Joyland

(Paperback)

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Description

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.

'I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favourites. I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we're going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.' Stephen King

Reviews

"Joylandis one of Stephen Kings best novels." - Horror Movie Reviews

"This book is one of those thrills we come across every so often when least expected!" - Hellnotes

"Joylandis one of Stephen Kings best novels" - Horror Movie Reviews

"King saved the big scares for Dr. Sleep, but Joyland is ultimately superior." - Complexs Best Books of 2013

"Set in a dying amusement park in the south,Joylandfeatures a ghost and a serial killer, but the real heart of the novel is a coming of age story, one that took me vividly back to my own youth, working the rides at Uncle Milty's in Bayonne." - George R.R Martin

"Joyland is full of nostalgia and some really sweet moments that had me tearing up. It's easy to forget that anything else is going on, you're so wrapped up in the lives of these characters.
4.5 out of 5 Stars (read it, read it now)" - Only The Best SciFi


"This ones a must for King fans and may also attract YA readers." Library Journal

"...period murder mystery with aheart...King brings his usual finesse tothis tales mystery elements" Publishers Weekly

"...the book...features some of King's most graceful writing...ruminative, amused, digressive, marvelously unaffected, and finally, devastatingly sad." Entertainment Weekly

"An amusement park and murder figure into a coming-of-age tale in this miniature thriller with a hint of the supernatural." Los Angeles Times

Undeniablecharm [and] aching nostalgia[JOYLAND] reads like a heartfelt memoir and might be Kings gentlest book, a canny channeling of the inner peace one can find within outer tumult. Booklist

"Wrapped in a gloriously pulpy cover,Joyland is a coming-of-age story setin 1973 at a North Carolinaamusement park -- creepy! -- that'shaunted by a murderer." Time Magazine

"Stephen King's carny-saturatedJoylandevokes the ghosts of summers past -- literally." New York Magazine

Joyland, by Stephen King (Hard CaseCrime, June). An old-school, pulpypaperback ghost story set in a NorthCarolina amusement park. Departures Magazine

King's latest thriller, a PG-13 pulppaperback crime novel takes place at aremote carny park where college kidDevin is desperate to see the ghost of agirl whose murderer might still be
lurking around the hot dog stands. Cosmopolitan Magazine

Joylandis a joy. A gem whatever its genre.Tor.com

"This is a wonderful return to old school King." We Love This Book

"Joylandis a fantastic story.This is a compelling and yet oddly gentle tale of a young man experiencing the ache of heartbreak and the curve-balls life can throw at you." Geek Native

"From horror authority Stephen King comes some hard-boiled action, with all the elements of a good crime novelincluding the early 70s, southern secrets, carnivals, and a meddling college kid." The Daily Muse

"If youre a King fan you may want to set this on your wishlist " Bookmuch

"This Joyland is not innocent, of course. Its retro thrills include an enticingly steamy cover, Hard Case Crimes sensually tactile paperback format, and a cover line that asks, Who Dares Enter the Funhouse of Fear" New York Times

Its good to have a book like this now simple, sweet, and not a little scary to remind us that among the prequels and sequels, the epics and the TV miniseries, Stephen King can still spin one hell of a little yarn. As usual, King slips in and out of genre effortlessly, but its gratifying that at the core of Joyland exists a story worthy of being called a Hard Case Crime. Misdirection and red herrings abound, delightfully, and the weather-ravaged denouement could play out as the conclusion to a Donald Westlake or Lawrence Block novel. FEARnet

"Red meat for any Stephen King fan." TalkStephenKing.com

This is a Stephen King novel that you can start on your vacation and actually finish before the flight home.Mens Health, Selected By Amazon

A remarkable tour-de-force. Comic Book Resources

"This is Stephen King at his emotional best." Florida Times-Union

It is easy to connect with Devin as well as many of the secondary characters as King develops this descriptive, entertaining tale of personal growth and murder.
Luxury Reading

"Joyland is pretty much perfect in its pursuit of diversion." This story of a broken heart, a summer job and a beach amusement park infused with ghosts, killers and a boy with "the sight" is lovingly streamlined. It starts strong, ends stronger. Sturdy finales are never a given with King, but this one, Constant Readers, will have you gasping and, ultimately, blinking back big fat tears." "The ultimate "beach" book from one of literature's slyest entertainers." Tampa Bay Times

As you read the dialogue, the book becomes less a story about a summers mystery than a tale of entry into another, coexisting world, one with its own rules, codes, and language. The splashy and aggressively sexy packaging is the tip of the iceberg. LA Review of Books

[a] fun book with a touch of winters chill around the edgesTor.com

Author Bio

Stephen King has written dozens of bestselling books including The Shining, The Stand, and The Green Mile. Film adaptations of his work include "Misery" and "Stand By Me". In 2003, King received the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2007 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.