Actually a bit more ambitious that I’d anticipated, especially for a debut novel. I thought it was going to be a simple, straightforward story, but Uncle Steve gave me a partially epistolary novel. 

As for the writing itself, you can tell that it’s an earlier effort. The characters aren’t as alive as his later works, nor is the town as fleshed out, but that’s not to say it’s bad. It’s certainly very good and still has his trademark flair for unrepentantly evil characters. Mrs. White and Billy are bad bad bad and Chris is wickedly cruel. 

All in all, though, it’s a really sad book. Carrie is a tragic character and the world so cruel. I wish things had been better for her.