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Saturday, May 6, 2017

Review: In the Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill

In the Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Scribner

Anyone who is a fan of Stephen King and Joe Hill will be quick to pick up this short story by the family duo known as horror's elite.  True to their nature, it's full of nuances you would never expect and gruesome detail that makes you grimace and smile at the same time (because let's face it, if you're reading their books, you know what to expect).  Go in with your mind open and remember that sometimes, expectations just can't be met.

    

A brother and sister pull off to a parking area during their road trip. Hearing a child yelling for help through a field of tall grass, they can't help but take the time to see how they can help. They should have kept on driving. Within the first few steps into the grass they realize something is seriously wrong. There is nothing they can do. There is no one around to help. It is up to them to find a way out. Little do they know that there are powers out of their control and getting out is going to be much harder than they ever thought.

Let me be clear that I have read Stephen King since I was 8 years old and recently became a huge fan of Joe Hill as well. And to be fair, I've never been the biggest fan of short stories... they tend to always leave me wanting. Reading this was a glimpse back into the past, reminiscent of Stephen King's short stories, with a touch of Joe Hill (apple/tree) - obviously. For that reason, I did love this story entirely. It was gruesome, parts came out of nowhere and kept me turning the pages. However, I felt like it ended a tad bit abruptly. I do love it when a story leaves me hanging so that my imagination can run and come up with a thousand different scenarios of where it could have lead. King has a tendency to do that with some of his short stories, but I felt this one was a tad bit disjointed and left more holes than was needed for my mood at this point in time. Good story? Yes. Happy to be back in the horror mind of the best horror writing family still around? Absolutely. Did I expect more? Unfortunately, yes. But not all stories by the ones you love can leave you satisfied... that's the glory and percentage game you play when so many worlds are brought to you by the ones you love.

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