Title: Doctor Sleep
(The Shining Series #2)
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Paranormal
First published: 2013
Finished reading: February 26th 2015
Pages: 560
“I changed it. I had to. Do you know why?” She studied him, her eyes grave. “Because that was then and this is now. Because the past is gone, even though it defines the present.”
I absolutely loved reading The Shining last August, so when I found I actually had a copy of the sequel that Stephen King had written many years later I just HAD to bump it to the top of my TBR list. Why I ended up waiting so long before reading it is still a mystery… Anyhow, I always enjoy the thriller/horror genre, especially when they are scary enough not to be read home alone and at night. So I had high hopes for Doctor Sleep after having experienced just that with The Shining. Now I’ve read the sequel, I cannot say anything else than that it definitely lived up to my expectations. Being able to see Danny, one of my favorite horror characters, all grown up was just as good as I thought it was (even though I didn’t like him in the beginning of the sequel). The new main character, Abra, is even more awesome than Danny in The Shining, and the True Knot bunch are definitely scary enough to be King-worthy. The fast pace, plot and prose just make you want to keep on reading and I couldn’t get enough of it. In short, this is definitely a must read if you enjoy reading thrillers or horror stories!
Dan Torrance is now all grown up and his life after surviving the Overlook Hotel disaster hasn’t been easy. Living with his special gift, the shining, isn’t easy and against his will he ended up following his father’s footsteps… Alcoholism and violence slowly destroying him. When he decides to settle down in a New Hampshire town because it felt right, he slowly starts to rebuild his life. His new boss introduces him to the AA community, and his shining helps the people at his job in a nursing home find peace when they are dying. Aided by a very special cat who tells the other employees the end of a patient is near, they soon start to call him Doctor Sleep…
Trouble is waiting around the corner as the True Knot tribe is slowly killing off children with the shining…They live on the steam that those children produce when they are slowly tortured to death, and they are always hunting for more. Dan always knew at some point he would be guiding someone else with the shining, and that someone turns out to be Abra Stone. She is more powerful than he ever was and has been able to reach him for years without Dan knowing her true identity. When they finally meet and find out her life is in danger, they are determined to join their powers and fight those monsters… But Dan has his own demons to fight as well. Will they be able to stop the True Knot before it’s too late?
This is a typical story where the good guys have to fight against evil, but Doctor Sleep doesn’t get cliche. The kick ass main characters, fast pace, brilliant plot and healthy dose of horror makes this book turn into one of my favorite reads this year and one of my favorite King novels so far. I’ll stop fangirling now, but not before repeating that this sequel is definitely a must read for those who enjoy the genre! I guess Doctor Sleep can be read without reading The Shining first, but since both are really good my suggestion would be to read them in order. You won’t regret it.
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