Dangerous Phones

I interrupt this month-long segment dedicated to the captains of the NHL for something I haven't done in a while: a book review.  Today's book is by Stephen King and takes on the premise of cell phones being the end of the world titled Cell.  As most of you know, King is a horror writer who creates atmosphere through natural surroundings and adding a little man-made element to the mix, with the cell phone being the object in this novel.  Like many of his stories, Cell is set in the northeastern part of the United States, so any references to things like the Boston Red Sox or Boston Celtics can be explained in that sense.

The story begins with Clayton Riddell in Boston getting ready to close a deal on his comic book when strange occurrences begin to happen, with many explosions, people going nuts, and the city being in chaos.  This is all in the first segment of the book, which means the inevitable disappointment is being set up for down the road. In all of the mess, Clayton meets Tom and Alice, and all three attempt to find some semblance of sanity.  The travels take them through small towns, and eventually, they meet a boy named Jordan and his head master.  It is there that the group discovers the reason for things happening as they are.  The question is how they can reverse, or even kill off the thing that is plaguing the people in the Northeast...and possibly the world.

The beginning of the story begins with a huge explosion (actually, many of them) and pretty much drags to a crawl midway through.  The ending ends with some kind of explosion, but as a whole, it isn't enough to really save Cell from being one long tedious read.  Long time Stephen King fans will probably enjoy this one, but those seeking something more will want to look elsewhere.