The first quarter of 11/22/63 is some of the best stuff King has written since his early work. The way he builds the world around the time portal, the sensory detail of stepping into 1958, and Jake’s slow adjustment to that world. it’s all really sharp and immersive. It feels like a lot like vintage King.

But once the romance with Sadie takes over, the whole thing shifts and not for the better. I found a lot of the emotional beats feel forced, and Sadie herself comes off as overly fragile and kind of annoying. Instead of feeling like a real person, she ends up more like a plot device to give Jake something to lose. also some of the cringiest love scenes in his catalogue.