Revival by Stephen King

Revival (Fantastique)

by Stephen King

In a small New England town over half a century ago, a boy is playing with his new toy soldiers in the dirt when he looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Jamie learns later he is a man who with his beautiful wife will transform the church and the town. The men and boys are a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls, with the Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's sisters and mother. Then tragedy strikes, and this charismatic preacher curses God, and is banished from the shocked town. Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from age 13, he plays in bands across the country, running from his own family tragedies, losing one job after another when his addictions get the better of him. Decades later, sober and living a decent life, he and Reverend Charles Jacobs meet again in a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and the many terrifying meanings of Revival are revealed. King imbues this spectacularly rich and dark novel with everything he knows about music, addiction, and religious fanaticism, and every nightmare we ever had about death.

Reviewed by Hillary on

4 of 5 stars

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There was a lot of Hype leading up to this book. So much hype in fact, that I actually pre ordered. Everyone was saying that this would be King's return to true horror and that I would get the tar scared out of me. I stayed up til midnight waiting for the book to download to my Nook and when it did I jumped right in.

It was a completely enthralling engrossing read. King only seems to get better with age. The only down side was it was not as scary as I thought it would be. Even at the end I was like huh? Where the horror at? hmmph this is NOT SCARY. How ever it was a damn good story. I am glad I bought it and will re read it.

Now my thoughts on the story. I was reading and the build up was good. There were a few times that I felt that the horror was starting. Jamie  and the Pastor was so fleshed out I felt as I knew them personally. I kinda feel in love with Jamie to tell you the truth. I had to keep reminding me that he was a fictional character. Even the semi love story was realistic and not that fake love crap you find in other books. After all life is not all happy endings.

The relationship between Jamie and the Pastor was OMG. King was BRILLIANT in creating a dynamic relationship between the two. You know how most books you can see what the author is TRYING to do but it just well.. it is good...but in the end you know it is just a figment of someone imagination. Not so in this book. It has EVERYTHING that a real relationship that seems to be joined by fate or hell would be.

King is even realistic in Jamie's heroin addiction. I have never tried drugs myself but reading this I felt that I could grasp the hopelessness in which Jamie found himself before he was cured.

The after effects of the secret electricity was..WOW is all I can say. At the end of the book we find out that people see the gateway to hell when they are cured, or at least some of them do. Some even get stuck in the gateway then end up offing themselves. However we do not know this til the end so while reading you are left wondering what EXACTLY they are seeing that makes them go insane. When I got to the end, and by this time I was reading as fast as I possibly could. At first I was like the FUCK?! I reread it a few more times  to make sure I had read it correctly I went online to the message board and was like huh. we all die then go to hell where we are controlled by giant ants. There is no heaven only the null. huh. Then I kept reading and THE END. WHY DID KING END IT THERE?!?! I WANT MOOORE!!

This book was so good that I wanted more. However the ending was sort of anti climatic. I felt that the horror was just building up then..THE END.

That was the ONLY fault I had with this book. Everything else was just perfect. Hers to hoping King writes many more books to come.This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

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  • 17 December, 2014: Reviewed