"Carrie" (1974) by Stephen King REVIEW

I am a growing fan of Stephen King and I felt that I can't properly call myself that until I read his debut novel Carrie.

Carrietta "Carrie" White's entire life is nothing to be desired: she is constantly bullied at school, she has no friends, and her psychotic over-religious mother believes Carrie to be a devil spawn. However, no one knows the power she possesses, the ability to move inanimate objects at will: telekinesis. At first, she keeps it to herself, practicing and testing her limits, until one night when enough was enough.

For a story that could easily have been covered in 100 straightforward pages, Stephen King extends the story to 245. Going back and forth between the present story and the documentations of the events in the end, King's debut novel is reasonably paced and masterfully written with characters that feel real and bone-chilling moments (I shuddered a few times reading this).

Though there were some parts where the story could have picked up pace, this debut thriller is one worth reading by all.

Rating: 15+
4.5/5 Stars

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Kevin Lau

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