Pet Sematary

Stephen King

May 2014 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestseller is a “wild, powerful, disturbing” (The Washington Post Book World) classic about evil that exists far beyond the grave—among his most iconic and frightening novels.

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes, dead is better…

Ratings and reviews

Well, it's Stephen King, so no wonder I give it 5 stars. I actually have 4 stars in mind since I feel that the story seems falling off in the middle. However, I must admit that Stephen King successfully confused me by the way he told the story and it made me hard to predict the plot. The story did fall unto the plot that I imagined but they way he twisted it in the middle makes you wonder and unsure about it. Also, I'm really amazed by the way he describes the suspense, I can really feel it. However, somehow the climax has been maimed in the way that fell short for me. I want to give 4.5 stars if I could. Four is too low, but it's not as outstanding as Carrie or even Rose Madder.

It's difficult to love a book that is about so many heartwrenching topics. I read it in less than two days. King is an absolutely mesmerizing writer. Much better than the film. But such a difficult read, especially if you have small children. I will probably not read it again, however it will stay with me forever. It made me truly grateful yet very aware- life can change in a second. Cherish what you have. WHO you have. The rest doesn't matter.

I started reading this last night at midnight... just read the last word at 5pm...17hours of spooky! Thanks once again Mr. King for an amazing book. It's bad enough imagining the death of a loved one... the death of a child is horrifying. Then you add the insane, genius storyteller, Stephen King to the nightmare and you just have to hang on for dear life and hope to God you can talk yourself back into reality. His most terrifying story is in these pages. I've read almost everything he has written and just hope he continues because Stephen King has spoiled me to any other author. I try to read someone else and it's just terribly boring. 😊

About the author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.