A Worthy Sequel
**Slightly Spoilerish ** I reread The Shining so that the I could segue seamlessly into Doctor Sleep. It was a good two book read with two different stories despite the similarities. I enjoyed following Dan's progression from his troubled past to coming to a comfortable existence, having crossed major hurdles of his dark, drunken existence to someone who played a role in both life and death. But moreso, I really enjoyed Dick Hallorann's story of his "black" grandpa, and I would have liked to have read more about him. This guy was very interesting, and I found myself wishing he would have had a bigger part of the story. Or rather a story of his own. Doctor Sleep . . . Dan's story picked up "steam" and really chugged along once the lines of confrontation were set. Speaking of steam, I was irritated by the use of the word "steam" . . . it didn't seem like a creation of Stephen King. I don't know what word would have been better, but ever time Rose and company took steam, I cringed. Like some of the other reviews I have seen, it seemed to wrap up too nicely. There wasn't much of a sacrifice, like the kids in IT who paid a price for what they went through despite the outcome. And then there are the stories like Pet Sematary where there was no happy ending at all. I suppose King cannot end them all in such ways. But those complaints are small complaints. Honestly, I shouldn't complain at all; I always cheer for the good guys, and hate it when good guys pay heavily in the end. Overall, I liked the book enough to give it a strong 4 out of 5 starts.