Cell is one of those books that deserves more attention than it received. Granted, with how prolific King is, I think it's fair to say that any number of great books -- Cell, Duma Key, Revival etc. -- fall through the cracks of even the most ardent fans.

I've read this book probably a dozen times. It was one of the first King books I gravitated toward in high school after running through a lot of his early stuff (mainly IT and The Stand). For that reason, I think I remember it fondly because there are sequences of pure terror here, sequences that gave me nightmares. The opening thirty pages are a perfect example of this.

On a reread, I'm struck by how dark and often cynical this book is, too. Sure, it's King's interpretation of zombies, his Night of the Living Dead, but there are few, if any, bright moments. Even the ending is dour and largely hopeless. That makes it stand out from other King books (which, even at their darkest, usually have some sort of light).

Not perfect by any means, but I think a lot of Cell still holds up.