7/10
Of the early Stephen King novels I’ve read (Carrie, ’Salem’s Lot, The Shining), The Dead Zone feels the most dated, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it.
The premise is fantastic: a young man spends four and a half years in a coma, only to awaken in a changed world with psychic abilities. As a character study, love story, and supernatural tale, this works beautifully. The first half of the novel, which follows Johnny Smith’s life before the accident, his relationship with Sarah, the accident itself, and his difficult recovery, is deeply compelling. Johnny wrestles with both the physical toll of healing and the emotional devastation of lost years, while Sarah and his parents struggle with grief and what it means to move forward after tragedy.
Where the novel lost me was in the exploration of Johnny’s powers—specifically, how King chose to use them. I wasn’t expecting the story to pivot into politics, and the Greg Stillson plotline never really held my interest. Maybe it’s “too soon” after the 2024 presidential election, but I found it difficult to enjoy. Beyond that, much of the novel feels like an early sketch of what would become King’s far superior 11/22/63. If The Dead Zone helped pave the way for that masterpiece, it deserves credit. But taken on its own, it’s just okay.
The Once and Future Lit 