Later

By Stephen King

“Part detective tale, part thriller…touching and genuine.” —The New York Times

#1 bestselling author Stephen King returns with a brand-new novel about the secrets we keep buried and the cost of unearthing them.
 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
 
SOMETIMES GROWING UP 
 
MEANS FACING YOUR DEMONS
 
The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine – as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. 
 
LATER is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King’s classic novel It, LATER is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781789096507

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 

Reviews for Later

[martensgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I gave this story 4 stars as I loved the characters. I haven't read much of King's newer stuff, but I have to say that he's not lost his talent of creating people. That said, I found the ending a bit of a let down after a brilliant first half of the story. The photos in Marsden's safe room seem to be thrown in for shock value. Similarly, I spotted the final 'twist' as it's hinted at once, but it was entirely unnecessary. It adds nothing to the ending and is tacked on for the sake of being shocking.

[irenecole · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Later is a coming of age tale, but in Stephen King fashion our young hero Jaimie can see dead people. He sees them whether he wants to or not, and the first sighting when he is just a small tot is truly horrific.
Set in New York beginning just before the recession, we get to grow up with Jaimie, and his mom Tia certainly does some growing up too. Jamie never knew his dad, it's been him and his mom against the world for all of his young life until a romantic interest begins cutting in to their time together. Tia does not believe Jaimie right away when he first tells her what he has seen. Later she makes him promise never to tell anyone, but when it suits her she is the one to let the cat out of the bag, bringing some consequences neither of them bargained for.
The pace moves along at a pretty fast clip, and though it straddles the line between horror and crime, dipping a toe in each, it is most definitely Jamie's narrative that is the star of this book. Stephen King books have been hit or miss with me for the past several years, but I'm counting this among the hits. Watch out for those deadlights.

[dandiercks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Typical of King, the story is clever and engaging. Good, gripping mystery, along with characteristic Stephen King weirdness. Great narration by Seth Numrich.

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's always interesting to read how readers react so differently to the same book. And that's as it should be. I've read Stephen King for a long time and some of his novels I've really liked. Others, not so much. Some, I looked forward to reading as soon as I could after I was published. Others, I knew weren't for me and skipped. I really wanted to like Later. I liked Joyland a lot and this has a similar vibe, but it didn't work for me. Here's why for anyone considering how to invest their reading resources:- I didn't buy Jamie, the boy at the heart of the story for a moment. His dialogue struck me as an adult writing as a child who hasn't spent any time around actual children in a very long time. In some ways, he's too childish ("tee-tee" and "S.E.X."). Yet, he also curses a blue streak and uses words that no child with a 30-something mother in the 2000s would EVER say. What child would ever use the word "randy?" It's a weird affect for the character that you have to believe to immerse in the story.- King introduces politics into the story in a way as some of his later books do. Ostensibly he makes it a plot point as Jamie recounts a "fight" between his mother and her girlfriend that's a set up to their eventual break up. The mother loves Pelosi and Obama and hates Boehner. The girlfriend feels the opposite. Reading it was cringe and dated, with zero subtlety. I really wish fiction writers would leave politics out stories in which it's not essential. Surely I'm not the only person who reads fiction to get lost in a story and escape the political climate and relentless news cycle for awhile, am I?- The girlfriend, who (surprise!) turns out to be a rogue cop also speaks in a weird way, using words like chow and champ and chump. It just seems...IDK off for a 30-something character in a book set sometime in the 2000s. Like, from a different era or something. Maybe it's regional dialogue, but I don't know anyone who talks like that, cop or otherwise. I finished it though it took me longer than I should have. IDK...the whole thing felt slightly more phoned in, like he knocked one out to fulfill a publishing contract, more than a unique labor of love. YMMV of course since other readers with loved it. TLDR: you can definitely do worse. Conversely, you can do better.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a boy who can see dead people. Yes, King is recycling ideas here, and none too subtly either, but I really like the narrator's voice. It also interested me that King took a fresh look at an idea from an older book of his--I want say what, to avoid spoiling fans. All in all, this is a fast-moving, entertaining tale that I think really fits the Hard Case Crime series, and it tickled me that part of the plot revolves around a literary agency.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Later by Stephen King is a short novel by his standards, but it does not mean it is short on chills and thrills. While there is a supernatural element within the story -- because it is not a Stephen King novel without that -- the evil Jamie Conklin faces is all too human. Adding to the danger is Jamie's youth and inexperience. The result is a personal story in which a young kid learns firsthand that evil exists but also that it can dwell in someone you think of as a friend.Jamie Conklin is a likable narrator, and his story is very compelling. How he tells his story is one of the best things about Later. His self-deprecating humor at his youthful foibles makes it easy to like him. You empathize with the horrors he faces at such a young age and with his reactions to those horrors. The wry note in his voice at confessing such things endears him even more. It does not take long for you to hope for a happy ending for Jamie and his mom, both of whom have dealt with a lot of shit in their lives and deserve a bit of long-term happiness.I loved Seth Numrich as the narrator. His narration is very fluid and natural. In fact, his performance did not feel like a performance at all. Instead, it felt like Mr. Numrich was telling me his story. For me, it is the first time a narrator becomes the character telling the story. That he was Jamie Conklin, in my mind, enhanced my emotional connection to the books. It made what he was telling very real.Later is one of those novels for which I had no expectations before starting. It quickly ensnared me, and I found myself compelled to listen to Jamie's macabre and twisted tale. The six hours of audiobook flew by. When it was finished, I wanted more. I was charmed by Jamie, and his story had me on tenterhooks. For those looking for a quick but intense and spooky story, Later by Stephen King is an excellent choice.

