Joyland by Stephen King
BY STEPHEN KING
PUBLISHED: 2013
AVERAGE RATING: 3.90
283 PAGES
★★★★☆
So, as a big Stephen King fan, I figured it had been too long since the last time I read one of his books. Seeing Joyland in the shelves for several weeks at work made the choice of which book to start on pretty easy.
Joyland is the 50th novel Stephen King has written and King has told that it grew from an image he’d had in his head for 20 years, of a boy in a wheelchair flying a Jesus kite on the beach. It was published the 4th of June in 2013 and holds the genre’s mystery and crime.
For me, “Joyland” was yet another proof that I don’t read Stephen King’s works just because he's so good at scaring you and creeping you out in a way that makes the lights in your bedroom stay on for months. It’s also because he creates universes and characters that feels so real and are so interesting to follow. “Joyland” is not a scary book. Yes, It’s a crime and mystery book, absolutely, but King’s usual terrifying horror-elements is not the reason you pick this one to read. But there’s a lot of other reasons that you would.
Devin Jones is a typical young man. He is a student who needs money, and he has a girlfriend who is about to break up with him, although he doesn't know it yet. Neither does he know that his new summer job in Joyland, a small amusement park, will make the sommer one he'll remember for ever. For several reasons
Joyland is a book about being young, and growing up. It’s a book about love, and how love sometimes can leave you crushed into little peaces. It’s a book about friendship and it’s a book about a beautiful, colorful amusement park. And of course, it’s a book about an unsolved crime involving a killer that never got caught.
I finished it in about three or four days and I was very pleased. It's not the most exciting story I've read from him, but he writes so good and you really connect with the main character. He describes being at Devin’s age (early 20’s) in such an accurate way I hadn't really thought about it before I read the book. The other characters in this book is also very good. And whenever Devin is at work at the amusement park, I seriously feel that I'm there. I can smell the popcorn. All in all, it was a nice break from the daily life and just a really pleasant read.
