By: Stephen King
“The last good time always comes, and when you see the darkness creeping toward you, you hold on to what was bright and good. You hold on for dear life.”
Stephen King, Joyland
*This post contains spoilers for Joyland
Overview:
College student Devin Jones took the summer job at Joyland hoping to forget the girl who broke his heart. But he wound up facing something far more terrible: the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and dark truths about life – and what comes after – that would change his world forever.
Joyland
A riveting story about love and loss, about growing up and growing old – and about those who don’t get to do either because death comes for them before their time. It is at once a mystery, a horror story, and a bittersweet coming-of-age novel, one that will leave even the most hard-boiled reader profoundly moved.
Joyland is a mystery novel set in a 1970s local theme park. A perfect setting for nostalgia and familiar visuals.
However, the story lacks mystery and thrill, instead focusing on the interpersonal relationships of the main character, Devin. As a hugely popular author Stephen King is the draw to read this book but also the reason that it fails to live up to its expectation. A Stephen King book set in a theme park with a supernatural history, seems like an instant home run. Unfortunately, the story lacks the creepy, uneasy feeling that would be expected.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy some of King’s less traumatic works. Fairytale is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. However, Joyland fails to deliver on the overall payout of the story.
To be honest, when the killer is revealed to be Lane Hardy, I had forgotten that there was a mystery to be solved. The stakes just never seemed that high compared to whether or not Devin would end up winning the heart of single mom Annie.
Overall, this would have been a good story if the mystery was taken out of it. Devin’s story of finding himself was engrossing and I really enjoyed seeing that through. It’s odd to say but Stephen King should have just left the thrill out of this theme park.
If you are interested in a story that takes place in a theme park that delivers on dark themes try Fantasticland.
Overall,
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
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