Later

[Angie, Constant Reader]

Discuss Later here (book releases on March 2 so we're one day off). Please mark all spoilers for those reading along. Thank you

[Derrick]

So excited!! I should have my copy by the 5th according to the email from Barnes and Noble.

[Erin]

I haven't had the opportunity, to buy this yet, but I am looking forward to reading it!

[Kellie]

Yay! My copy should arrive tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

[Kandice]

I'm about 15% in and he is writing from the viewpoint of a kid. I love when he does this, and am surprised at the same time, that he can actually still do so convincingly.

[Jo]

It’s been a while since I’ve read a SK novel alongside the group. I’m very excited. Got my copy and starting...now!

[Derrick]

Kandice wrote: "I'm about 15% in and he is writing from the viewpoint of a kid. I love when he does this, and am surprised at the same time, that he can actually still do so convincingly."

I've always thought King writes from children's point of view very well. My copy needs to get here already! I want to read it even more now.

[Kandice]

Michael wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I'm about 15% in and he is writing from the viewpoint of a kid. I love when he does this, and am surprised at the same time, that he can actually still do so convincingly."

Kind of..."

Yeah, but compared to me and King's 73, he IS a kid!!! ;-)

[Nick]

BTW: Great story so far. I'm about 30% in and loving it. Terrific premise, I thought. And the fact that it's told from the point of view of the kid just adds to it. I did think that the narrator was writing in the voice of a young boy in the earliest chapters.

[Jo]

Absolutely loving the tone King has created for Jamie. He’s an amusing and believable narrator. Anyone else enjoy the exchange with the writer in his garden? The shorts references made me laugh.

[Kandice]

Jo wrote: "Absolutely loving the tone King has created for Jamie. He’s an amusing and believable narrator. Anyone else enjoy the exchange with the writer in his garden? The shorts references made me laugh."

I'm enjoying it all! I so look forward to his new books, then devour them so quickly that I have to revisit in a month or two to actually savor.

[Brian]

Blasted through this in a day. I really liked it!

My review (spoiler free)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm really interested for a spoiler discussion of this once more people have read it...

[Jen]

Finished in record time - I loved it, just wish it was longer

[Nancy]

I finished as well. It was a good story.

[S.]

One of the things I am liking so far is how fast-paced it is moving I am on page 100

[Jaclyn]

I finished it today and I really liked it! It was definitely a page turner. I loved the little connections to his other books he tossed in.

[Kandice]

S. wrote: "One of the things I am liking so far is how fast-paced it is moving I am on page 100"

I find that his books told in a conversational way just fly by.

[Nick]

I think King's writing is just amazing. It is so easy to read... most of it is like that unless he's chosen to write in a particularly stylistic or old fashioned form. I've always thought that people who don't like to read should try King because it can open them up to the world of reading. This particular book seems especially smooth, I mean we don't really know the narrator but it's easy to be with him and listen to his story.

[Nick]

But I have to admit that the ominous foreshadowing (in this case, when King reminds us that this IS a horror story) is pretty disquieting. I'm like trying to figure how the plot can take a sudden bad turn. Right now I've got several nasty twists in mind, and we'll see how well King tops me. I'm on page 162, 60%.

[Derrick]

My copy arrived today! I need to power through the last quarter of the book I'm currently reading (Floating Dragon by Peter Straub) so I can start this one.

[Kandice]

Nick wrote: "I think King's writing is just amazing. It is so easy to read... most of it is like that unless he's chosen to write in a particularly stylistic or old fashioned form. I've always thought that peop..."

I finished yesterday, and agree with you wholeheartedly. I was fairly stumped at where the story was going and was satisfied when it got there.

[Rick]

Got my copy today. I ripped open the package and started reading right away.

[S.]

I wonder if this will become the new Stephen King norm shorter books I agree also I wish it was a little longer however I’m still got maybe a day left to go on it

[Nancy]

S. wrote: "I wonder if this will become the new Stephen King norm shorter books I agree also I wish it was a little longer however I’m still got maybe a day left to go on it"

It probably depends on the book. Joyland was also a Hard Case Crime and was only 283 published in 2013. Billy Summers is going to be 528 pages.

[Kandice]

S. wrote: "I wonder if this will become the new Stephen King norm shorter books I agree also I wish it was a little longer however I’m still got maybe a day left to go on it"


I think all Hard Case Crime books are short-ish because they are mimicking pulp fiction.

