Fairy Tale

Fairy Tale is a coming-of-age story, narrated by Charlie, a 17-year-old who discovers a passage to a fantasy world, parallel to our own. I found it entertaining enough with an adequate if not staggering story and mildly likable hero. Charlie narrates the story in the first person and when he gets to the other world, he mentions the fictional stories from our world that are similar to what he's experiencing, making this a meta comment on fairy tales/fantasy. I would have preferred it without this element and would rather make my own associations and connections.

As other reviewers pointed out, the beginning setup of the story goes very slowly. The backstory of his mother's death/father's drinking, Charlie's “deal with God,” and his friendship with Bowdtich and Radar are laid out. I don't mind a long Stephen King book or taking the time to develop characters but somehow these relationships in Fairy Tale are lacking conflict and depth. Yes, Bowditch is difficult and Charlie's reasons for helping him are complicated, but it still feels mundane. Charlie's motivation of saving Radar wasn't the most compelling but it was relatable for any of us that have ever watched a pet age and slowly pass on.

Once Charlie made the decision to go on a magical journey, my curiosity was piqued for the fairy tale world which had some interesting elements. There was some tension as Charlie reached his goal of helping Radar and then paid the price for it. I enjoyed the concepts of the Night Soldiers (and the solution for stopping them), the Fair One, and the Gray. I wish the “science” of the Night Soldiers and the Gray had been fleshed out (no pun intended) but that's no big thing. I appreciated seeing Charlie's development in terms of problem solving and taking responsibility. The final beast battle was unfortunately anticlimactic, as often happens with King. (I am still not over the final Dark Tower battle.)

Generally though, Fairy Tale was a bit bland and mild. It's similar to The Talisman, Eyes of the Dragon, or The Dark Tower but not as deep and intense. Stephen King Lite?