Doctor Sleep/The Shining

I am starting my book blog with my favorite read of the past 12 months.  Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, by Stephen King, is one of the best books I've ever read. I read The Shining many years ago.  I saw the movie first, but several years after the movie, I read the book.  I, like Stephen King, found the book to be much better than the movie.  So when I heard a sequel was being released, I decided to re-read The Shining first.  I thought The Shining was even better than it was on the first read, but maybe I'm just older and wiser and get more out of it that I could when I was younger.

I anxiously awaited the release of Doctor Sleep, so I pre-ordered it from my local Barnes & Noble; I wanted to ENSURE that I would be able to get it on the very first day of its release.  I devoured Doctor Sleep in about a week, which is a fast read for such a long, "meaty" novel.  It was not a light read and every page was packed with substance.  In Doctor Sleep, Danny Torrence, the little boy with the gift of "the shining" is all grown up and facing issues with adulthood.  He, like his father, has battled alcohol addiction and has faced career obstacles as a result.  He is now working with terminally ill patients, helping them to "cross to the other side".  There is a danger lurking in the community, however, that threatens Danny and all others with similar gifts.

I have to say what I loved most about Doctor Sleep is that it made The Shining even better.  This book provided many details that filled in some holes in the first book.  It embellished the stories of Dan, as well as his father John, to provide an ever greater back story and continuation of Dan's life.Now that I've read Doctor Sleep, I want to go back to read The Shining again....for a third time.

My rating:  97/100
The bottom line:  Great suspense, strong character development