[flourgirl49 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good little horror story, and I like that the main character who narrates it is a young kid. Also liked the little twist at the end. This isn't a bone-chilling, goosebump-raising story, but it moves along at a good clip and is entertaining.

[al9g · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

King has written 3 of these Hard Case Crime books and I have now read all three. I have to say that "Joyland" is my favorite, but this is a close second. I hope he writes more as this whole series has been well conceived and well written. Jamie is a normal boy in all respects, except he can see and talk to the dead. But a bit of a twist - he discovers that if you ask a dead person a direct question they must tell the truth. The problem is that everyone has secrets to hide and forcing the dead to reveal them can be a two edged sword. For Jamie, he can use this gift to solve crimes, but it can also be leveraged by people who wish to commit crimes. And though he tries to keep it a secret, he soon finds that when the wrong people know what he can do, his life is not just comnplicated, but in danger. As usual with King, the characters are excellent, the plot well developed and he keeps the pages turning as he tells this story.

[therestlessmouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stephen King's "Later" is not his best work, but it was a quick read that didn't have me counting how many pages are left.

[zmagic69 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2 stars is being generous!
Stephen King- Later
I pretty much gave up on Stephen king over 10 years ago because he still writes characters like he did in the 70’s, the stories were no long scary or interesting, and his loony leftist politics were constantly thrown in the readers face.
But this book was on sale at Costco and I was in a long line at checkout staring at it and figured what the heck, I will give it a try, it should be a mystery since it is part of the Hard Case Crime series.
Oh well, live and learn!
Wow you have to wait until page 79 before you get Stephen king’s liberal politics thrown in your face.
In the 20th century back when Mr King could actually write books worth reading a story like this, would be one of 4 in a collection of stories but in the 21st century Stephen King realized that he could write a book based on his wife’s grocery shopping list and millions of people would buy it, because it had his name on it, hell many of those people would even Rave about how great it was, that is true of this book if you read some of the other goodreads reviews.
It is amazing that Mr King isn’t the originator of the statement “Greed is Good” because it fits him well.
His previous Hard Case book- The Colorado Kid, had two lines of criticism
1. A weak story
2. Extremely short
Mr King must have read some of this criticism specifically number 2 (how fitting) and tried to rectify it with this book.
This book clocks in with 248 pages, at least 120 pages add absolutely nothing to the story.
Later is about a kid (Jamie)who sees dead people
Wow how original ( in fact he (Jamie is the narrator throughout the book) jokes about it in the beginning that it was the subject of a movie. The only difference is Jamie can talk with the dead people and they have to tell the truth, for a short amount of time after they died.
In the first 100 pages we find out:
1. Mr Kings liberal politics
2. Jamie’s mom (Tee) is a lesbian whose girlfriend (Liz) is a cop so of course she is bad and- shocking isn’t a loony liberal, so again she is bad, and is a dirty cop, shocking again. I used this word repeatedly because the author uses the title of the book (Later repeatedly through the book and it is annoying though he thinks it is funny) We also learn Tee makes a number of bad decisions not just in the dating world.
Honestly the first 100 pages of this book is entirely filler and could have been done in 5 pages.
The rest of the book is neither a mystery nor a horror story even though Mr King keeps telling the reader it is a horror story.
Without giving away the story (if you want to call this a story) all I will say regarding the ending is that it is positively idiotic, and the author knows it, as he even points out many of the holes, but just says as the narrator it didn’t come up with the police. Again why the author chose to tell the story in first person and pretend he was a pre teen or teenager is mystifying. The narrator sometimes displays the wisdom of an adult but most of the time acts, talks and behaves like a kid from the 50’s-70’s not the 21st century- so when the narrator points out these huge holes he just says it never came up with the police.
Finally there is a question about who Jamie’s father is and this time the author steps over the line of any good taste and speculates who it is.
If this book did not have Stephen Kings name on it, the book would never have been published, but because the goose that lays golden eggs wrote it, the book is past off as an actual book.

