Joyland by Stephen KingI was in the mood for another amusement park book after reading Palisades Park and a day of strolling around Coney Island. Joyland seemed the natural choice!
The story is told in remembrances of times gone by. The action takes place during a summer and fall at Joyland, an independent amusement park in North Carolina. Devin Jones leaves New England for the sandy NC shores in the summer of 1973 to be a jack of all trades. He runs the rides, stocks the games and even wears the fur… Yes, Devin is the best Howie the Happy Hound that season bringing joy to kids in a gigantic fur costume.
This book is not just a coming of
age story; it is a murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural. After one of Devin’s friends sees the ghost
of girl murdered in the only dark ride in Joyland, the haunted house, Devin
decides to stay on at the park and investigate.
In this slim book King manages to
build wonderful (and unexpected characters) who will be with you after you shut
the covers. I’ll admit it. My eyes filled with water. I don’t usually get that caught up, but the
end of this one choked me up. The book
wasn’t a tear jerker at all, it was a great mystery; it was just a poignant
bittersweet scene that really got to me and also made me smile.
