The Outsider - [8.5/10]

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 'It probably wasn't his first smile since the police came to his door last Tuesday, but maybe the first real one'. I noted this line down because it shows how well Stephen King can show emotions and characters feelings in condensed, concise lines. (context, talking about a character whos brother had died and all the fake smiles and emotions he had to put up as a front for his father and funeral processions). For Stephen King standards, this book was okay, but for stories in general this was awesome. It was a really good concept and I absolutely love the metaphor of 'the outsider' who could just be anyone, as we don't truly understand what's going on under the 'masks' of deranged people. King's writing is exemplary as usual, however there was something with the story that didn't live up to his usual work. It seemed less tense, more flat than usual. I think maybe because the story was not as relatable (for me at least). The thing with Stephen King books is that he writes these thriller/horror books that are logical and hyper-realistic but also completely sci-fi, it teeters on the edge of reality to the point where you can convince yourself that it could actually be real. This one seemed to miss the mark, while it was a great story, cool idea and classic characters, I didn't get as absorbed and into it as much as I have before with books like 11/22/63, IT and The Stand.

Author: Stephen King



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