[carolesrandomlife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book! I bought the special edition hardcover edition but wasn’t sure when I would have the time to sit down and read the book so I decided to grab a copy of the audiobook from my local library and go that route and I think that might have been a good choice for this story. This was a relatively short read, especially for something written by King, but I thought that it told a really big story.Jamie is a special little boy. This story opens with him at a very young age illustrating his unique ability. You see, Jamie can see dead people. He sees them just as they were at their time of death but their voices grow quieter as time passes. This isn’t something that his mother wants to talk about or admit is actually happening, until she needs Jamie to use his skill to help her out of a bind.This story was incredibly entertaining. It may not have been the most original premise (Yes, I have watched that Bruce Willis movie) but I thought that it had enough of a unique twist to keep it fresh. I liked that the story kept me guessing with plenty of twists that kept me listening just a bit longer. I thought that Jamie was a great character and appreciated his point of view throughout the story. My only complaint would be the ending of the story. To me, it kind of came out of left field and just didn’t really fit with the rest of the story.This was the first time that I have had the opportunity to listen to Seth Numrich’s narration and I must say that I was impressed. He did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life and captured Jamie’s character perfectly. I think that he added a lot of excitement to the story and I believe that his narration added to my overall enjoyment.I would recommend this book to others. It was a fun shorter listen that I found to be rather hard to put down. I definitely plan to read more of Stephen King’s work in the future.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Later (2021) by Stephen King. This is a good book, but not a great one. The hero, who starts as a boy and later writes this story as a young man, SEES DEAD PEOPLE! King does doff his hat to the movie that had the same basic theme, but he has taken it in a different direction. Here the youth, Jamie Conklin, only sees them for a few days after they die. At that point the dead sort of fade into nothingness.But while they are around, he can talk to them and, more specifically, ask them questions. This is an important detail in the plot. When asked, the dead, who appear not to care too much about earthly things, will tell him the truth.Jamie’s mother is a single woman and Jamie does not know who his father is. Mom runs a small company as a literary agent. Small as in it is just her. But she is devoted to her son but is not too friendly with his special ability. Mom’s “friend” Liz is a NYPD detective and the couple have a wonderful relationship that, over the course of the book, falls apart. Part of the problem are the drugs that Liz transports. The other is Liz’s decision that Jamie can actually see and talk with the dead. That might come in handy as she works homicide.Then the serial bomber “Thumper” suicided, but he left a note promising one last major bombing, so Liz turns to Jamie. But the dead “Thumper” is something Jaimie has not encountered before. Not only is the ghost unwilling to answer questions, he won’t go away.A good premise but there are a few tropes here that have been gnawed on by King many times over. King is better when working with several school-aged heroes. And in this outing he leaves no doubt that Jamie will survive whatever is thrown his way. I found this to dissipate the growing tension and struck down the scare factor.But in all, it is a King novel, which means it is a better read than most other books you’ll find on the shelves.

[formerenglishteacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Typical of King, the story is clever and engaging. Good, gripping mystery, along with characteristic Stephen King weirdness. Great narration by Seth Numrich.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jamie Conklin is not your ordinary kid - he has a special talent to see and communicate with newly dead people. But one dead individual is a bit more than dead... classic Stephen King, with just the right amount of horror and angst.

