Joyland is a murder mystery and Devin gets trapped within its thriller plot. There is more to this particular amusement park than meets the eye. The park boasts that its Horror House is actually haunted by Linda Gray who was murdered there by a dark, mysterious man. Devin takes right up the oddities of the park and the strange people within it, such as the psychic Rozzie Gold.
Stephen King's writing throughout the entire book keeps you hooked and eagerly awaiting what will happen next. Often when listening to 61-year old Devin, we find that he is continuously getting sidetracked when telling the story, as he points out the strange language used by the carnies or coming into his own post adolescent sexuality. Joyland paints a lucid picture of what amusement park life would have been like in the seventies and does it in true American fashion. The characters of the book are plain corny and stereotypical. Devin even loses his virginity that summer to none other than a woman crafted after the well-known Mrs. Robinson.
The book is slow to start but builds up quickly. We basically spend most of the book watching Devin's life unfold that summer and learning about the park's employees before the real action starts. As we build up to the climax of the story then the real terror and mystery starts to set in. Although, Devin does finally uncover the identity of the killer, it seems a little prolonged and expected. Joyland is a straight forward story that is told from the perspective of an old and discerning man. Overall, Joyland delivered everything that you would expect from a Stephen King novel and is a must buy for any horror or thriller fan.
Written by Stephen King
Published by Titan Books
Score: 7.5 out of 10