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The King of terror returns with ‘Doctor Sleep’

By Staff | Sep 26, 2013

Stephen King returns to the story of Danny Torrance in “Doctor Sleep.”

What happened after Danny and his mother and Richard Hallorann escaped the Overlook Hotel? Did Danny’s “shining” grow? This book answers those questions and introduces a group of villains that are very creepy that Danny must protect a young girl from.

Years after the hotel incident, Danny has unfortunately fallen into the same trap his father did – alcoholism. When he finally hits rock bottom, he attempts to make a new life for himself in a small town, eventually working hospice there and using his talent of shining to help those dying move on into the next world peacefully. Someone is reaching out to Danny through his gifts, a young girl by the name of Abra. Danny only gets flickers of her for the longest time, and as she grows up, they begin to actually have conversations, eventually meeting in real life. Because Abra’s talents have gotten the attention of a group of dangerous people known as the True Knot, a group of quasi-immortals who are able to devour the essence of those with the shine in order to prolong their lives. After Abra supernaturally witnesses the murder of a young boy by them, their leader begins to target Abra, not only because she is a witness, but because her essence will sustain them for years. Abra reaches out to the one person who can help her – Danny. As the Knot begins to close in, can the two come together to defeat them?

Despite a slow start, once the book does get going, it moves the reader along, learning more about Danny’s life, Abra’s life and the life of the True Knot’s leader, Rose. Reading from all three perspectives keeps the tension going as the Knot gets closer and closer… King also takes a hard look at alcoholism and recovery and the very real “ghosts” those that suffer from it must face.

“Doctor Sleep” is published by Scribner. It is $30 and 531 pages long.