This is the second SK novel I have read, and I will say right off the bat that this one was much better than Cujo. With Cujo, I felt like everything was way too descriptive, and it could've been a book that was less than 100 pages. With Carrie, I wanted more of everything!

If you've seen the movie, you know the general plotline, so I went into this read knowing the story. Carrie is the daughter of Margaret White, notorious in the small town for being hyper-religious, and has grown up constantly under her mother's scrutiny. When Carrie discovers she possesses telekinetic powers, she fears her mother's reaction. Constantly bullied during school, Carrie's tolerance reaches a breaking point when she is the victim of a cruel prank at the prom. Her ever-growing powers cause her to seek revenge in a truly horrifying and devastating way.

I really enjoyed the movie for this one, so I felt like I could go into it knowing I'd enjoy reading it more than my previous SK read. Typically, the book was much better than the film. Getting to know Carrie more personally, and the struggles she faces not only at home with her hyper-religious mother but also socially at school with her peers, really helped create a sense of empathy towards her. You can see why she snapped in the way she did. As I was reading this, it took me back to high school. I was one of those people who was nice to everyone, regardless of reputation or who they hung out with. I always thought that you never knew what someone was going through, and you never know what someone is capable of. Reading about Carrie's struggles really helped solidify those choices I made as a teen, and still make today.

One of the truly enjoyable points of SK's writing in this one was the inclusion of newspaper articles, police dispatches and writings from survivors. It really made this story believable, and definitely had me second guessing whether this actually happened in a small town in Maine