Book Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

“We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.”

Stephen King, 11/22/63

Review:

I’ve had my eye on this book for a long time because I thought the plot sounded super intriguing. I was intimidated by the length, but once I was actually reading, it went by quickly. 

Jake Epping is convinced by an ailing friend that he can go back in time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He time-travels back to 1958, having to live under a new identity in the years leading up to November 1963. He falls in love with a woman named Sadie, trails Lee Harvey Oswald, and prepares to intercept the assassination attempt. 

This was my first time reading a Stephen King novel, and though I think this is different from many of his best-known novels, my expectations were met. It was interesting to read King’s speculation on what a world in which JFK survived might have looked like. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• How thought out the time traveling was.
• The speculation of the trajectory of one moment in history being changed.
• The pacing was fantastic. It didn’t feel like a 1000+ page book (other editions seem to average in the 800s, but the edition I read is listed as being over 1000).

What I didn’t like:

• Even though it all flowed together, I had no interest in the romance or other side plots.
• I wish more time was spent in the world after the assassination was thwarted.

Afterthoughts:

So grateful to my friend Skylar for gifting me this book!

Where to buy the book: