The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

—3.5—

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was my third Stephen King, the first being The Tommyknockers in late middle school or early high school, and the second being The Stand about a year ago.  And while I never found it particularly eerie, like I did the first two, I enjoyed this little book.  Trisha McFarland is 9 and going on a day trip to part of the Appalachian Trail with her newly single mother and her obnoxious brother.  Her mom and brother fight constantly now that they live separate from Trisha’s dad, and it has become Trisha’s job to keep the peace.  However, Trisha has gotten tired of this role, and on that hike decides that the two bickering family members wont even notice if she steps off the trail for a moment to pee.  And so wrong descion number one occurs.  Soon, Trisha is hopelessly lost, without enough food or water, and with something sinister stalking her.

King succeeds on many levels with The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.  Although I often found myself disbelieving that these were the thoughts and words of a 9 year old, Trisha was a powerful narrator that carried the story well.  I wanted to scream at her when I knew she was making a poor decision, or tell her to run when the mysterious something in the forest seemed nearby.  I especially liked when she began to teeter on the edge of insanity and exhaustion, always seeming to pull herself back just enough to take the next step.  I think I may pick up another Stephen King sometime.  Any suggestions?

3.5/5

Read my review of The Stand by Stephen King.