Friday, November 14, 2014

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

It’s been a long while since Danny Torrance escaped the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.  The now middle-aged Dan is finally getting his life together after stumbling into a small New Hampshire town.  He is firmly on the wagon after being persuaded to join AA by some great friends he makes in town and has a job that he enjoys working at the local hospice where he gets the nickname Doctor Sleep.  Not all is idyllic.  Twelve years ago Dan started getting visited by a person with the shining.  A young girl named Abra with immense power he thinks may be in danger.  He and Abra must find each other and team up to defeat the evil coming their way.

While it helped that I just re-read The Shining a few weeks ago, it’s not necessary to completely enjoy this book.   While not nearly as creepy as its predecessor it is a quick read with interesting villains (the True Knot who are akin to vampires, after those with The Shining to eat what makes them shine).  The gore and the creepiness are minimal compared to some of his other works, but the storytelling is still wonderful.