Book Review: Pet Sematary by Stephen King

I like reading horror – yet I rarely find it scares me. It’s a weird kind of irony, I know. Pet Sematary was never on my radar, but it was suggested to me on Twitter once when I asked what book scared people the most.

A lot of people voted for Pet Sematary – and I can see why!

The plot probably doesn’t need an introduction, but in short terms: a family of four, a married couple with two young kids move to a new house. There’s a local pet cemetery in their back garden. Horrifying horror ensues.

In many ways, this is the perfect King book. It has that the brilliant style of writing that pulls you into a whole lifetime of characters, to the point where you know, and feel, and experience their every thought. At the same time, it doesn’t have that insane length that makes you want to shake the book so vigorously that you hope the author feels the ripple effects tear through his very soul while you shout, “Get on with it, man!” (No? Just me?).

Also, it is terrifying. I’ve read a small collection of King books over the last couple of years, including IT and The Shining which are often said to be among his scariest. I think this tops that – but that could also very well be because I didn’t know much about this one before I read it. Going in blind often makes the experience that much better with King books I find.

Because, I realized, I had no idea what this book was about. I thought I did, to some degree, but no, it turns out. No I didn’t.

I’m on a quest to read many of King’s books that have caught my eye over the years (and if I live to be a thousand, maybe I’ll have time for all of them). This is definitely one I’d recommend to someone who wants to be terrified in a way that only King can do – and maybe especially if you find his thicker books to be a bit daunting.