[Nick]

Actually, I like the short form. I just finished and thought the story was pretty complete. I'll have a review up in the next day or so. But I really did enjoy it.

[Kimberly.FL~☆♡Love of Books♡☆]

Just received my book! Cant wait to start reading.

[Derrick]

Glad to see I'm not the only one that's late to the party lol

[Kandice]

Nick wrote: "Actually, I like the short form. I just finished and thought the story was pretty complete. I'll have a review up in the next day or so. But I really did enjoy it."

I don't mind the short form when it's done well, as it is here. I just yearn for more, more, more when it's King. But, yes, it does feel complete. I'm just a greedy brat.

[Derrick]

I'm starting this tonight. Super excited!

[Kimberly.FL~☆♡Love of Books♡☆]

I finished and I love this book!!! 5 STARS! 😍☆☆☆☆☆

[Derrick]

I already feel so bad for the little boy....

[Jo]

Just finished. I really enjoyed the plot and the protagonist. However, I’m not completely sold on the last few pages...when do we get to discuss it properly?
Is this the beginning of a series of books featuring Jamie and his unique talents?

[Derrick]

Jo wrote: "Just finished. I really enjoyed the plot and the protagonist. However, I’m not completely sold on the last few pages...when do we get to discuss it properly?
Is this the beginning of a series of bo..."

We can discuss it properly pretty much whenever. Just have to mark all spoilers 😀

[Nick]

Jo wrote: "Just finished. I really enjoyed the plot and the protagonist. However, I’m not completely sold on the last few pages...when do we get to discuss it properly?
Is this the beginning of a series of bo..."

I just re-read the ending and it sure sounds like there is going to be a follow up. Maybe a single additional novel. I don't think it's the beginning of a series. LATER is part of the Hard Case Crime books and at least King's Hard Case books have all been individual stories. But we'll see.

[Nick]

Nick wrote: "Jo wrote: "Just finished. I really enjoyed the plot and the protagonist. However, I’m not completely sold on the last few pages...when do we get to discuss it properly?
Is this the beginning of a s..."

Maybe as King gets older he wants to keep his characters going. That's certainly what he's done with Holly Gibney.

[Kandice]

Now I feel I need to reread the end.

[Nick]

Kandice wrote: "Now I feel I need to reread the end."


Just for the specific wording in the last few paragraphs, as Jo suggests.

[Kandice]

I just read the last two pages. I don't get the feeling we will be getting more. I think it was just a way to make the title relevant.

[Nick]

Kandice wrote: "I just read the last two pages. I don't get the feeling we will be getting more. I think it was just a way to make the title relevant."

Makes sense.

[Kyle]

Jamie and Holly Gibney need to team up!

[Nick]

Kyle wrote: "Jamie and Holly Gibney need to team up!"


There would be a team. WOW!

[Kandice]

King certainly seems to like the name Jamie. I have a brother named Jamie, and I always get a thrill out of King using a name very familiar to me personally.

[Derrick]

Kandice wrote: "King certainly seems to like the name Jamie. I have a brother named Jamie, and I always get a thrill out of King using a name very familiar to me personally."

I always marvel at these last names King comes up with.

[Derrick]

I just finished this. I enjoyed it although I'm not too sure about that ending. I'll have a review up after a brief period of reflection....

[Linda]

I've been thinking and rethinking about Layer and I'm still not sure whether I liked it. It just seemed to be way out there. I did give it 3 stars.

[Derrick]

Here's the link to my spoiler free review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Nick]

I agree I kept asking myself, what's the mystery?

[Derrick]

Nick wrote: "I agree I kept asking myself, what's the mystery?"

(view spoiler)[ I didn't feel like enough attention was called to "who's Jamie's father?" for that to have been the mystery.... (hide spoiler)]

[Nancy]

Derrick wrote: "Nick wrote: "I agree I kept asking myself, what's the mystery?"

[spoilers removed]"

I think the story was all about the cop and Jaimie. That’s how the story starts with them driving up to the house and he sees (view spoiler)[The guy in the driveway walking around with the hole in his throat and Jaimie says that he’s definitely dead. Then the at the end we get back to that moment and continue with what happens after they get there. I think the part of who is dad was not the main story and just thrown in there to either shock the reader or a “be careful what you ask because you might not like the answer” and maybe “talking to dead people isn’t so great since all the trouble it brings me?” I don’t think this was the main story at all or any part of any mystery. The story was how he got to that moment at the house. (hide spoiler)]