This book was, in a sense, bone chilling. It was a creepy tale about religion and evil, evil in a place where no one could help.

As Stephen King often does, he starts out with a character that you get to know and like, and then kills them off. In Desperation, however, his character, Peter, was essential to showing the real insane nature of the infamous cop that pulls them over on the side of the road. As usual, the cop asks Peter for his driver’s license and registration, and he makes and odd show of studying the two, as if he were looking for something he can accuse them of, anything at all, and drag them back to the abandoned town of Desperation.

Even though King usually writes in a different assortment of flashbacks and the characters self-inflicting thoughts, he gives amazing visual effects on the complete and utter anger and terror these people are feeling. He writes from the point of view of different characters, Peter Jackson, Steve Ames, Mary Jackson, Daniel Carver, Ralph Carver, Ellie Carver, and Jonny Marinville, who are all under the stress and terror of this monstrous cop.

This tale of horror and hope will have your conscience hanging onto every word, every page, for the outcome we all know we want to happen. Happily ever after.

Of course, ever after would come with a price.