Powered through half the book with eagerness, loving the characters, the plot, the sadness... I really do feel for the guy. Being in a coma for 4.5 years then the surgeries afterwards AND this ridiculously powerful "gift" of being able to sense things through objects/ physical communication. Don't sign me up for that one.
And of course Johnny (John Smith that is) is tormented and troubled in an achingly relatable way, with his lost love and loss of his mother, yet he uses his "gift/curse" to help people and even catch a serial killer. So far so good.
THEN the book takes a drastic political turn. Now I am sure if you are one who loves politics or hell even LIKES it, then you will continue to love this book the whole way though. However, being one who greatly dislikes politics in general (and HATES reading about it) I found the second half of the book incredibly dull and slow paced.
He becomes obsessed over this congressman Stillson when he shakes his hand at a rally and sees (essentially) the nuclear holocaust. Over the rest of the book it is essentially nothing but this politicians campaigns, strategies, actions, etc. all revolving around a convoluted mass of political information with a very drawn out moral dilemma over what/if something could be done about it.
I won't ruin the ending for you, as much as I would LOVE to, but it was not what I had expected and was perfect. Altogether I thought it was a good read (though not one I would be reading again) and if it had stayed on one track, and avoided the whole political business, I would have truly loved it. Especially for the ending (what a twist!). Even though this is one of Stephen King's earlier works, I was still a little disappointed in it to be frank.
SO! All you folks who follow all those politicians and their shinanigans and are looking for a book, here it is! For all of you, like me, that don't feel the need to read about all that Bull**** (even if it is fictionalized), probably not the book for you.
Happy Reading!
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