[spaceandsorcery · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My years-long negative streak with Stephen King’s books seems to be definitely over: the last few books of his I read all turned out to be as engaging as the stories I used to enjoy, and Later is only the last example in my lineup of positive reads.Even though it’s a shorter story when compared with King’s usual production, Later sports all the elements that I’ve come to expect from the Master of Horror: this novel might not be classified as his usual horror creation, since there are not many blood-chilling elements in it, and there is also a mystery/crime component added that changes a little the expected parameters, but in the end this proved to be an entertaining, page-turning read, and one I enjoyed very much.Jamie Conklin sees dead people: not exactly ghosts as was the case for the young protagonist of Shyamalan’s movie alluded to here with a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor, but rather people newly departed and on their way to the Great Beyond. Jamie is able to see and hear them (although after a while their voice fades, as do they before disappearing forever) and to ask them questions to which the dead are compelled to reply truthfully. Jamie’s single mother runs a literary agency and she’s able to stay afloat - barely - thanks to the best selling author of a successful series: when the man suddenly dies just as he was outlining his last novel, the one where all the mysteries hinted at in previous books would be revealed, Tia Conklin needs Jamie to contact the deceased author to get all the information he can gather on the story, so she can ghost-write it and keep the company in business and financial health.The trouble starts when Liz Dutton, Tia’s former girlfriend and a cop with too many problems and not enough scruples, decides to use Jamie’s talent to discover where a serial bomber, who just took his own life, did hide his latest explosive package: something ancient and evil rides on the shoulders of the man and starts haunting Jamie, forcing him to resort to a harrowing ritual to get rid of the creature. That is, until the boy needs the thing’s help against Liz when the dishonorably discharged ex-cop kidnaps Jamie for one last, heinous act…Very few authors can successfully filter the problems and inconsistencies of the world through the eyes of a child as Stephen King does: unlike other protagonists of his stories, Jamie is not shunned, bullied or otherwise made to suffer by peers or adults, but he does witness his mother’s struggles to survive in an unsettled economy and through a difficult relationship, all the while dealing with a “gift” that sets him apart from other kids, forcing him to keep secrets, and ultimately places him in danger. Jamie’s voice, as he grows up over the years from childhood to young adulthood, feels true and natural and for this reason it’s easy to connect to him and see the world through his eyes: innate resilience helps him navigate through the difficulties posed by his peculiar talent, particularly in the instances where his innocence is threatened. This is another theme dear to King, the way in which the adult world (or the supernatural) can rob children of that innocence, exposing them too early to situations that require them to grow before their time: in Jamie’s case this is compounded by Liz’s relentless focus first and greed later, so that he’s forced to come into contact with the darker aspects of the human mind, which more often than not are far more frightening than actual supernatural horror. Young Jamie is able to find some balance in this very unusual existence thanks to the certainty of his mother’s love - even though he’s quite aware of her flaws both as a parent and an adult - and the guidance of old Professor Burkett, the closest thing to a father figure he can depend on: the relationship between Burkett and Jamie, both in life and after the old man’s death, reminded me somehow of the dynamic explored in Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, one of the short stories from King’s If It Bleeds collection. The somewhat cranky professor, like many of Stephen King’s memorable figures, is the one providing Jamie with a stable anchor and a perspective that helps the boy focus on the problems at hand rather than his fear, and offers a delightful dynamic between wide-eyed youth and grumpy old age that is one of the author’s trademarks.There might be nothing new, narratively speaking, in this novel, but it does not matter much in the face of the story’s easy flow, which is carried by the constant curiosity engendered by Jamie hinting at other developments to be disclosed, indeed, later: the young protagonist keeps his audience captivated like serialized novels did in the latter part of the 19th Century, by promising further revelations yet to come. This choice led me to wonder weather Jamie might be considered an unreliable narrator - either embellishing or changing events to suit them to the overall flavor of his story: that’s a doubt that surfaced for me once a detail of Jamie’s origin is revealed, because he himself first offers an explanation for the chain of events, only to deny its accuracy in the next page.This detail (I will not spoil it, but if you’ve read the book you know what I am referring to) does not affect the story in any way - and I’ve kept wondering what it should mean in the overall scheme of it - but rather offers an off-key note to the ending which, in my opinion, would have stood quite well on its own without this added… baggage. Still, Later feels like vintage King, indeed, and I would recommend it to his longtime fans - and not only them.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pandemic read. The two books before this had been less than stellar for me-- either I couldn't find the thread of the story, or I found the writing boring, breathing no life into the characters or narrative. I feared it was my fault. But then I picked this up, interestingly enough not my usual genre, and wowzer. snagged me like a wide mouthed bass and reeled me in. The cover is especially great, the story, fantastic.

[sheriawilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Later by Stephen KingJamie has a gift, he sees dead people. Son of a single Mom, she tells him to keep this secret. When a Police officer wants him to help her with a case, things get a bit tough for young Jamie. He learns not everyone can be trusted and his "gift" maybe should be kept to himself.Classic Stephen King, with a supernatural element. Told in Jamie's voice from a child to young adulthood. I was hooked from the first page until the last. Overall I enjoyed Later and highly recommend to those who love Stephen King.

[drebbles · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jamie Conklin discovers at an early age that he has the ability to not only see dead people but to talk to them. The dead never stick around long but while they are there they can’t lie but only tell the truth. His mother, understandably, doesn’t want him to tell people about this ability, even if she takes advantage of it herself. Jamie is happy to agree but somebody else does know and she too wants to use these abilities to her advantage – but with far more deadlier consequences.Published for Hard Case Crime, “Later” is a solidly good Stephen King novel. King has always been good at writing about children and he does an excellent job with Jamie – basically an ordinary kid who just happens to be able to talk to the dead. In many ways this is a typical Stephen King novel – filled with the supernatural (including a supernatural monster), blood, gore, plenty of swearing, and some great gotcha moments. There are also references to other works by Stephen King and he rather cheekily quotes himself at one point. But strip aside the horror and supernatural elements and you also get what King does best – tell the story of two ordinary people dealing with the extraordinary. Jamie grows up throughout the course of the story but, despite his ability, he is a regular boy who plays sports and likes a girl (or two); his mother is a single mother who has made some mistakes along the way (sometimes huge mistakes) but she clearly loves her son and does her best. Jamie’s quest to find out who his father was, to me, one of the most moving parts of the book, and the answer the most frightening.“Later” is another good book by Stephen King.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The King of horror has done it yet again. This is a mixture of all the good genres that he writes…thriller, ghost story, supernatural and coming-of-age. Jamie Conklin is a character that you will remember long after the last paragraph has been read and the cover is closed. He was forced to grow up in ways that will terrify as well as delight you. The story starts out at a slow pace, but don’t give up. King is just building Jamie’s world for us…and what a world it is! It will soon escalate into a tale filled with tension and suspense. This little gem is both as dark and as bleak as his Salem’s Lot or It. If you, like me, have been a Stephen King fan for ages you will soon know without a doubt that you are in the presence of the “Master” again.

[johnnyostentatious · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow, what a ride! (I rarely give five 5 stars.) The one line I disagreed with was that literary agents don't have friends; I dunno, they're salespeople, and in my experience, those in sales make friends easily. Another reason for my rating is that it felt like the story took place in the late 20th century, even though King stated it was around 2010.Regardless, great novel! I started Saturday afternoon and finished Monday night. That's quick for me. Doubt I'll reread it like JOYLAND, but LATER will probably make a home in my subconsciousness for a long time.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Despite being in the Hard Case imprint, this is standard King (as the protagonist says several times, this is a horror story). He’s a kid who can see ghosts, and his literary agent mom wants him to keep it a secret. But after she recruits him to get a final story out of her most important client in order to save their financial futures, he’s vulnerable to exploitation by her cop lover. Brisk and King-y, with appearances of various King evils (hi, deadlights!).

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. The writing style was great and it mixed crime and horror into a nice little package that wasn't nearly as long as many other King novels. Jamie Conklin isn't just your average kid, he's got a special talent that no one would believe. His mother knows about it, but he's never needed to use it for anything - until his mom asks him for a favor and he starts to realize the implications of using his "talents." Growing up has never been more complicated or scary. I don't want to give too much away but this is basically a mix of The Wire and The Sixth Sense - but way cooler. A stellar new novel from Stephen King!

