Rating: 4/5
***I was gifted an early copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review and publicity***
TR: mentions of incest, drug use
First of all, I want to thank Hard Case Crime with my entire being. Stephen King is my favorite author and I never thought in my entire life I'd have my hands on an ARC for one of his books. I had emailed marketing at Hard Case Crime back in January, because you miss any opportunity you don't attempt, but I wasn't really expecting them to send me a copy. You can't just send out copies to every grubby book reviewer (me, I'm the grubby book reviewer) that asks for a copy. And that's totally fine! So, you can imagine how incredibly excited I was when this ARC appeared on my doorstep one day at the beginning of February. As an added bonus, the book was also really good! Sure, there were a couple things that I didn't care for, but overall it was just another great King book. But I'm rambling, let's get into the actual review.
Summary from the back of the book:
"The son of a struggling single mother, Jaime Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jaime is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jaime can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using his ability is higher than Jaime can imagine-- as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.
LATER is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King's classic novel IT, LATER is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears."
Reading this book felt like coming home to me, I wonder if King also felt that way (at least a little) while he was writing. I say this, because this book reminded me of The Shining, Mr. Mercedes, and IT all wrapped into a compact, contemporary ghost story. I say this in a good way, I really enjoyed all of those books (especially Mr. Mercedes, I don't feel like that book gets enough hype). First of all, we have the classic blunt, sharp writing that I've come to associate with King. His writing is simple, but in a meaningful way. It isn't written to confuse, it's written to tell a story and to make sure the reader understands what's going on. There's nothing wrong with really complicated writing, but I've always felt it can detract from the story; I don't want to get lost in the flowery writing, I want to get lost in the story. I've never had that problem with King, and that's why he's my favorite. The character development that we see for the protagonist and the main characters is amazing. Following Jaime his entire life, seeing everything that he sees, it isn't surprising that he starts to become jaded by the book's conclusion. It was such a gradual shift in his attitude towards the blasé regarding his ability, that shows his acceptance and how he's adapted to deal with it.
The development of the story as a whole, was also very good. There was enough action/intrigue to keep the reader's attention all the way through the book but not so much that it was overwhelming. The action was engaging and meaningful to the story, it was integral to understanding Jaime and in understanding what those around him want. It's largely those around him causing his fall from innocence. The dialogue felt natural. It flowed without ever feeling stiff or stilted. Even young Jaime's perspective didn't feel overly-adult. It felt relatively appropriate given his age and also given the fact that adult Jaime is the one recalling events. It's fair that a remembered past would be written in a way that gives the young version of the rememberer more of an adult-air about them. Also, let's give King some points for including some queer characters. Even though there were quite a few hefty issues between Tia and Liz, I still thought it was nice to see some queer visibility.
So, what didn't I like? Well, I get that the way the story was written as though the protagonist is writing his past experiences down in story form. I suppose a young person writing their life story and intending to focus on the gritty parts, wouldn't have much use for self-description. But I don't know what the protagonist looks like and I never like that. I don't like it when I have no description to go off of and I'm just kind of left in the dark. I probably know Liz down to the wrinkle, but nothing for the protagonist. Another thing, is that the main character's speech patterns really weren't very modern. He's supposed to be almost the exact same age as me (I'm 23), and it is also based in the 2000s. So this kid was probably born in the late 90s, but he uses some outdated turns-of-phrase on occasion. My chief complaint with this book though, I imagine is the one that might get a lot of people. I'm taking about the surprise incest that's kind of tacked on randomly. I won't get specific because I don't want to spoil anything. Just know that it didn't feel well-incorporated. I think if you're going to put something that intense (it's mentioned, you don't see the act itself per se) in a book, you need to really build up to it. Obvious hints need to be included beforehand. It almost felt like a passing thought because I was so unprepared for it. Like, I feel like there needed to be more of an implied dynamic established beforehand to get the vibe. Without it, it just felt too callous. So, yeah, it lost a bit because of that.
So, there were a few problems with the book, but it was still very good. Every book has its problems and they didn't change the fact that this book was still a taut, creepy, compelling read. I just really enjoyed the story and the execution was everything that I needed it to be. It's also a very short book, so you should be able to read it in no time at all (it only took me two days). If you've never read a Stephen King book, then this is even a good one to start with. It's so quick, and it doesn't get bogged down in description like King sometimes has a tendency to so. If you're interested in buying Later by: Stephen King, it will be available Tuesday, March 2nd in paperback everywhere books are sold! It's currently available for preorder (you know I still preordered a copy). Once again, thank you so much to Hard Case Crime for sending me a copy, I'm going to be forever grateful!