Having never read a Stephen King book, this was a new experience that I was not quite prepared for. Even though this book began so disturbingly, I couldn't stop reading out of pure curiosity. There was a lot of sorrow, pain, and death in this book, but i had to know who done it. And even though this book was so long, it was very necessary. This book made me feel empathy, shock, sadness, and fear. I applaud any author who can genuinely make the reader feel very real emotions. That is a gift, and so is this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not easily frightened (because there were some nights I was reading in the dark and caught myself searching the room for El Cuco).
I think I may just check out another Stephen King novel soon.

DNF, couldn’t get into it, bailed half way through

King Fan

I love Stephen King. This one started a little slow--probably because I wasn't in the mood for this type of genre at the time I started reading it. It wasn't long, however, and I was captured by the tale, flipping quickly through the pages.

One of the best thrillers I have read in a long time! Kept me on the edge of my seat!

This book was one of my most anticipated for this year, and the fact that since September 2016, I dedicated myself to reading all of King’s work. So it’s a no brainer that I would read this book. Now, last year King teamed up with his son in Sleeping Beauties. That was a book that hade a lot of hype, but it didn’t deliver for a lot of people myself included. So with this one I was excited, but I didn’t want to get caught up in the hype.
Thank goodness this book is so much better! It does have some scary stuff, but I wouldn’t call this a horror book per se. That being said, there is a lot of incredibly dark and twisted things here that kept me flipping pages for the past two days. Similar to the Bill Hodges books, you are following a murder mystery, however it seems pretty clear on who did it until we go a little deeper. I will say that I love this book. For over 500 pages, this flys quick, every sentence is necessary to fully appreciate this story, the characters are memorable and you can sympathize with them, so it makes for a very emotional, suspenseful, and exciting read.
If you’re a fan of King or not, this is still a great book and I will say that this is something that many current mystery writers need to look at. As with all other of his books, this references past works, but if you haven’t read them you won’t be confused or spoiled. This is a stand-alone that anyone can jump into. Read it now!

This novel was very on brand for Stephen King, and if you expect anything else prepare to be disappointed. A thrilling mystery that quickly dances into the supernatural, The Outsider follows a group of investigators hunting down the culprit behind a brutal child murder. When their main suspect provides an airtight alibi and the case begins to unravel, they're forced to consider the impossible.

Like most of King's novels, The Outsider was full of potential but ultimately fell into a tired pattern. The intro was full of suspenseful buildup and anticipation, the rising action and ultimate reveal were long and drawn out, and the resolution felt rushed and unfulfilling. King spends plenty of time weaving the mystery and hyping up the monster, but then flakes when it comes time to explain the twists and major points. He even has the characters repeatedly state that they're only guessing and it's left at that... As most people say, it's like two different novels. Not so much because of the supernatural twist, but for me it was the quality of the story. The beginning was so rich, only for it to drop off into long winded expositions, hollow developments, and painfully one dimensional characters who lacked any ounce of genuineness.

I've never been a big fan of Stephen King so I wasn't totally surprised or disappointed. The mystery was intriguing and I had no trouble staying with it. At times, it was even scary, keeping me up a few nights. But as usual, it could have been better.