- No one tells a story quite like Stephen King. His imagery and characters will draw you in. King weaves a masterful web ensnaring the reader. Unsettling, dark, and at times disturbing you cannot divert your eyes or in my case my ears. In Revival, King, addresses one of our greatest fears as he takes us on a journey involving two unique characters exposing their flaws, desires and fears.
- Jamie Morton. We meet Jamie at the impressionable age of six and travel with him throughout his life. We experience many firsts and gaze upon him at his worst. The tale is told in Jamie’s perspective and King did an excellent job of capturing the period, and allowing us to fully experience Jamie’s life. Like so many of King’s main characters Jamie is flawed and stumbles into dark addictions. Morse beautifully narrated Jamie allowing us to experience his emotions and struggles.
- Charles Jacobs. We witness this charismatic minsters fall from grace. He is a man who dabbles in science and pursues the potestas magnum universum; believed to be the greatest power in the universe. He is the first adult friend Jamie ever makes and will have a profound effect on him. The relationship between them was fascinating and journeyed from worship to disgust. King did a wonderful job of fleshing out this quirky character and his transition felt genuine. The friendship between the two characters had an authenticity to it, even as I felt uncomfortable by it. Charles Jacob is a disturbing little man and one I will not soon forget.
- Revival is not a horror novel in the traditional sense. I was not overly horrified or grossed out. Disturbed and unsettled? Oh heck yes! There are dark moments and creep-tastic scenes that will burn impressions on your retinas. It will make you questions science and faith. You will never ever contemplate death the same way again. Electricity is a central theme throughout the tale and visions of Frankenstein danced in my head. Carnival sideshows, disturbing nightmares, and religious revival tents added to the overall tale and were oddly fascinating.
- Fans of King will enjoy mentions of past books and iconic places from the Gunslinger and more. I found myself giddy when we stumbled upon them. King pays homage to H.P. Lovecraft and Arthur Machen’s story, The Great God Pan. For me King’s questions and look at life after death was chilling. The last section of the book is notched with suspense, laced in horror and I closed the book with a spine tingling shiver eager to push the darker images from my head. Once again, King opened a door in my mind that cannot be closed.
Audio copy provided by publisher.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer