Contrary to what I hear from critics of Stephen King, I love his modern works just as much as his earlier classics. His work from the 70s and 80s seems to primarily be concerned (with exceptions, of course) with the character's relationship to the supernatural forces acting upon him/her, in addition to the inner change that arises as a result. More contemporary works, like Cell, deal with the character vs. supernatural, as well as interior changes, but instead focus more on the way the main character's relationships with others are strengthened or broken down.
Cell is a worldwide experience, and King turns the lens on a handful of the billions affected. This handful is average, unassuming, but their struggles and personal lives prove the greatest pearls. King reveals so well and so grotesquely how fragile the human mind is, and how easily it is shattered when encountered with an unknown threat. Those affected, not the forces at work, are the ones who cause the greatest turmoil and the worst, most heartwrenching tragedy in Cell.
Cell is a masterful concoction of suspense, fear, strength, and emotion, an indulgence for any fan of Stephen King...