It wasn't predictable at all. The story moved swiftly; none of that describing what the mountains in the distance looked like for six pages. Not everyone lived that was expected to live; not everyone died that was expected to die. I love the way King puts characters from other books into his stories. It was good to find out how Cynthia's life turned out. Marinville was an enigmatic character. I couldn't quite figure out if I liked him or not--until the end.

The whole book centers around the neverending battle between--what else?--good and evil. Kudos to King for actually naming the good, giving credit where credit is due.

Throughout all the horror and terror, Mr. King sprinkles in the humor. He makes a reference to a celestial body in the middle of one of the character's fight with a rat that had me laughing so hard I had to get a tissue to wipe my eyes.

This is a great book and definitely worth reading. I just wish Stephan King would write a story in which no dogs meet untimely deaths. What's up with that, anyway?

Quite simply, this is pure classic Stephen King horror, along the same lines as The Stand and The Shining. Desperation fills the reader's mind with nightmarish images of mangled corpses, severed hands, and desert wildlife on a murderous rampage. This is as scary as reading a book gets.

Keeping in synch with his previous works of horror and suspense, Stephen King shifts perspectives throughout the novel, easily weaving agonising cliff-hangers that keep the reader absorbed in the twisted dimension that is Desperation, Nevada. This method of narration, definitive of King's style, allows for the introduction and primary development of a dozen important characters in very few chapters, hooking the reader into the action right away.

One is reminded of The Stand in the way perspective shifts from that of a protagonist to that of pure evil, in this case, the frightful entity known as Tak. Though his true identity is not revealed until mid-novel, he first takes form as town policeman Collie Entragian, who amuses himself with rounding up travellers along Highway 50, the loneliest stretch of highway in America, and locking them in jail, if they're lucky.

Desperation focuses primarily on the concept of faith and keeping it alive in the darkest of times. Readers are promptly introduced to David Carver, one of the novel's protagonists, an eleven-year old boy with strong religious beliefs that lead to his development as a saviour figure and the.

Doubtful of David's true power is Johnny Marinville, an aging writer trying to re-establish his life. Even after David miraculously escapes from a jail cell by squeezing through the bars, Johnny is still unsure of how to interpret the boy. He constantly recalls a comment made by another captive, Tom Billingsley, on David's escape ("Houdini couldn't have done it. Because of the head.") afterwards, at points where David's faith in God saves their lives.

Also similar to his previous works is the frequent use of flashbacks to moments of significant impact on the plot and characters, such as the recounting of David's numerous religious encounters and of how Tak was unwittingly liberated from his underground prison. Though these provide important development, they can disrupt the flow of the novel and pause intense rising action, much to the frustration of the reader.

Of particular interest are the tie-ins between Desperation and The Regulators by Stephen King's alias Richard Bachman. Both novels, published at the same time, involve the same characters, but in different roles, relationships, and situations. The main conflict of the battle against the sinister Tak, however, is constant. There are countless references made in both novels, such as the MotoKops television show, Johnny's experiences in Viet Nam, and the Desperation Mining Corporation. These references strengthen the link between to two books, though make it difficult for one to interpret which novel was conceived and written first, if that is the case.

There is also one instance that occurs identically in both novels. Mid-novel, Steven Ames, a friend of Johnny Marinville in Desperation, and a total stranger in The Regulators, struggles to overcome a mountain lion. In both, the scene is described in the same way as "an awkward dance" between Steve and the mountain lion. This less significant conflict is however representative of the greater conflict in both novels, the struggle against ultimate evil. Tak!

However, the biggest surprise and pleasure is reading it with the Bachman (King) book The Regulators. It is such a weird deja vu experience having character you think you know in both books. Heros relegated to more minor roles and events playing out differently then you think they will because of your preconceptions. Overall a very enjoyable experience.