Maybe the best birthday gift I ever got from my grandmother, and definitely one of the ones she wasn't paying attention to when she bought. Even back in 1999, when I had wicked issues with slow reading, I managed to rip through this. I was riveted with King's storytelling and the way demented and straight characters interacted. Teen readers that can handle mature subject matter and dig this genre should definitely give it a shot. I enjoy it just as much after college and whatnot, though.

The best "journey" book in the series, with the group passing through some unique challenges, including their own Mad Max experience and a psychotic sentient train. Unlike other volumes in the series that try to reflect the scope of the story or push hard for the ending, this is all about the interesting things that happened on the way there. If you like Roland, Eddie & Co., this is a great time. If you like the world, this is a fascinating tour, and features the best adventures in it before King went overboard with creative references to other people's fiction later.