Needful Things By Stephen King- Amanda's Book Review 1

This book is a delightful read for anyone who likes Stephen King. I have been an avid reader of his for many years now and this is definitely one of my favourites. There are so many characters in this book and so many twists and turns that I can't go into them all, but I will give you a short synopsis of what this novel is about.

It all begins in the town of Castle Rock, Maine where a new store is going to open. It is called 'Needful Things' and it is going to be run by Leland Gaunt. Everyone in town is mystified and intrigued by this new store and they find themselves drawn to it. Once inside the door, they are greeted by Mr. Gaunt and he seems kind and sweet. But, they ignore the sign that he has hanging in the shop telling the buyer to beware. He has an endless supply of treasures and he seems to have something for everyone.

The townsfolk find that once they buy something from him, they are unable to be parted from it.
All he asks is that they play a little trick on someone for him. That's not too much to ask, is it? Soon, every neighbour is playing on trick on each other and it begins to turn nasty. The Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, is finding that the crime rate has soared since Mr. Gaunt has arrived in town. He is also worried when his girlfriend, Polly Chalmers, is visiting Mr. Gaunt, who has helped her to overcome her severe arthritis by selling her an amulet.

Eventually, there is lots of bloodshed in town and Mr. Gaunt decides to close his shop and move on somewhere else.He gives his angry customers weapons so that they can settle their scores with their neighbours and friends. He wants an all out war between the townspeople. He has his lackeys plant dynamite all over town and when this explodes, there is chaos in the little town.
Sheriff Pangborn tries to stop them by reasoning with them and exposing Mr. Gaunt for what he really is. He is exposed as a devil-like character who uses ordinary people by offering them what they desire most in return for his little favours.. He is driven out of town by the Sheriff and the survivors in Castle Rock are left wondering what to do now.

This book is a brilliant read and it is a must for all King fans. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good page-turner that you can't put down. It was also made into a movie, so I will review that in a future post. I would rate this book a 10/10.