Review: Cell - Stephen King

Cell - Stephen King

Pages: 449

In Cell King taps into readers fears of technological warfare and terrorism. Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Those without cell phones, like illustrator Clayton Riddell and his small band of "normies," must fight for survival, and their journey to find Clayton's estranged wife and young son rockets the book toward resolution. -goodreads.com

I read Cell about 9 months or so ago, but it stuck out in my mind so vividly I felt like reviewing it.

For starters, Stephen King is just generally creepy. He has written some of the scariest things I've ever read. I'm working up to read It, but from the rumors I hear, it's pretty messed up. Stephen King does a good job of getting a hold of the part of you that wants to put the book down out of fear or disgust, but at the same time can't put it down because then you won't know what happens next.

Cell starts out on a happy note, the main character just landed a job that will finally bring in some money. As the book puts it, "God was in his Heaven." Then, everything falls apart in a heartbeat. It starts out with a few messed up things, and soon the entire world blows up in a storm of insanity, and it's all because of cell phones. The phones send out a sort of a 'pulse' that seems to virtually liquify the brains of those exposed to it. Clayton Riddell doesn't have a cell phone, and that's what saves him from being infected. However, as things progress, and the zombie-like characters grow ever stranger, Clayton races to find his wife and son. He has no idea if they're even alive, or if they are, if they've become braindead zombies.

There's a nice wide range of characters in Cell. Clayton meets up with three or so companions, none of whom had cell phones. Together, they race to find Clayton's family, a strange meeting place, and the cause and effect of the Pulse. As the plot progresses, you learn more and more about each one of the characters, and the development is very nice.

Personally, this book freaks me out looking back. I didn't have a cell phone when I read it, but I do now. The reason Cell scares me is because it points out the major technology in society, and the consequences of it. If something bad happens, chances are you'll want to call your friends, parents, etc., to make sure they're alright or to find out news. What this book focuses on is what would happen if the cell phone itself was what caused the catastrophe. I for one know that I would instantly call someone, meaning if this book was reality, I would be a braindead zombie.

Overall however, I really liked the book, and could hardly put it down. A very good word for it is 'gripping.' I would highly recommend it, but if you have a cell phone it might give you a case of the shivers...

RATING: 8.5/10

Must love on-time reviews,

Harry.