Review of Later by Stephen King
by Brandy Davis
The start of a new year always has my quick look back at the year before, and one of the many books I enjoyed this past year was Stephen King's Later. A return to his earlier crime novel style, with his typical twists of the abnormal. If you've enjoyed his Mr Mercedes series then this might be your next read.
The story follows a boy who has the ability to see and speak to dead people for a short period after their death. He walks us through instances of using this in his life and how others have reacted. His single mother, a literary agent with one big writer left as her clientele, starts to date a police detective. Issues arise and the decticive is removed from their lives but not before she learns his secret. The detective years later drags him into the persuit of a killer who threatens to stick around much longer after his death than a couple of hours or days.
Later is a story of trials to test the grey areas of right and wrong. It's a exploration of the what if's of death and those connected to the world in different ways. There's a sense of growth and a tenderness towards loss. Its in interesting discussion of change and grief, with a delightfully spine chilling horror story in the mix.
