Review: The Outsider
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3 stars. When I started this, I was kinda disappointed. It took me a minute to readjust to King's gleeful / outdated colloquialisms (a kid literally says, "gee" at one point, as in "gee mister, I got a nickel to take to the diner for a milkshake"), but by 20% I was hooked. Only he could take one of my least favorite premises - where every. single. character is stuck between a rock and a hard place - and make it so captivating (I just finished The Expanse #4, in which the entire plot is one clusterfuck after another, so I may be sensitive to this ATM).
The Outsider focuses on the horrible abduction and murder of a young boy in a small town. The forensic evidence points exclusively and conclusively to one man - a beloved Little League couch with no history of violent behavior or criminal tendencies - so the police arrest him. Unfortunately, he has a rock solid alibi, which leads everyone (the cops, his family, his lawyer, his kids) to question: how can one man be in two places at once?
It has all the ingredients for a great King read: distinct, well-intentioned characters, a fleshed out small town setting, a gruesome murder, and an impossible, slightly supernatural mystery at its heart. I really respect the eerie unfolding of this particular plot - I didn't find anything too frightening, but I was definitely unsettled. King filled this book with more metadata than usual (expect easter eggs, kids), but it moves along nicely with all the finesse you'd expect.
So, if you can get beyond the somewhat eyeroll-y dialogue (a woman literally says "let's get funky" to her "husband of mine" in one conversation), this is great. But (Sarah Jessica Parker voice) I can't help but wonder: does this feel more cookie cutter than King's earlier works? It felt a little long and a little predictable. I think maybe it's because - ugh, I hate even letting this impact my reading experience - I knew what to expect. The supernatural aspects weren't a surprise, and I went in anticipating a high level of detail and characterization, and then ... I didn't get the gut punch I was hoping for.
I guess the problem is that when you're That Good, I expect Great. And King can't help but continue to explore his favorite themes: addiction, justice, monster-hunting. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it reminded me a lot of 'Salem's Lot and a little of It. I think I was hoping for something that tasted a little spicier. Still, I've said it before and I'll say it again: mediocre King is still miles above the rest.
I absolutely cannot wait to watch the adaptation. I’ve heard such good things.