Rage

While wandering around in the local used bookstore, I came across a near mint condition copy of The Bachman Books by Stephen King. A few days later, I started reading Rage. Rage is a compelling (and short) novel about Charlie Decker, a junior at a local high school in Portland, Maine. One day, Charlie brings his father’s gun to school with hopes of «getting it on». Now, to Charlie, getting it on was letting all of his anger out. We soon discover why Charlie does these horrible things with flashbacks to his childhood. The students that Charlie is holding hostage later discover that Charlie is the victim, not the menace. What makes this book so unique to me is that the entire story is told from the perspective of Charlie. I have found out that Mr. King took this novel off of the market after the recent Columbine incident. I personally believe that King did not need to take this book off of the shelves, but that was his decision, not mine. Many people complain that this novel is too raw and does not meet their standards for King. Even though I have only read about seven or eight King books, I can safely say that this is one of the better Stephen King novels. Highly recommended if you want a different and unique novel.