[burritapal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been more than 15 years since I've read a Stephen King book. I used to read everything he wrote, but my taste in Reading has matured over the years. I decided to give this a try. I admit, I was not disappointed.
This is a book written from the Viewpoint of a boy, starting when he's 6 years old, and advancing to the time when he's in his early twenties.
He doesn't know who his father is, at least at first. He lives with his mother, who is a literary agent. At the beginning of the book, they are doing just fine, living on Park Ave in Manhattan, in a nice apartment, but around 2009, the financial bottom drops out, and they are forced into near bankruptcy. But the fact that this boy can see dead people helps them out of a couple of binds, one hugely important one.
The first time it's mentioned that he sees a dead person, it is the wife part of their neighbors, Mr and Mrs Burkett. Mr Burkett is standing in the doorway to their apartment, and his blubbering about the way that he found her dead. He's also lamenting the fact that he can't find her wedding rings. She takes them off, to clean or shower or whatever, and she usually leaves them in the bathroom. But he's checked everywhere and can't find them. So the little boy decides to just ask her. No one else can see her but him, of course. When he asked her where the rings are, she says:
" 'Top shelf of the hall closet,' she said. 'Way in the back, behind the scrapbooks.'
'why there?' I asked, and my mother gave me a strange look. As far as she could see, I was talking to the empty doorway... Although by then she knew I wasn't quite the same as other kids. After a thing that happened in central park, not a nice thing -- I'll get to it -- I overheard her telling one of her editor friends on the phone that I was 'fey.' it scared the s*** out of me, because I thought she meant she was changing my name to fay, which is a girl's name.
'I don't have the slightest idea,' Mrs Burkett said. 'By then I suppose I was having the stroke. My thoughts would have been drowning in blood.' "
This reminded me of my mom, who had a cerebral hemorrhage in 2006. But I never thought of it quite that way, that her thoughts would have been drowning in blood. :-(

Professor Burkett is an extremely cool character. He is a professor emeritus from New York University. He is a good friend to jamie.
Jamie is very troubled by problems caused by his ability to see people right after they die. It has got him into some trouble, that he can't share with his mother, despite their very close relationship. he has plans to go see professor Burkett the next afternoon, but gets an email from him saying that he's flying to Florida to see an old friend who has had a stroke and may not live. But I almost cried, when he had a heart attack and died on the plane on the way.
Jamie has a chance to speak with him, on this stairs of their old apartment building on Park avenue, after his death. Professor Burkett tells him that he was extremely lucky in his dealings with a demon that entered the spirit of a dead criminal after he died.
" 'Do you still want to hear what happened when I grabbed him?' I thought his of his email. 'The details?'
'No.' this disappointed me but didn't surprise me. Dead people lose interest in the lives of the living. 'Just remember what I've told you.'
'I will, don't worry.'
A faint shadow of irritation came into his voice. 'I wonder. You were incredibly brave, but you were also incredibly lucky. You don't understand because you're just a child, but take my word for it. That thing is from outside the universe. There are horrors there that no man can conceive of. If you truck with it you risk death, or madness, or the destruction of your very soul.'
I had never heard anyone talk about trucking with something -- I suppose it was another of the professor's old school words, like icebox for refrigerator, but I got the gist. And if he meant to scare me, he had succeeded. The destruction of my soul? Jesus!"

The ending is very cool, and has to do with a drug don.

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am a big Stephen King fan and am always eagerly awaiting his newest release. Later is the latest - and is just as good as I knew it would be!Later is told completely from Jamie Conklin's point of view in a storytelling fashion. He takes us back to his childhood when he discovers that he sees things that no one else does. His single mother warns him to not tell anyone else, but she does let it slip to her girlfriend Liz. What does he see? Dead people. They can see Jamie as well and talk to him before they fade away. And...they cannot lie to him. The adults in his life see the potential in Jamie's gift. His mother's request is made to keep their small family afloat. But Liz.....well, she see other opportunities...You just know there's going to be something evil amongst the dead Jamie sees and talks to. There is, and it's downright terrifying. Even more so as Jamie is just a child.Jamie was such a fantastic lead and I loved his voice. He's an adult as he recounts his past and his voice is by turns is self deprecating, wry, frightened and more as he shares his past - and present - with the listener. King does 'young person facing incredible evil on their own' so very, very well. It's impossible to not get caught up in the tension of the plot. There's also some dark humor that I always appreciate.I loved the cover image and the retro feel. And the title? The word later is used very effectively as foreshadowing by Jamie and is guaranteed to keep you staying up later than you should.I have actually listened to the last few books and am now hooked on the audio versions of King's work. The narrator was Seth Numrich and he was such a great choice. His tone matched the mental image I had for an adult Jamie, but he also captured the fear, danger and uncertainty of young Jamie. The voice for Mom was spot on. And the thing's voice? Goosebumps, every time it spoke. The voice for Liz suited her actions and personality. Numrich captures the tone and tenor of King's plot so very, very well with his expressive narration. His speaking is clear, easy to understand and the pacing was just right. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I become so much more immersed in a tale when I listen to it

