading-list.html if you missed the post :)

My review of Revival by Stephen King

 

 

Blurb from the back cover

 

A spectacularly dark and electrifying novel about addiction, religion, music and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town in the early 60s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs Jacobs; the women and girls – including Jamie’s mother ad beloved sister – feel the same about Reverend Jacobs. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity.

Then tragedy strikes the Jacobs family; the preacher curses God, mocking all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. In his mid-thirties he is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate, he sees Jacobs again – a showman on stage, creating dazzling “portraits in lightning”- and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bind becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. Because for every cure there is a price…

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.



 

 

My thoughts on the book

 

I'm a massive Stephen King fan, so I might be a little biased here, but I really enjoyed the book. It was very dark and well written. I emphasised with Jamie a lot and found myself really immersed in his life. There is a great lead up to the conclusion and a nice little twist towards the end.

 

Conclusion and rating

 

Although I wouldn't say this is my favourite Stephen King book, it's still very much worth a read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4/5

 

Have you read this book? What did you think?

 

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July Reading List

July's reading list

                                 1. Revival by Stephen King

I am a massive Stephen King fan and can't wait to get stuck into this one!

2. The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

A few people have recommended this one to me so here goes!

                                      3. Send Them To Hell by Sebastian Williams

This is a real life account of time spent in a Thai prison. I have read a few of these types books and generally enjoy them.

4. Myra, Beyond Saddleworth by Jean Rafferty

I'm not normally one to read about conspiracy theories but something about this one caught my attention.



Which books are on your reading list?

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My Top 5 Favourite Authors

Narrowing down my favourite authors to just five is an incredibly difficult task for me as I love so many different genres and there are so many brilliant authors out there.
If I listed every author I liked, this post would take about six months to write! To help me narrow it down to just five, I am only going to include authors who have written more than one book/series that I have read and enjoyed. These are the authors who I actively seek out, and keep up to date on their new books, the ones who have rarely (if ever) disappointed me, the ones whose books I know I will enjoy before I even know what they are about, and the ones I can read over and over again.

1. Stephen King - I think I have read every Stephen King book, except the new one, which I am eagerly awaiting! I love all of his books, especially when he sticks to the horror genre. He really does do horror better than any other writer I have come across.
2. Jodi Picoult - I've mentioned her before, so I won't go into great detail, but she is still one of my all time favourites. If you want to know why, see here: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/j-is-for-jodi-picoult.html
3. Diane Chamberlain - Diane Chamberlain writes about everyday people and their lives and dilemmas. I find her books very relatable and interesting. Her characters are always well written.
4. John Grisham - I love a good courtroom drama, and for me, John Grisham does this better than any other writer in the genre.
5. Sylvia Day - I think Sylvia Day deserves a mention here. She gets overlooked a lot because when you think of great writers, the female erotica (mummy porn?) writers usually don't come straight to your mind. But she's good at what she does, and she writes well. Think 50 Shades but well written, with more character development, an actual plot and for people with a reading age of over seven!

Do you agree with my list? Who would you add or remove?

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Desert Island Favourites - Books

I thought I would finish my Desert Island Favourites mini series with the five books I would take to a desert island, as that's the perfect lead in to June's theme. I feel these books should be things like Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Chaucer, Bronte etc, but I am going to be honest, and tell you the ones I would actually take because I enjoy reading them, not ones I think I should be seen to read.
The books I would take have to be books I can happily read over and over again. So, on that note, the 5 books I would take are:

1. Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel. This book is one of my all time favourites. I've read it more times than I can remember and every time I come away with something I had previously missed!
2. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin. I remember being about 11 when I first read this, and I was truly horrified. I think it was the first adult horror book I ever read, and it certainly got me hooked on the genre.
3. The Pact by Jodi Picoult. This is one of those books that stay with you long after you put it down. I talk a little more about it here: http://myrandommusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/j-is-for-jodi-picoult.html
4.The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I know a trilogy is maybe cheating a little, but I love this series and I couldn't take one without the others!
5. The Shining by Stephen King. This is the closest I can come to having a classic on my list, and many people will argue the point of the book being a classic. To me it is and always will be. I love Stephen King and this is a fine example of him doing what he does best.

Which books would you take?

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