Later by Stephen King || Review || RD

Right off the bat, I just want to say that it is amazing how King is still writing stuff as good as this considering his age, considering his amount of output and considering the quality of output and the mark on literature he has already left behind.

Jamie Conklin has the ability to see things no one else can see. But this ability can easily be used for very nefarious purposes. Luckily, he has his mom protecting him in every step of the way, making sure he keeps his ability a secret while trying to keep them afloat through the decades. But things take a sharp turn when a detective enlists his help in catching killers and drug kingpins.

Without getting into spoilers, just to get it out of the way, yes this is the extended Stephen King universe and has links to some very important things which you will instantly recognise if you have read King's other works. The man is 73 years old and still chipping away at his multiverse.

His new book is surprisingly solid. I read this in the first week it came out and it has been swirling in my mind ever since and I can't help but applaud King's character work here. There were moments which made me really emotional and the mother-son relationship here is the beating heart of the story. We love our moms. So it is so easily relatable here to see this duo just struggle against life here.

The first half of this book is kind of perfect and all the struggle he and his mom go through really make you care for him. I was moved at certain moments, I just went and gave my own mother a hug. All of it is just so inherently relatable and I'm glad King chose something he is so familiar with here.

The story itself is quite a mish-mash, turning from crime to horror to crime back again. That's also a compliment. King keeps most of the story fresh and running and I was never bored here. In fact, the buildup here is so good, I punched my fist in the air in the middle of the story where....well certain good things happen to our protagonists. It just feels so well earned after everything they go through. It really is a testament to King's skill as a writer here. He has such a sharpened blade from his years of experience, that he knows exactly when to let things loose.

The back half of this story is kind of dragging though. We get unnecessary exposition on the core concept of this story, which just makes the first half look poorer. The mysterious vibe actually suited it way better. Also Liz, Jamie's mom's girlfriend goes through an extremely rushed character makeover. It is just too much to swallow at once and it doesn't hit like the earlier parts did, especially considering just how jarring this character change is. It is just flat out unearned and makes the ending unsatisfying. The last twist here does make me evaluate the story in a different light somewhat but again not really.

The book has a solid first half, an amazing middle section but a faltering end. The middle section especially has a perfect haunting sequence that ratchets up the tension to eleven. Ultimately, this is a very solid book by a master of the craft, a skilled veteran.

I'm just a fan of reading King for lazy pleasure now.