Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.
This is one of the less spooky books by Stephen King that I have read, but that just brings into focus how well he can tell a story. Nobody does characterization like he does. Even the secondary characters are well rounded and feel finished. This story in particular focuses on the relationships between people and how a series of different relationships help shape Devin’s life. Set primarily around the amusement park Joyland, the whole thing just has a fun, carny feel to it that’s actually charming instead of off putting like I thought it might be
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This story definitely has a different feel to it than other books I’ve read from King in the past that some people might not be into but I thought it worked. There was a bit of mystery to it, but not as much or as intense as some of his other novels. The fantastic story telling and depth of the characters make it a worthwhile read for sure. Devin comes across a bunch of different characters (as you would expect given the line of work) It tells about love and loss, bitterness and moving on in a no B.S. manner. King just gets how people think, what makes them tick and his characters are believable with realistic reactions and their thoughts don’t seem forced or staged like you run into in so many novels. It is definitely worth picking up.
Literary Grind 