The Outsider by Stephen King
Genres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 576
Cover: Paperback
Age rating: 14+
Buy on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
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An unimaginable offense. A confusing study. King has produced one of his most disturbing and engrossing stories at a time when his brand has never been stronger. The body of an eleven-year-old boy is discovered in a town park.
Fingerprints and eyewitnesses identify one of Flint City's most well-liked residents. He is Terry Maitland, a husband, father of two kids, English teacher, and Little League coach. A swift and highly visible arrest is made by Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland used to coach. Anderson and the district attorney quickly supplemented Maitland's alibi with DNA evidence in addition to the fingerprints and witnesses. They appear to have a strong case.
King's gripping narrative accelerates as the inquiry deepens and terrifying revelations start to surface, creating intense tension and nearly intolerable suspense. Although Terry Maitland appears like a good man, is he hiding something? As only Stephen King can, you will be shocked when the answer is revealed.
SPOIL ALERT!
This was my first horror read, as well as my first Stephen King book. Since I'm a fantasy girl, I wanted to try something new, and because I heard Stephen King was a really good author, I bought one of his books, The Outsider. Now, I don't do well with horror, but I thought I would be fine because I'm just reading it rather than watching it. Boy, was I wrong.
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First of all, this story is utterly tragic, starting with the gruesome death of an eleven-year-old boy, followed by the death of Terry Maitland, who was wrongly accused of killing the boy. Even though his wife had told Detective Ralph multiple times that Terry wouldn't do such a thing, no one believed her. How could they? When the real culprit was wearing Terry's face while committing the hideous act.
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What really keeps me awake is the anxious feeling of fear throughout the book, combined with the effect that someone is there, looking at you. I love how everything seems so real in this book, from the details to the character's actions, like a domino effect. I was thinking about putting the book down because of how scary it was, but I couldn't; the book had this addicting atmosphere that grabbed me to finish it.
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I also love the character of Detective Ralph, how determined he is, and how he's the only one who tries to listen to Terry's wife. And was the person that cracked the case in the end. Moreover, his relationship with Holly was very sweet and natural.
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What I felt that the author could do better was the ending. It felt a bit underwhelming how they left it sort of open, and open endings aren't my thing. I also feel like the author was trying to wrap all the events together and tried to bring some justice for Terry, but it felt somehow lackluster, considering that The Outsider is a supernatural being.
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All in all, I still really enjoy the book, though after this novel, I conclude that horrors simply aren't my thing. But it is a must read for thouse horror lovers out there!