Spoiler Alert: No huge spoilers, but if you haven’t been reading along with us, save this post for another time.

In Part One we get to know Abra mostly through her parents or other adults. In Part Two, we got to know her much better. What do you think of this extraordinary girl?

I still feel as if Abra’s character is too young for her age. Wither her special talent, I expect her to be more mature and worldly. She is too juvenile to me and it’s bugging me. She borders on the annoying and I hate feeling that way about her.

Do you have any speculations on what the True Knot are? We know how they sustain themselves, and we’ve seen the way they die. They are not, as Abra calls them, “ghostie people,” but they aren’t really human either. 

I often feel as if certain people suck the life out of me and that is what the True Knot does. They are vampire-like, especially with Rose’s snaggly tooth but what they suck is not blood but your life essence. They differ from the Ghostie people because those folks were killed and never found their way to the other side. These guys prey on the life force of others. No different than corporate America (in my opinion).

Considering that Chapter Thirteen is one of the most intense in the book so far, did anyone actually stop reading here? Or could you not wait to race on ahead?

I am reading this on my Kindle and to be honest, I do not recall an especially intense chapter and with all that I have going on, I don’t have the energy to go back and see what it was about! Overall, the book is not intense. It’s quite mild by King’s standards so Chapter Thirteen did not jump out at me.

How is Doctor Sleep treating you so far? Is it keeping you awake at night? Are you excited to finish it and chat about the ending?

I finished the book, but I will save my final, final thoughts for the last read along post and my review (if I ever get it written). It has been a difficult book for me to finish. It lost steam (pun intended) towards the end and I had some trouble believing Rose and her power. I am very anxious to wrap this up though and move on to another book.

It’s time to talk about Doctor Sleep! Well, at least the first few chapters. Tif & Charleen provided these questions so, here goes!

Doctor Sleep picks up not long after the closing of The Shining. For those who have recently read The Shining, do you think it proves to be helpful in diving into the sequel? If you have not recently read The Shining, do you feel you are missing out on some of the details?

I re-read The Shining last year for #shineon and I can’t say that it’s helped me understand this particular book better or made it a better reading experience for me but I’ll tell ya, knowing the back story sure made me anxious for this one to come out. That said, I do not think you need to read The Shining to enjoy this one, but if you read this one, you will eventually want to read The Shining so why not read them in order? I think a lot of people out there don’t even realize that Doctor Sleep is a sequel! If I had just read The Shining and Doctor Sleep was available, yes, I think I would have no problem diving into the new book.

Danny has now become Dan. In Part One, we watch his transformations from learning to live with the horrors of The Overlook to succumbing to the drink (like his father) to his road to sobriety and earning the title of Doctor Sleep. What do you think about the journey King has taken Dan on thus far?

Dan seems a little too perfect to me. Yes, the drinking is a chink in his armor for sure, but he seems a little too stable considering what he went through as a kid. I do like where King is going with Dan’s “special gift” and all, but I never thought Danny would turn into anything based on his childhood. He was such a messed up kid!

We are also introduced to the True Knot in this first section. What do you think about this group?

They remind me a lot of the Manson followers but more in-tune with their surroundings. Yes, they do remind me a little of vampires too but of course, not in the traditional sense. I was not sure what to make of them but they are frightening in a non-frightening way, which is of course terrifying! The connection to Abra is quite frightening as well, given her young age and innocence.

Overall, what do you think so far? Have you completely fallen into the story? Or, has it taken a bit longer to get back into the life of little Danny Torrance?

I was immediately pulled into the story and did not stop at chapter 6. Once again, King’s handing of the characters is what makes me a King fan. He doesn’t just tell you about a guy, he tells you about him, shows you all of his vulnerabilities and then displays them for all to see through tics, little sayings and mannerisms. I dare anyone to read a King book and walk away feeling as if you never got to know the characters.

How is Doctor Sleep going for you?  Who has already finished the novel?

I have about 20% of the novel left on my Kindle but I feel really good about it. I feel that King delivered with this sequel and unless he completely disappoints me with the last 20%, I am going to declare this one a success. Anything can happen though so I am slowly hitting the ‘next page’ button and hoping for a satisfying finish.