In a small New England town, over half a century ago, 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 feel the same about Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties -- addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate -- Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.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 Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.
My first and only experience reading a King book before this
one was IT. I did enjoy it, but it dragged on and seemed to have too many
pointless side stories. I was a little worried that it would happen again with
my next King book.
I was wrong.
This book was electrical. Pun may or may not be intended.
Moving on from the puns, it was fast paced, interesting, and entertaining.
The two main characters were extremely well developed. Part
of this is because the book spans over five decades. There is a lot to learn
about Jamie and Charles. In saying that, there isn’t so much to learn that it
is overwhelming.
This book deals with drug abuse, death, and religion. It has
a lot of rough and sad moments, but there are many more action packed moments
to go along with it.
It was interesting to see how Jamie and Charles changed as
they grew older. A man who could have been seen as a mentor to Jamie becomes
his worst nightmare.
I loved this book and found it really hard to put down.
5/5 Stars