[villemezbrown · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

King starts out riffing on The Sixth Sense and never really goes anywhere original or interesting with his young boy who sees dead people. Along the way he indulges in a tired and repulsive trope -- bury your gays -- , a half-hearted twist, and an excessive amount of repetition. I was so goddamned tired of hearing about that goddamned green turkey by the goddamned last page! This is a goddamned horror story, goddamnit, not a goddamned Thanksgiving story!

[maneekuhi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As I was into the final chapters of Stephen King’s “Later”, I found myself reflecting more and more on horror stories that I found A+. Stories that created incredible tension and god-awful scares. I enjoyed looking back on my old favorites and realized there were three clear differentiators that separated the greats from the so-so. First, the greats comprised a very short list, and the so-so described the rest of the list; were no “close, but no banana”. Second, (and here I am speaking mostly of movies) the genre seemed to follow a pattern of a new audience-grabbing scene/twist/level of gore that everyone had to see, then quickly devolving into a never-ending series of sequels, e.g. “Nightmare 19”. Finally, most of the interesting horror stories were movies; my all-time favorite horror books list has a single entry (and it’s not “Later”). Blatty’s book was so unique….perhaps books just don’t work for horror.“Later” is about 220 pages and some of its final, post-horror storyline deals with incest of all things. Why? I have no idea. There are two big time horror scenes, one early, and a final one at the climax. I thought the climax was boring and I didn’t buy the “too-easy” police investigation of the final events. Some of you who have done your homework and read a review or two know that there is a rather key plot device in “Later” used in a popular and well done movie of a few years back. I did not buy the explanations of the difference between them.So, “Later”? Disappointing. Not recommended. Oh, and my favorites….My best horror book all-time is “The Exorcist”. Best movies? “The Exorcist”, “The Sixth Sense”, and the very first “Halloween” movie made in ’78 when baby sitter Jaimie Lee Curtis was 20 with its incredible last scene coming out of no where. Too much of the rest is blood and guts, and babysitters getting a phone call….

[porcupineracetrack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nothing like a new Stephen King novel to pull me out of a reading funk. This was a fast-paced horror story with elements of noir, & it was easily my favorite of King's Hard Case books. I loved the main character Jamie Conklin, & I think King is especially adept at writing children (or adults looking back at their childhood). He's smart but naive, & doing his best to deal with the unexpected ability to see & speak with the newly dead...who, it turns out, must always answer truthfully any question you ask them.Unfortunately, his mother's girlfriend (who also happens to be a dirty cop) won't let it be that easy. She uses Jamie's gift for her own agenda, & unleashes an other-worldly horror while doing so. The presence of the dead throughout Jamie's life, presented as so mundane, is why I love King so much. It seems real when he writes it, & with no over-the-top melodrama. Just real shit. Of course, the references to IT made me happy too. Anything that brings back the ritual of Chud (yep, cheesy as it is I get goosebumps reading about it) & the deadlights is worth the read to me.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“I think this is a horror story. Check it out.”I am a big Stephen King fan and a big fan of the Roanoke Colony legend. I also really like liked the movie “The Sixth Sense” from 1999. So this book was a good read for me! But if you're a stickler for such things, and must know, this story feels like "The Sixth Sense: Part 2". Big time. King even mentions that movie a couple of times within the book! Don't get me wrong, I liked it, and it has King's markings all over it, but it is about a kid who sees and communicates with dead people. Who has a single mom. And a bicyclist is one of the dead he sees. And a few of the dead help the kid solve crimes. And...Again, I liked it, even if it is what it is. And I really liked the crazy twist at the end. I'm just wondering if M. Night Shyamalan is owed any royalties for this...

[waldhaus1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another clever twist on a ghost story. Told from the perspective of a young adult as he looks back on growing up. Various events when his ability to talk to the newly dead and get answers altars lives.