Later ★★★☆☆

Later (Click Here To Buy)

★★★☆☆ (3.5 stars)

Later by Stephen King is a fiction book about a kid who can see dead people.

I read this on loan from the library.

Jamie Conklin is being raised in New York by his single mom, Tia, who is a literary agent. Jamie has been able to see dead people for as long as he can remember. Mostly him and his mom don’t talk about it, but after a few unfortunate deaths, first Jamie’s mom, and then her ex-girlfriend Liz, both recruit Jamie’s “talents” to get vital information from those who have passed…until things get taken too far.

This was a junk food read to me and I mean it in the best way. I love Stephen King, he’s one of, if not, my favorite authors. The last book I read was The Stand, and this book just felt so short and underdeveloped to me. I was entertained the whole time and love his iconic foreshadowing style, but the plot itself just didn’t feel that original. Should you read it? Hell yeah. Is it Shakespeare? Absolutely not. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

King has written hella books, and I’ve read a grip of them. I’ve noticed a style that has emerged since around 2014 that has what I can only describe as the same “color” as this book. If you want to read more King like this, check out The Outsider, The Bill Hodges Trilogy, Elevation, and If It Bleeds (Specifically Mr. Harrigan's Phone).

If you liked Later, I also recommend The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Long Bright River by Liz Moore, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.

Happy reading 👻

Ms.Bjork

P.S. Isn't this just the greatest shirt ever?