Book Review: Mile 81 by Stephen King

In typical Stephen King fashion, this is immediately absorbing. You start off reading, like with most works, not knowing fully what to expect. But with King's truly extraordinary ability to draw the constant reader in and convincingly place you in the shoes of the character, you truly feel like you are experiencing what is going on.

Unfortunately, you also don't have that sense of control, and when the characters make bad decisions that you just know they are going to regret later, it drives you crazy.

Enter Pete Simmons, who decides to go on a little personal adventure. Pete wants to be accepted by some of the cooler, bigger kids, but he senses that they will not accept him. He is looking for some kind of adventure, something that will perhaps make him stand out, and get the notice of those kids. He wants to win their approval.

So, he decides to explore an abandoned rest stop just off the interstate. He has to get through some of the barriers first, but he eventually manages to find his way inside. This may seem to be setting up a creepy story about something that happens inside of this abandoned building, yet that is not the way this goes.

While Pete is still inside, some drama is about to unfold just outside, when an apparently empty old station wagon crashes through the orange cones blocking the entrance to the abandoned rest area, and parks. The driver's side door opens, but nobody gets out. The car just stays there, waiting.

It attracts the attention of some people, some good samaritans. They approach this car at first with simple puzzlement, but as they get closer, they do so with a growing sense of unease. Something is clearly wrong.

Eventually, there is a long list of victims, and a whole bunch of abandoned cars, including a police car. When Pete Simmons finally wakes up to what is going on outside of the rest area building, he finds two small and abandoned children, and all of those empty cars. It all seems so mysterious, but then he witnesses something that seems...well, impossible. But he is ten years old, and can accept what he sees. He decides to come to the aid of the children, knowing the dangers.

Pete has found adventure. More than he bargained for, in fact, and it no longer seems so important to impress those other kids.

Ultimately this is a good, solid read, and typical Stephen King. A must read for any constant readers! This is a piece that you can read in one-sitting, and it is a tribute to King, as well as a great addition to his extensive body of work! Highly recommended!