My Review (5 stars out of 5)
Unpopular teenager Carrie White is no ordinary girl and when a traumatic event unnerves her, she begins to harness the power inside her mind – telekinesis. When one of the girls who tormented her feels guilty, she persuades her boyfriend to ask Carrie out to the high school prom. But some of Carrie’s classmates aren’t so forgiving.
I always thought I’d read this in my teens but now think I imagined it. Anyway, as a big fan of Stevie King’s, his debut novel has been on my list of to-reads for years. The movie version (starring Sissy Spacek) still looms large in my memory, so it was interesting to see how the book differs. Told through narration, excerpts from books and news items, the story reveals the build up to the horrific events of a high school Prom Night and its devastating effects on the rest of the town.
It’s hard to believe that King’s writing career back in 1974 consisted of short stories and that the origins of Carrie (as King has often recalled) were almost thrown out with the trash, only to be rescued by his wife, Tabitha. As a first novel, Carrie is a fascinating and utterly compelling tale that shows off King’s writing talents superbly, hinting at the many successes that were to follow.
A classic tale of horror from the master of the genre.
Colin Garrow 
A great review of this book, Colin. I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as me.
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Absolutely – it’s amazing that King’s writing was this good with his first novel.
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