The Body by Stephen King

A Contemporary, 1982 by Scribner, 192 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• As always with King there are scenes that aren’t really necessary. They’re inserted to give the character realism and life but they always make you wonder if you really needed that information. They’re details about personal lives that fall under TMI if a friend from work told them, basically. 
• The book within a book that is told by one character felt unnecessary. It cements the idea that one of the boys is a storyteller, but otherwise it didn’t feel like it added much to the story. 
• Actually, the entire adulthood of the narrator didn’t add much to the story. It seems pretty obvious that Stephen King added these things to the character’s future because he intended it to mirror his own. There are elements to this story that King admits are autobiographical in nature. But through the lens of the story we were telling I’m not sure they were necessary. 

What I Did Like:

• Relatable tale of four friends. There’s nothing supernatural or horrific about this one. It’s just a coming-of-age story and, for that, it’s refreshing. 
• The characters come alive. King excels at writing characters that feel entirely real and this one is no different. These boys have personalities that just pop from the page making you feel like you’ve known them forever. 
• The entire premise of four boys journeying off to find the dead body they heard about is a great set up for a book. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Obviously fans of the movie Stand by Me, which was based on this novella, should read the book. The book is always better and the ending is slightly different. 
• Additionally, anyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age story and doesn’t mind the fact that this one is set in the 1960s (and is therefore slightly outdated) will love this one. 

My Rating: 4 Stars. 

• As far as contemporary stories go, this one will please reader of the genre with the strong characters.