The Stand by Stephen King

Is there anything better than reading a book about a pandemic whilst in a pandemic? Turns out, no.

In The Stand by Stephen King, a pandemic mostly wipes out humanity. The survivors break into two groups – followers of either Mother Abigail or the Dark Man. Through the entire book we know that surviving the virus doesn’t mean surviving the final showdown.

This uncut 1,200-page edition was amazing. I wanted to live in this King-world, with these characters, for as long as possible. Even though they are living through horrific events, you have to follow along and hope for the best. (Or the worst, depending.) I could have read another 1,000 pages.

I’m a fairly speedy reader and can usually read a book this size in a week. Why did it take me two months to finish this? I actually took a break from reading before the last 200 pages because I knew terrible things were going to happen and I just couldn't say good-bye to anybody! And I didn't want the ending to ruin how I felt about the book.

Did the end ruin it? No! You should read this. It will make you feel better about our pandemic. Probably.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or 95/100

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