Monday, April 13, 2009

Review: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

I Did It!!! I finished the whole book. Me...the world's biggest scaredy cat. Everything they say about Stephen King's incredible writing ability is true. Once you start, and realize you're not going to be eaten by a three headed monster, you cannot put the book down, now matter how hard your heart is beating, or how much your hands are trembling. In this really not too scary story, nine year old Trish goes for a walk on the Appalachian Trail in Maine with her mother and her 14 yr old brother. As Mom and Pete walk in front of her, they get into the typical parent-teenager argument and Trish drops back. When she needs to pee she goes off the trail so she won't be seen. Mom and Pete go on, Trish gets disoriented and tries to take a short-cut to catch back up with them. I'd like to say the rest is vintage Stephen King, but this is the only one of his works I've read. His vivid, clear portrayal of Trish's attempts to survive alone in the woods are reminiscent of Hemingway. Sparse words, incredible imagery. Just enough 'scare' factor to keep you awake. Trish, who has a crush on the Red Sox closing pitcher Tom Gordon, discovers she can pick up the games on her walkman, and by carefully shepherding her batteries, she manages to listen to games, and survive several adventures on the wild lands of Maine and New Hampshire. I'd like to think my granddaughter, who is the same age, would have had the spunk and courage to get through an ordeal like this, but I'm not sure, and I certainly don't want to test the question. This is a great story, suspenseful, brilliantly written, and worth every minute of your time. Just read it in the daylight.

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