Welcome, or Welcome back! My name is Amanda and this is where I share spoiler-free book reviews and other bookish things. Not every book is my cup of tea – and that’s ok. Even if I didn’t like it, I attempt to find readers that would. Thanks for visiting. Let’s get Smitten For Fiction.

I started reading Stephen King books when I was about thirteen. My dad would read King’s newest novel, then give it to me to read. Almost thirty years later, my father still gives me his King novels. A few years ago, I learned King’s books were connected in a vast multiverse so in 2019, I decided to re-read all of his work in order of publication. It’s been a slow go, as I get distracted with other books (too many books, not enough time).

This review is about The Dead Zone originally published in 1979 by Viking Press. After re-reading the book I watched the adaptation starring Christopher Walken released in 1983 and some of the TV series that ran from 2002-2007.

The Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) took inspiration from The Dead Zone, Firestarter, Carrie, The Body, The Shining and It.

How it’s connected to King’s multiverse:
– features the town Castle Rock
– George Bannerman also appears in Cujo, a short story called The Body and is mentioned in the novella Gwendy’s Button Box
– Bowden from Apt Pupil is mentioned along with Marsten from Salem’s Lot
– Richard Dees appears in a short story called The Night Flier
– a character mentioned the book Carrie
– The town Jerusalem’s Lot is mentioned
– A character in The Dark Tower mentions reading The Dead Zone
– One of the roads is called Flagg Street

My Five-Star Re-Read Stephen King Novels (in no particular order):
Carrie
Salem’s Lot
The Shining
The Stand
The Long Walk
The Running Man

About The Book 📚

Title: The Dead Zone

Author: Stephen King

Publication Date: 1979

Publisher: Viking Press

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Pages: 402

Content Warnings: medical content, car accident, rape, murder, animal cruelty, gun violence, death, suicide, terminal illness, grief, child abuse, chronic illness, pedophilia, infidelity, racism, alcohol, foul language, homophobia, sexism, stalking, mental illness

R Contains profanity, violence, drug use, or nudity.

My Review

› In 1953, Johnny Smith fell while ice skating hit his head and blacked out. He woke up mumbling something about Chuck and the words “explosion” and “the acid”. A month later, one of the men that were at the ice rink that day had his car battery explode, burning his face. Over time, people forgot all about this incident. From time to time Johnny knew things before they happened, but didn’t think much of it.

› Part I The Wheel of Fortune: It’s 1970 and Johnny is a teacher at Cleaves Mills High. He’s dating another teacher named Sarah. They go to the fair, and on the way out Johnny decides to play “The Wheel of Fortune”. He has incredible luck and wins a ton of money at one point betting “the whole wad on 19”.

› The number 19 appears in many King books. In The Dead Zone, one of the characters is Dennis Edward Hazlett – their name has 19 letters. Page 129 of “The Dead Zone” “Herb turned fifty-two, Vera fifty-one, and Sarah Hazlett twenty-seven. Johnny had been in his coma for four years.” (52+51-27)/4+19. https://stephenking.fandom.com/wiki/19

› Johnny’s luck runs out when he’s in a horrible car accident after dropping Sarah off at home.

› Johnny has been in a coma for eight months. He’s an only child and his parents are having a really hard time. His mom was always religious, but this puts her over the edge and she becomes obsessed with a religious cult. Sarah becomes close with his parents and Johnny’s father tells her it’s okay for her to move on. While Johnny is in a coma, Sarah gets married and has a child.

› Johnny wakes up from the coma after fifty-five months. He is brokenhearted that Sarah has moved on. He discovers that he knows things about people that he shouldn’t be able to know, but some parts of his memories are dark.

“I couldn’t tell which street. It was there, but I couldn’t tell. It was in a dead zone.”

› Sometimes, he can touch an object or person and get images about the past, present, and future. However, he has no way of controlling this ability. Word gets out and spreads fast. The media and public are hounding him to tell them about their futures.

› Sheriff Bannerman hears about Johnny and decides to ask him for help to solve the Castle Rock murders.

› PART II: The Laughing Tiger
“There is a game the people of my land play, it is called the Laughing Tiger…one child is dressing up as the tiger, you see. He puts on a skin. And the other children try to catch him as he runs and dances. The child in the skin laughs, but he is also growling and biting because that is the game…” ~ Ngo Phat

› “I think this Stillson knows that game, too.”

› Greg Stillson is a horrible person who abuses animals and women. This nightmare of a man has big political dreams. He has some sketchy men working for him like Sonny Elliman – a 6’9″ man with a tattoo of the nazi cross and wears a swastika earring. When Johnny shakes Stillson’s hand at a rally he has a vision of the future, giving him a big decision to make. If you had a time machine would you go back and kill young Hitler?

›Characters: 6
No female police officers, no female with a position of authority. I’m pretty sure it fails the Bechdel Test (two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man).
Johnny’s father, Herb, is an incredibly patient person. The father/son relationship is everything. The love they have for each other is incredible.

›Atmosphere: 10
This book has heavy themes, but it does also have humour. The world-building and descriptions are extraordinary.

›Writing Style: 10
King is an incredible writer. There’s no doubt about that.

›Plot: 7
This story starts small and builds continuously. The pacing in the middle was clunky for me, but what a great ending! I was on the edge of my seat for the last third of the book.

›Intrigue: 10
I wanted to know so many things. What was going to happen with Johnny and Sarah? Or Johnny’s mom? Or Stillman? Or the Castle Rock murders?

›Logic: 10
Although there’s a lot happening in the plot I never felt confused.

›Enjoyment: 8
Overall, this was pretty good. I cried I laughed, and I was worried. I heard the audiobook narrated by James Franco is really good. I’ll have to give that a try sometime.

Average 8.7

Story Graph average rating 3.8
Goodreads average rating 3.96

My Rating ★★★★

› Final Thoughts
• The Dead Zone is a dark, tense, mysterious, and emotional read about loss, love, family and sacrifice. The idea that you can be madly in love with someone, talking about getting married, then all of a sudden you wake up and five years have passed and they’ve gone and married someone else and had a kid! Can you imagine? Poor Johnny just goes through it. What a hero. I recommend this to people who want to read Stephen King but don’t want anything scary and also to people who love politics.