Book Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Title: 11/22/63
Author: Stephen King
Paperback: 880 pages
Published: July 24, 2012 by Gallery Books
 (first published November 2011)
Setting: Maine 2011; Derry, Maine 1958;
  Jodie, Texas
Literary Awards: World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2012), Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire Nominee for Roman étranger (2014), Goodreads Choice for Best Science Fiction (2011), Kono Mystery ga Sugoi for Best Translated Mystery Novel of the Year in Japan (2014), Japanese Booksellers Award Nominee for Translated Fiction (2014)

from Goodreads:

Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away . . . but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke. . . . Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten . . . and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.

Alleluia's Review:

This is a doorstop book! 849 pages! I definitely would recommend reading it before you used if for that though. I love time travel and I loved this one. I can see it being made into a movie. If you are hesitating because it has to do with the assassination of President Kennedy - don't. It is so much more than that. The initial concept is fairly typical - a time gate where you wouldn't expect one. The hero is very human - you can relate to him. He is awed by the initial experience, then determined to embark on his first mission. Keeping in mind the end result pushes him to do what he normally would never do. What happens is not that "fantastic" meaning that you feel as though this is a real person figuring things out. He doesn't have any magic powers. He is just a guy trying to make a difference. And he can dance. That's a plus in my book. It was a page-turner as expected. Even though I suspected that it would be, I was worried about getting it read in the 6 weeks our book club allotted. I read it in 2. Every time I sat down, I dove in. It is a really good book. Yes, there are crazy people and some gruesome murders, but it was really good. And the conclusion was satisfying to me.

Yes, I gave it 5 stars! You can get your copy from Amazon here, or from Barnes & Noble here or at your local library!