In The Tall Grass - Stephen King & Joe Hill - Book Review

 

I went on a trip last week and was looking for a quick read during the travel time. Browsing through my Kindle led to this novella. I quickly remembered watching a trailer for the adaptation of this book, which prompted me to read it. 

The story revolves around two siblings, Cal and Becky, who are travelling and what they encounter on the way. They are twins and in most cases, two single-minded bodies. On the way, they encounter a place with tall grass on the roadside where they hear a boy asking for help. He tells them that he and his mother are stranded in the long grass and they are not able to find their way out. Sceptical at first, they decide to help when they hear the mother of the kid warning him to be quiet or "he" will find them. But they go ahead, and what transpires from the story of the novella. Will they be able to find the boy? Is there more happening than they see? What happens to the brother sister duo? 

To start with, this turned out to be a quick read. This was a novella that could be read within an hour or so. But the authors do not shy away from maintaining their usual writing style. Like father, like son. Stephen King and Joe Hill did not infuse scares in this novella, but genuinely made me uncomfortable with the setting. Once the characters venture into the tall grass, it makes me feel a bit claustrophobic, even though the story was set in a field. It was creepy, and things can turn out gory for some people. I love how the few characters in the story had their own space and were able to make an impact in the little time they got. The antagonist was portrayed very well. I love the subtle meaning hidden in the backdrop, like in any Stephen King book. The writing was simple enough to read through. The interactions that the antagonist and the boy has with the siblings were the highlight according to me and these set the tone for the things to follow. I was amazed at how the writers succeeded in telling a full story with a bit of back story, a solid story and an interesting bait-picking finish.

In short, an interesting and quick novella that will entice horror readers. The father-son duo has done full justice to the twisted setting that they take us into. I will have to check more books by Joe Hill.