The Outsider

By Stephen King

Adult Fiction

Reviewed by Gail-Morden Branch Administrator

    I have been a Stephen King fan forever.  When he publishes a new book it isn't IF I will read it, but WHEN will I get to it?

    The Outsider is part mystery, part thriller, and part science fiction.  As always, King has a way of climbing into your brain and leading you through his story.

    This story starts with the brutal murder of a young boy.  All the evidence points toward a good guy that everyone likes, a pillar of the community. The first 1/3 of the book had me bouncing back and forth as evidence argued both his innocence and his guilt.  Then came the twist and what a twist it was.  I wondered how I could still have 2/3 of the book to read after everything that had already happened.

    I haven't loved all of King's books but this one held my interest from beginning to end.  The twists and turns kept me wanting to jump ahead but I couldn't because the story had captured me completely and it needed to be read in order.

    While I loved the story, I have to admit I didn't love the ending.  It felt a little too convenient, like they gave the author X number of pages and he had to wrap it up.  Fast.  Having said that, I would still recommend this book because the story is good enough to make up for the ending, and another reader may like the ending better than I did.

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