Stephen King’s: Joyland

It’s an exciting time for fans of horror novels: there’s a new Stephen King book that just hit the shelves this month! Joyland is a classic King novel, taking place in a North Carolina amusement part in 1973. Devon Jones, a 21-year-old college student, is introduced to the life of carnival workers after taking a summer job. However, it is not long before Devon discovers that there is something quite strange about his new place of employment, and is wrapped up in a four-year-cold murder case. Since this is a Stephen King novel, it is obvious that things are not as they seem, and Devon finds himself uncovering secrets darker and more haunting than anything he could have imagined. Add to this mix mysterious characters, forboding rumors, and a sickly 10-year-old with “the sight” (a term that is, perhaps, familiar to those who have read The Shining), and the result is a classic paperback novel that has all of the creepy characterization of some of King’s older works. From a technical perspective, King has excelled once again, bringing a down-to-earth, yet unmistakably disturbing tone to the plot. The content is not quite as graphic as some of King’s other work, but the level of disturbance that the reader feels is right up there with the darkest displays of King’s imagination (think about a sort of PG-13 book, with an R rated “creep factor.” The novel carries particular charm through its distribution to readers: it is emulating a classic paperback horror tale, and is marketed as such. You will not find this book in any other medium than paperback for quite some time (which is intentional, according to King), a fact that will probably make this book one of the best “bang-for-your-buck” purchases that any horror fan could ask for. If you have grown tired of massive series, sequels, or high-tech crime novels, Joyland is a crime and horror novel that will serve as a much-needed breath of fresh air, and an example that King still has what it takes to pound out some fantastic standalone stories.