Popsugar 2019 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book that makes you nostalgic


TW: Death, gore, death of children, death of animals



When I was a toddler, Pet Sematary was my favorite movie. I would watch it all the time. Weird, I know, but I loved it. So I'd originally read the novel back in elementary school and then again in middle school, but I hardly remembered the specifics, so I definitely wanted to read it as a refresher prior to the 2019 film's release. I couldn't find my old copy, but luckily Ashley sent me a copy last fall during a Halloween-themed book swap.


For those of you who are unfamiliar with what's been called King's most terrifying novel, it's about a family who moves to a small Maine town to settle down and spend more time together. The father, Louis, has recently started a new job as head physician at an infirmary at a Maine university. Little known to them, just behind their house lies a decades-old burial ground for pets. But there's more to the story and history than originally meets the eye.


Pet Sematary truly is a dark story, and the version I have has an introduction from King himself. He talks about how maybe he went too far and he actually hid the book away in a drawer for a long time before actually sending it in to be published. The story is really sickening at times and is so gorey and graphic. But it's so haunting and so well-written.



The character development is so well thought out but isn't overpowering to the story and doesn't seem too awkward. It's all tied in to how to story plays out, and that's one of my favorite things about King's writing. Yes, his novels are dense, but they really play out so well with strong development, and at the heart - they're based on human relationships. The relationship between Louis and Jud is probably my favorite thing about the novel, though as an individual, I didn't enough Louis himself.

This novel isn't for the faint of heart. It's horrific, terrifying, and gross. But if you're into gore and horror, Pet Sematary will not disappoint.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★★