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Joyland

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Michael Kelly
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Publisher's Summary

"I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts," says Stephen King, who has combined these elements into a wonderful new story. Joyland is a whodunit noir crime novel and a haunting ghost story set in the world of an amusement park.

It tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a 'carny' in small-town North Carolina and has to confront the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the way both will change his life forever. It is also a wonderful coming-of-age novel about friendship, loss, and your first heartbreak. Who dares enter the funhouse of fear?

©2013 Stephen King (P)2013 Schuster Audio

Critic Reviews

"A beautiful book, warm and honest, about a boy becoming a man, and his tempered transformation really does pack a punch… In short, Joyland is a joy." (Niall Alexander, Tor)
"An engrossing and ultimately uplifting tale" (Rhian Drinkwater, SFX)
" Joyland describes being young with the necessary vigour, and the slow agony with which a broken heart heals with the necessary tenderness." Laurence Phelan, The Independent)
"What makes King special is that he's an unusually imaginative horror writer who's as interested in characterisation as he is in fright." (Tom Cox, Daily Express)

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Joyland by Stephen King

I really enjoyed joyland but I always love Stephen's Books
Thank you and Thank you Michael Kelly for reading to me much appreciated 💜💜💜💜

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Loved it! Another King classic!

Stephen King never fails to enthral and entertain, and Joyland is no different. Beautifully woven characters and plot; the tale draws you in almost instantly, not relinquishing it’s hold until the final word is spoken.

Loved the narrator. He was not someone with whom I was familiar, prior to Joyland, but any concerns I may have had evaporated as soon as he began to speak.

Overall, while not one of King’s epic sagas, and with only a smattering of the supernatural, Joyland is unwaveringly poignant. A tapestry of character richness, woven into a heart wrenching yet spellbinding tale to the very end.

Absolutely would recommend! Bravo!

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A thoroughly enjoyable read

While not as harsh and deep as some Stephen King novels I still thoroughly enjoyed ‘Joyland’.

I realise there are more ‘gritty’ Stephen king novels, and that may have been a ‘put off’ for some but I found Joyland to be true and accurate to the ‘back cover description’, and written well as usual. I’ve got just about every Stephen King novel in my collection of over 40 years, and this is a great addition.

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I loved the feeling

I’ve listened to this book a couple of times, I don’t exactly know why I like it so much but there is just something so poignant about how it captures both melancholy and joy.

The narrator was perfect, a lovely performance and a great voice to listen to.

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What a beautiful journey!

Set in North Carolina 1973, Joyland is a story of a young adult, Devon Jones. After leaving town for a summer job at an amusement park, Devin Jones finds himself learning new things on his new journey. On his first day, Dev meets with Rozzie, the fortune teller, who prognositicates his future and warns him for what lies ahead. With the rumors of the amusement park being haunted going around, Dev launches his own private investigation into the murder of Linda gray, a customer who got killed in the amusement park years ago. On a day off, Dev and his buddies, Tom and Erin, decide to visit the haunted house at the amusement park, themselves. While Dev and Erin find nothing out of the ordinary, Tom claims to have seen someone in the dark. As the summer ends, Dev decides to take a year off from college and work at Joyland instead. Tom and Erin go back to college, leaving Dev alone. Dev, instead, meets new people like Mike and Annie. Dev starts to realise that Rozzie wasn't wrong because he senses something in Mike. Meanwhile, suffering from a terminal illness, Mike urges to visit Joyland once before he dies. His visit to the Joyland unravels a lot of mysteries for Devin. Joyland is a coming of age story of Devin Jones who suffers from a heartbreak and realises that there are bigger things in the world than losing a relationship. It is a very engaging read, written in an informal manner. I loved the intrigue and the suspense. It really hooked me in and kept me engaged. My first Stephen King novel didn't disappoint me, after all. Although, if you are looking for something gruesome and extremely supernatural, you might not be satisfied. But it is a good crime fiction and worth a shot.

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Classic Noir

I feel like I’m against the majority here, but I enjoy this era of King.
I really enjoy when king writes something grounded with a hint of the supernatural and its not the main focus.
The Main character is very relatable but the supporting ones are little cliche.
As always the heart of the story revolves around a child who has a gift. Although not the plot, its the catalyst.

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good story

good story. well told and some nice notes. not best but a good listen highly recommend

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different

would never have picked it for a Stephen King novel but still worth a listen. reader on audio book very good

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A beautiful sad ending

A twist
Love
And a beautifully tragic ending. What more could you want.
Mr. king thank you

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Excellent, riveting, for the mature readers

I’ve read many of King’s books and admittedly love them all. This was a tear jerker as well as perfectly crafted and executed. Not horror so much as total mystery and thriller- can’t go past a good King book and I place this at the top
Of the list - you won’t want to put it down !

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