Cell: A Novel by Stephen King Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cell: A Novel
Book Review: Fun, rage filled zombie romp
Summary: 4 Stars
I liked this book. It was a fast paced read for me and was based on the premise that a signal being broadcast through cell phones will drive anyone who hears it into rage (think of 28 days later - rage filled zombies). The story follows a man trying to find his family after this occurs and the people he meets along the way. Overall, the book was a fun read, and had an interesting twist in the middle, but I disliked the ending. I can't help feeling that King got tired of writing and just stopped - adding a hasty ending.Book Review: Good, solid end of world novel
Summary: 3 Stars
First, a confession: I am not much of a Stephen King fan. Never have been, never will be. That might be the reason why I like this novel while so many diehard King fans here don't.
If you're a fan of "end-of-the-world" novels, I think you'll enjoy Cell. The other reviews go into far more detail than I need to here. I'll just say that what I enjoyed most was the fact that the suvival of the little band of main characters was realistic (within the otherwise silly framework of a cell phone pulse generated end to the world, of course). The main characters - all of whom I found rather likeable - had to plot, plan and think their way through a series of realistic problems (again, realistic within the framework of the novel, of course). I don't think you'll be disappointed if you take the novel at that level. There are a few real surprises in the novel as well. One thing that was a little hard to swallow was how intelligent the two children were in the little group of survivors. The two, a 12 year old and a 15 year old, seemed to be the smartest people of the whole group. Sorry, don't buy it.
Still, this was a worthwhile novel.
Book Review: Great Page Turner
Summary: 4 Stars
I have never been a huge King fan, but I grabbed this one for a change. I was very surprised. This book moves along fast and has some great action and suspense. He makes cell phone zombies sound so real! His descriptive ability is still amazing. His vocabulary and characters are spot on. King has not lost his touch.Book Review: Great concept; freaky outcome!
Summary: 4 Stars
In typical Stephen King fashion, he takes a rather simple concept like the cell phone and turns it into an apocalyptic horror. The writing style and his ability to pull you in and drag you through the heart of the story makes this book and easy read and makes the reader want to push forward to see it through. The thought that an unheard (by the reader) cell phone "pulse"-like signal can wipe our brains clean and then cause some sort of mysterious reprogramming of our most basic survival instincts, and then throw some supernatural abilities on top of that, gives this story the darkness that grabs hold without delay.
The only real disapointments were the ambiguous ending (which wouldn't be so bad if a sequel was planned--which would work for this story), and also the fact that we never really find out the origin of the pulse and its ultimate intentions (again, this could be explained in a sequel). The story does have a taste of "The Stand" and "28 Days Later" in it, but the uniqueness behind this sort of apocalypse in particular gives the story its own integrity.
The best news is that it will be a movie in 2009, so maybe the screen adaptation will fill in some of the blanks.
Book Review: Great idea but poorly though out.. (spoilers)
Summary: 3 Stars
Cell had an unoriginal idea (zombies causing havoc and mayhem throughout the world) with a twist (its caused by cell phones).
Clayton Riddell is about to celebrate his comic book being published While in Boston things turn murderous. Almost everyone around him turns into flesh eating zombies. After he manages to barely escape he meets up with Thomas and Alice, who turn out to be his traveling companions as he makes his way back to Maine and his family.
Great story right..well somewhat.
I think King had a good idea (cautionary tale about how technology has taken over our whole world), but when the zombies somehow got these huge telepathic powers with their brains somehow being rebooted it just made no sense.
Perhaps it was the ending, anyone who has read SK novels through the years has come to know that his endings all in all tend to just be either really good (Bag of Bones, and the Green Mile); fairly anti-climatic (Dreamcatcher, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon) or just plain bad (Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and the DT).
I just think he could have done so much better with this novel and was rather disappointed with it in the end.