Book Length: 405 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Thriller

Read Start Date: November 9, 2023

Read Finish Date: November 30, 2023

Brief Summary of the Plot from Goodreads: A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

My Review: The story centers on Jamie Morton, a young boy whose childhood is profoundly impacted by the arrival of charismatic preacher Charles Jacobs. Jacobs is young and has an equally young family. He is interested in electricity, and when he is not preaching, he tinkers with his inventions. When a devastating tragedy leads Jacobs to question his faith, he is fired from his job at the church and moves away from town.

Decades later, Jamie Morton is an adult and addicted to heroin when he sees Jacobs again, this time at a county fair. Jacobs has progressed in his inventions and claims to be able to heal Jamie of his addiction. Using electric shock therapy, Jamie is healed. But his sobriety comes with a terrifying price.

I found Jamie Mortion to be a relatable protagonist, and the complex relationship he shares with Jacobs serves as the emotional core of the novel. King takes the time to meticulously develop their connection as their lives intertwine again and again. The narrative unfolds gradually, allowing the tension to build organically. This book is a very slow burn, but the ending was worth the wait. In fact, the ending had me simply terrified, and I haven’t been able to shake it since.

Although this book was published in 2014 (I am not usually a fan of King’s new books), Revival reminded me a lot of his older works.

Stats: As of the writing of this review (December 11, 2023), this book has only a 3.8 rating on Goodreads. While I would highly recommend this book, it is obvious that it has received mixed reviews. Some of the “negatives” that readers have mentioned are the slow pace and the ambiguous ending. To say a few words on these subjects, as I mentioned above, the book was definitely a slow burn, but I didn’t mind. King’s writing is great, and his storytelling is masterful. The ending was gut-wrenching. I didn’t find it that ambiguous.