[REVIEW] The Mist

title: The Mist
author: Stephen King
genre: adult, horror
published: June 5, 2018  by Scribner ( first published 1980)
my copy: Trade Paperback, 176 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
goodreads

In the wake of a summer storm, terror descends...David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton join dozens of others and head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies following a freak storm. Once there, they become trapped by a strange mist that has enveloped the town. As the confinement takes its toll on their nerves, a religious zealot, Mrs. Carmody, begins to play on their fears to convince them that this is God’s vengeance for their sins. She insists a sacrifice must be made and two groups—those for and those against—are aligned. Clearly, staying in the store may prove fatal, and the Draytons, along with store employee Ollie Weeks, Amanda Dumfries, Irene Reppler, and Dan Miller, attempt to make their escape. But what’s out there may be worse than what they left behind. 

This exhilarating novella explores the horror in both the enemy you know—and the one you can only imagine.

great combination of scifi and horror

II saw the movie a few months back and I became extremely curious of the novel as I've also found out that they concluded differently. BUT either way, I will still be reading it because of my interest on how the characters fear are presented in the book. And I have to say that my expectations were well met.

When rationality begins to break down, the circuits of the human brain can overload.  -p118

The Mist follows David as he, his son, and his neighbor drops by the grocery store to pick up a few things after an extremely strong typhoon struck their neighborhood only to find themselves stuck in it after discovering some strange mutated creatures lurking in the mist just outside the grocery.

The story was extremely intriguing. It was a great combination of scifi, horror, and psychological thriller. I was constantly at the edge of my seat despite knowing what's about to happen (except for that ending). The highlight for me is the psychological aspect of the novel - how the characters react to the mist and what's beyond it, the decision making of should they stay or should they go, and just the overall fear of what's going to happen next. The fear of the mist is very real and I LOVE how Stephen King did it. I also love and greatly appreciate that there were hints on how the mist possibly started and I would have loved it if it was explored (typical King style) but what we got here is also good.

There are things of such darkness and horror--just, I suppose, as there are things of such great beauty--that they will not fit through the puny human doors of perception.  -p162

Another thing I really like about this is the narration which added some interesting bits to look forward to because it's told in such a way that the narrator, David, is basically telling something that's already happened. So for me, there's like a thought that for sure, David survives but who is he with? What is his condition? Is he dying? Is he safe? Is he telling this now that the mist is maybe gone? Just so many questions came with that narration. And it's sooooo good like that.

OVERALL, The Mist is an extremely exciting horror scifi. It's less than 200 pages and such a gripping read, it can probably be read in one sitting. HIGHLY recommended! (Also, if you've seen the movie, please briefly tell me your thoughts because I liked it but I exchanged with a couple of people in a group and they did not like it).

let's connect!