Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

4.5 Stars

Have you ever caught yourself, maybe while reading a Stephen King book or maybe just at some random moment, wondering whatever happened to little Danny Torrance?  Lucky for all of us Stephen King did too.  “Doctor Sleep” picks up where “The Shining” left off.  It briefly covers the aftermath of the experiences at the Overlook Hotel before fast-forwarding in presidential term increments through Dan’s life.

If you have been a reader of Stephen King for 25 years like I have, you’ll notice that his style has changed significantly.  Now I know that haters are gonna hate and some want the “Master of Horror” to just horrify them, but I am delighted with Stephen King 2.0.  Ever since coming back from hiatus after his near-death experience, it seems to me that King’s novels have taken on a new depth that they did not have before.  Not only has he written things that I don’t think the “old King” would have written (“11/22/63”), but he writes with so much more character depth and with very little emphasis on obtaining a “creep out factor”. 

If you/your book club/whatever is looking for a terrifying book for Halloween, “Doctor Sleep” is not it.  On the other hand, if you want a rock-solid novel that you will literally not be willing to separate yourself from until you are finished, “Doctor Sleep” is a winner.  (My poor family was 100% neglected for 28 hours.)  Most importantly, if you have been invested in Danny’s life since waaaaaaay back in the 70s and want to see what became of him, “Doctor Sleep” will not disappoint.