Heartache, murder, new beginnings, friendships, and a haunting are all key themes behind Stephen King's Joyland.
What starts as a summer job working as a Carney becomes much more for Devin. Being separated from his first love Wendy and knowing the distance is more than geographical, his heartache dictates his actions. Taking a fondness toward certain jobs at Joyland sees Devin become a local hero, ultimately putting his personal grief aside to allow for a new person to enter the frame.
I loved the atmosphere and real sense of Joyland being a summer escape. The essence of the Carney life is capture beautifully with Devin a different kind of protagonist, made better by a solid supporting cast.
I loved the atmosphere and real sense of Joyland being a summer escape. The essence of the Carney life is capture beautifully with Devin a different kind of protagonist, made better by a solid supporting cast.
The criminal element is on the peripheral; this is a character driven story first, crime/ghost story second. Being a Stephen King novel there was always going to be an element of the supernatural/other worldly, yet in Joyland it is delivered in a subtle manner that suits the tone of the book.
On a side note, I've previously mentioned how attracted I am to good book covers, ones that especially portray a character in appropriate fashion and/or set the mood for the story contained within. Joyland does both. Erin, is a Hollywood girl who I imagine looks much like the cover model, her job is to take snap shots of the people who visit Joyland. She's also Devin's partner in compiling evidence surrounding the reason behind the haunting at Joyland, the cover art depicts this perfectly.
What the cover doesn't show is just how fractured and unassuming Devin is, how endearing and honest, how heroic and emotional this unlikely protagonist is. That is a treat for the reader to enjoy.
On a side note, I've previously mentioned how attracted I am to good book covers, ones that especially portray a character in appropriate fashion and/or set the mood for the story contained within. Joyland does both. Erin, is a Hollywood girl who I imagine looks much like the cover model, her job is to take snap shots of the people who visit Joyland. She's also Devin's partner in compiling evidence surrounding the reason behind the haunting at Joyland, the cover art depicts this perfectly.
What the cover doesn't show is just how fractured and unassuming Devin is, how endearing and honest, how heroic and emotional this unlikely protagonist is. That is a treat for the reader to enjoy.
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