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Revival (2014)

Before reading: In all honesty I have no idea what this one is. I got it confused with Elevation. I'm also not even sure what that one is. There is a church on the cover and it is called Revival so I have some clues but other than that I have no idea what I'm in for. I feel like I've heard positive things about this but I don't hear about it often. So...yeah. Here we go. 

After reading: I don't exactly know why, but I really really liked this one. Like I feel like it isn't as good as I think it was? This was probably one of my favorites. I wouldn't necessarily say like "this was so good!" but I would say that I really super enjoyed it. Something that I bring up often is how great of a character writer King is and I think that was really the crux of this one. The characters were so great and so vivid. It was simply a very readable and enjoyable book. Beyond the characters, this was a take on a classic horror tale and I found it to be well executed. It definitely felt like a modern version of a classic horror and veered in a different direction, especially at the end. Much like King tends to do, this was a story that was heavy on the metaphors but it didn't feel as in-your-face as some as his other stories do. Like, yes, this is about grief and death and addiction, but it is all at face value. It didn't feel preachy (pun unintended), it felt organic. 

While this isn't necessarily scary in a build up and jump scare type of way, I did feel like it was one of the most horrifying King books I've read. There was a lot of ...ethical horror? Is that a thing? Right and wrong, but in a very unsettling and terrifying way. Additionally, it was one of the most gruesome King books I have read in a while. The gore was not throughout but when it happened, it was done in a big way. 

This wasn't perfect, most of King's books aren't. But it had a lot of heart and drive and took us back to King horror. This was also a quick read which was a nice change. I loved this one. It might not be for everybody but I would definitely recommend at least giving it a read. 

Up next we are onto book two in the Bill Hodges trilogy and the next book in the Holly Gibney series, Finders Keepers. You already know I'm excited so let's go. 



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