The Outsider is a 2018 novel written by renowned author Stephen King. The novel was adapted into a television show on HBO in 2020. King is an author that I have a complicated relationship with. As of completing this book, I’ve read a total of three books by him. While I do think he is a skilled writer, I often find myself underwhelmed by his work or put off by certain aspects of the story. Unfortunately, The Outsider didn’t do much to change my opinion of his work, but I do think it’s a solid read overall.

The story of The Outsider is set in the small southwestern town of Flint City. The plot investigates the brutal murder of a young boy by the name of Frank Peterson. Forensic evidence found at the scene easily places the culprit of the crime as a youth baseball coach named Terry Maitland. Upon the initial arrest, Terry pleads his innocence. Over the course of the narrative, the case gradually becomes more and more uncertain with explanations leaning towards the supernatural.

These types of supernatural thrillers and horror novels are certainly where King shines the most as an author. The other two novels I’ve read (11/22/63 and The Dark Tower) by King are a mix of many other genres that I felt often didn’t match well with the overall prose and led to awkward tonal shifts. The Outsider certainly doesn’t suffer from this and stays consistent to the end.

The first act in particular is especially strong. King does a great job of setting up characters while weaving a competent mystery. It’s not necessarily difficult to figure out yourself but it’s the specifics surrounding each crime that keep you turning the page. Additionally, while the reader can easily accept the supernatural elements, our characters within the story cannot. Therefore, the gradual destruction of their core beliefs and continued blundering toward increasing danger provide true tension within the story.

I also enjoyed the characters in this story. I find King has a tendency to write a lot of the same protagonists that often feel slightly like a self-insert. Here, there is a nice diversity in the main cast. Ralph Anderson is a likable (if somewhat bland) police detective who plays well off Howard Gold and Bill Samuels, two lawyers assigned to the case. There is also a returning character, Holly Gibney who makes a cameo from another trilogy of novels by King. Her quirky personality is fun to read and she quickly became one of my personal favorite characters.

The final act of this story disappointed me the most. Once the supernatural threat is finally unveiled, I felt the potential for more mystery surrounding its existence and overall mythos was squandered. Furthermore, the ultimate final battle between our heroes and the creature felt quite weak as it was defeated extremely easily. This is due to the fact most of the climax is devoted to another side antagonist manipulated into insanity by the main villain. I would have preferred if this character was cut out or simply given less time in the spotlight as he is much less interesting than the central antagonist.

The worst part of this character is simply that he makes the plot more predictable. Placing a supernatural creature as a major antagonist gives you the freedom to do virtually anything within the climax. This is because the supernatural is already outside the realm of reality, the only limit is your imagination. In contrast, humans have a limit to what they can do thus bestowing a limitation on this story.

I still think The Outsider is well worth the read. If you want an accessible, solid thriller story that gives you a definitive ending give this a shot. I also think this a good starting place if you want to get into Stephen King’s books. It showcases a lot of his style, characterization, and masterful tension-building.

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The Outsider

18.99

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Solid Characters
• Intriguing mystery
• Great first half

Cons

• Weak second half
• Slightly anticlimatic