Page count: 403 [excluding one page author’s note]

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Scribner

When he was only 6-years-old Jamie Morton met Reverend Charlie Jacobs. It was a meeting that would entwine the two men for the rest of their lives.

Jacobs was the new preacher in Morton’s small Maine town. Everyone loved him, his beautiful wife and loving son. However, when they were taken from him, Jacobs lost his faith, lost his job, and almost lost his mind.

The next time Charlie Jacobs crosses paths with Jamie Morton, Jamie is in his mid-thirties and a full-blown heroin addict who has played rock music since he was 13-years-old. Charlie Jacobs cures him of his addiction. There is a price to pay for all quick fixes though and next they meet, Jacobs will expect the bill paid in full.

The characters that Stephen King builds are onions that develop with each new layer peeled. The ones in Revival are no different. King tantalises with slow reveals that leave you wanting more throughout, especially from the novel’s protagonist, but satisfied with the end result.

The plot that spins a web around these characters is weaved to perfection. An enjoyable journey that dodges and weaves its way to a surprising conclusion.

I was convinced by about halfway through the novel that I knew how it was going to end. Boy, was I ever wrong. The plot takes an unexpected and wildly fun turn towards the end.

Revival is a novel that’s not to be missed by King fans, horror fans, or those who enjoy a strange story.

Rating: 5/5