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Joyland  By  cover art

Joyland

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

"Joyland is a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book.... Even the most hardboiled readers will find themselves moved."
—Charles Ardai, Edgar- and Shamus Award-winning editor of Hard Case Crime.

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

©2013 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2013 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Featured Article: Authors Like Stephen King


Best-selling author Stephen King has published a staggering amount of work, from gripping crime thrillers to epic fantasy series, winning prestigious awards. Yet King’s varied writing is united by common themes, styles, characters, and settings. King fans will recognize a book by him for elements ranging from child characters to atmospheric settings, from eerie psychological horror to New England locations. Undeniably, King’s influence is evident in many of the horror genre’s leading and emerging authors. If you're a fan of Stephen King, these horror authors should be on your radar.

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What listeners say about Joyland

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This book was a Joyland of a ride.

This book was a Joyland of a ride. It felt like it was summer, an age of independence and definitely discovery. I loved the narrator, really wish he would narrate more King. Thumbs up all around.

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More coming of age novel

Not your typical Stephen King novel. However, that's not a bad thing. King is just such a great story teller that pretty much anything he writes is must read. I know this is more of a mystery novel, but it feels more like a coming of age one. Sometimes you even forget a crime took place. Still a great read.

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Classic King

A beautifully written story, classic Stephen King for those who’ve grown up with and love his writing.

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One of my favorites

Any additional comments?

I throughly enjoyed this book. I love books set in amusement parks, for some reason...

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    4 out of 5 stars

Not the usual King novel....

I love Stephen King...and I really did enjoy this book...but it didn't feel like a King novel to me. In retrospect, that is probably what he was going for. The first part of the book I was not really sure where the storyline was going. A little confusing, and not a familiar feel to this King fan. I felt like I was on a slow moving train, but then the destination started to clear up, and the book did get much better for me. By the end I was very much invested in the characters and the emotional play of the story. A great book, and I am actually looking forward to reading it again at a point in the future.

I was not a huge fan of the narrator. I understand why he was selected to narrate this book...he is about the same age as the main character ( I assume, anyway ), but I felt as if he missed some of the emotion. Also, his cadence in some places was, in my humble opinion, slightly different that what King had in mind.

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Such an amazing story and character development.

Laine’s cheeks were dark with hair die. It ran down his skin like tendrils. His mind is like that, I thought, on the inside where he never smiles.

~ Joyland
Stephen King

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King Fans Rejoice

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am biased, I think Stephen King is a Master of his craft...so I expected to love this story and I certainly did. I have read everything Mr. King has written and admit my pleasure of being scared out of my wits has diminished with age, so this was even more enjoyable to listen to. There is no graphic violence, good mystery/ghost story, a love story and interesting characters. I didn't want the story to end. I think the only reason I didn't give it five stars across the board is that the ending was a bit predictable. But again, I admit, I liked the ending just fine. Narrators can really make or break it, so I was very pleased with Michael Kelly.

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Enjoyable read

I loved the cadence of the narrator's voice with this story. And I loved how it was told as a retro point of view. The way that Stephen King puts words together weaves an intricate tapestry of emotions and provides easy inner visualization of the scenes. I felt like I was back in 1973 in the Carolina's with Devin and experiencing all of his angst and heartbreak!
Stupid Wendy Keegan!!
Truly an enjoyable read. You won't be dissapointed!

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Once again Stephen King delivers .

I loved this book, toward the end I found myself tearing up... sometimes terrifying and most times heartbreaking... Yet again the master does not disappoint.

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Great read (ergh listen)

Any additional comments?

Narrator does a fantastic job. Highly recommended. Finished easily in a couple weeks of short commutes.

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