Book Review – Cell by Stephen King

Stephen King has once again mastered another on the edge thriller. “Cell” is now on my bookshelf of other fantastic reads and is sitting in my collection of all time favorites right next to the Dark Tower series.

From the minute I picked this book up the main character, Clay, who fortunately did not own a cell phone, enthralled me. Throughout the book, his observations (call them an artists’ ability of recollection if you will) allowed him to find the right people and ultimately put some of the final pieces to the puzzle together (with the help of the genius Jordan, of course).

Every person was brilliantly created, their personalities multi dimensionally mastered, allowing you to relate to their decisions and sadly, their losses. Even the “Raggedy Man” was at moments cordial and inviting, at first seeming to show somewhat of a compassionate side, but in the end displaying his true malevolent plan (still staying true, however, to his own kind). Even now, though, I can’t help but wonder about the similarities to the leader of the “phone crazies” and the head honcho in George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” (After all, there was a dedication to the director in the front of the book…).

The research that went into the book reflected creative genius. References to Freud and other master minds of psychology were cleverly made by a very well educated Tom, and Boy wonder “Jordan” knew the ins and outs to computer programming and viruses that only thorough knowledge of the topic could provide.

Once again, Stephen King has made heroes out of children proving their underlying brilliance and strength. He showed that the average man can be made to exceed super human strengths giving hope to those who have felt “their own world” coming to an end.

However, he left the book with an open ending that leaves me with the ultimate unanswered question… “What happened next?”

PS. Make sure you come to your own conclusion and read this book today…