Book Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Author:  Stephen King 
Title: 11/22/63
Genre: Historical Fiction, SciFi, Romance, Fantasy
Pages: 849
Published: November 8th 2011
Where I Got It: Borrowed friend's copy



Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away...but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten...and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.


On the insistence of my friend I decided to read it. Plus time travel books are fun. It is a Stephen King so I went in trying to ignore the fact it is Stephen King. Not that I don't like his stories...he is too long-winded for me. 

The story follows Jake Epping who is a high school teacher. A secret comes to life when Jake runs into his friend Al who looks like he aged over night and looks sickly. Al shows Jake a doorway to the past and tells Jake he is the only one who can take over his mission to stop the Kennedy's assassination. Jake takes the mission and goes. 

Messing with the past is ALWAYS, ALWAYS a bad idea. Step on a butterfly and forever change the future. Him just being there is changing everything. Poor Jake. 

It was long-winded as per normal but I was able to look past it and continue reading. Took me a month because I needed to read other things. This is a big book and there is a lot going on. I feel like I was able to enjoy the story better by only reading small bits at a time. It worked. I guess if I ever read another book by this author I should take baby reading sessions with it. But yes...long-winded but the story itself is SO worth it. I was super intrigued to follow Jake and see what happens. 

Oooooo Sadie. *sobs*

That ending!!!! *sobs more* I did get a tear there. I did see this coming...ish. I know messing with the past is never good and as much as Kennedy is beloved saving him could ruin a lot of things. He had become a martyr for Civil Rights when he was killed. Never know though amazing things could've happened. It's a 50/50 chance. The ending shocked me, but I did call a couple of details. 

What else to say without spoiling things????

I did really enjoy this so my friend Sarah was right. I am glad she forced me to read it even though I'm not a huge fan of SK's writing style. It worked and now I want to watch the mini-series! It did evoke a couple of tears for me and that ending. SO GOOD! This is for sure worth the read. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.