Thrillers & Suspense
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Cell: A Novel
The next call you take could be your last in this terrifying #1 New York Times bestseller by master storyteller Stephen King!
On October 1, God is in His heaven, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and graphic artist Clayton Riddell is visiting Boston, having just landed a deal that might finally enable him to make art instead of teaching it. But all those good feelings about the future change in a moment thanks to a devastating phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse.
The delivery method is a cell phone-everyone's cell phone. Now Clay and the few desperate survivors who join him suddenly find themselves in the pitch-black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a relentless human horde that has been reduced to its basest nature...and then begins to evolve.
There's really no escaping this nightmare. But for Clay, an arrow points the way home to his family in Maine, and as he and his fellow refugees make their harrowing journey north, they begin to see the crude signs confirming their direction. A promise of a safe haven, perhaps, or quite possibly the deadliest trap of all…
On October 1, God is in His heaven, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and graphic artist Clayton Riddell is visiting Boston, having just landed a deal that might finally enable him to make art instead of teaching it. But all those good feelings about the future change in a moment thanks to a devastating phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse.
The delivery method is a cell phone-everyone's cell phone. Now Clay and the few desperate survivors who join him suddenly find themselves in the pitch-black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a relentless human horde that has been reduced to its basest nature...and then begins to evolve.
There's really no escaping this nightmare. But for Clay, an arrow points the way home to his family in Maine, and as he and his fellow refugees make their harrowing journey north, they begin to see the crude signs confirming their direction. A promise of a safe haven, perhaps, or quite possibly the deadliest trap of all…
Readers Top Reviews
SimonRPhiltrumMrS
Not a bad premise for a story, but this seems a half-hearted effort from Stephen King, and whilst the story was fairly well paced, there was not much really in the way of genuine threat, or excitement. Also, the story seemed to lack a beginning, in that there was no real lead up to what was going on, and it certainly lacked a conclusion. In fact, it's probably one of the most frustrating endings to a book that I've ever read, as everything was left unresolved.
Jay-DonMr Nut Sac
As a bookworm, Lit graduate and an English teacher, I ought to have read a King novel by now. I hadn't, despite owning this and Mr Mercedes for many years now. I'm not well versed in apocalyptic fiction, having read only a few. And I have to be honest, I'm very disappointed that this was the first novel by King I have been introduced to and here's why. Plot falls next to wool-gathering prose whereby nothing actually happens. It leads up to a very confused, unfulfilling and frustrating ending with absolutely no resolution and out of the blue, 1 in a million even happening. Nothing really happens in this novel. The characters are forgettable and lack any sort of qualities you'd expect in a zombie apocalypse book (characters that bond; share or antagonise one another because they have no choice in order to survive). The only emotion this book gives characters is when they say farewell to one another and when King passes off their horror and disgust with simple confusion. No trauma is present when kids and adults see flying torsos and dead zombies holding their guts, trying to claw their faces off. Other than vomiting (which happens to the best of us on a messy night out), the characters seem to be steel proof that are void of complex emotion and strong story-driven dialogue. It was my Lockdown and summer read. Just like how we all feel about 2020 is the exact same way I feel about this book: I wish to forget about and I wish i never came across this novel in the first place. Utter disappointment.
MizhippiegalJay-D
Stephen King's "Cell" is an engaging page-turner from start to finish. I found the story to be intriguing and the characters were drawn so well I could really relate to them. However, I was frustrated by the ending ... although, in a way I couldn't see how he could have ended it any other way. I also noted he used a few phrases and descriptions he has used before and I thought -- in that regard -- he could do better. However, per usual, the story was as thrilling as I have come to expect from this author. He's still my horror hero and I enjoyed the story!
UncleHammyRandy A
Cell is an OK book but it does move a little slow. It is a typical Stephen King book, so if you like SK it will probably be a good read. If you are not a SK fan and just want to see what he does with a Zompoc book, skip it. As with many of SK's books the human element is the main story not the events going on in the world, they are just a backdrop. There are several threads that seem like they might go somewhere interesting only to be resolved with very little satisfaction. And as is his style SK leaves the ending to the reader to fill in, which kind of leaves the story seem unfinished.
Kindle UncleHamm
This like many of Stephen King's novels is both a terrible look at mankind and a wondrous look at what could be. The Cell, my 3rd time reading it, does not fail to deliver horror and gore, yet also brings the beauty of one mans search for his family after an apocalyptic phone call. 4 survivors who didn't get the call try to survive in a new world where those who did now rule the day. Heart wrenching, funny, thoughtful and thrilling this book will keep you reading throughout the night.
