The Stand by Stephen King - Book Review

There has never been a disease outbreak on a scale witnessed by the world. With a mortality rate of 100%, Captain Trips leaves America decimated in its wake, wiping out 99.4% of the population and leaving the rest clambering for survival.

But once the dust has settled and the need to live returns, small bands of survivors begin to trek towards each other, most joining one of two distinct groups.

While the first group is pulled towards Boulder, the people led by the dreams of an old woman called Mother Abigail, the rest are drawn to Las Vegas, forced to do the bidding for the mysterious Dark Man, an evil entity steeped in mystery.

But nothing can prepare the survivors for the ultimate showdown between good and evil, some forced to make a final stand against the malevolent forces that are threatening to come for them all. 

The Stand is one of those apocalyptic stories that remain in your mind long after you’ve read the final words. It is a journey that begins with a simple premise, what if the world ended and the forces of good and evil had to fight it out.

Although there are a lot of characters to get to know, and I mean a lot, they all seem to come together in a way only King can create. I loved how each character grew from whatever mundane lives they were leading before Captain Trips killed everyone they knew, to the resilient and pivotal role models they become.

The story is quite long, almost half a million words, but it never really feels drawn out the way similar works sometimes feel. Even when you think the story is dropping into a quiet space, lulling a little as the characters take a break, it still finds a way to keep you hooked, never letting go until the final word is read.