What’s Ashley Reading?: ‘Salem’s Lot

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

First line: Almost everyone thought the man and the boy were father and son.

Summary: Ben Mears decides to move back to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot in order to work on a book he has been writing. Upon returning to the Lot he sees that not much has changed in the small town. He sees that the Marsten House is still standing but when he tries to rent the old house he finds that it has recently been sold to a couple of antique dealers.

‘Salem’s Lot is a small town that notices when new residents move to town. And then when suspicious events start to affect the town’s people they are the first ones people look at. What is going on in this small Maine town? And who is behind it all?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book but it was not my favorite King novel. I liked the premise and the ending was really fast paced and fun but the beginning was a little slow as we got to know the town and the characters. And maybe part of it was that I had an idea of what may be coming from watching Castle Rock on Hulu.

I really liked the character, Mark. He is a young boy with lots of knowledge about what is happening in the town. He seems to be able to handle anything that is thrown at him. A tough boy for sure! I was definitely rooting for him the whole time.

I liked the ending. It was much better than the 2004 movie adaptation. I watched it but didn’t have high hopes because King’s novels never seem to be translated on to the screen well with the exception of Carrie and Doctor Sleep.

This would be a good novel to read around Halloween. It has lots of spooks and scares. And maybe leave the lights on!

FYI: I would highly recommend Pet Semetary for another Halloween read!