Here in the story King's good and evil story becomes slightly trite, as he's done it before in several novels– The Stand, The Talisman, and Salem's Lot in particular. But fans will forgive this, as his style carries the story rip-roaringly along. Cell emerges as a classic allegory with some entertaining characters and interesting observations about the human animal.

There is the classic embodiment of evil: the man with no face (although here he has half a face). There is the concept of the worst human failing being unable or unwilling to think for oneself, and persecuting those who do. There is the presentation of a hard journey as character development, and the unoriginal idea of love being the only thing that can defeat evil. And yet, even as the story moves in its predictable arc, it is difficult to put down.

The story after Gaiten becomes largely about Clay and his personal stake in finding his son. The group travels to an area designated as No-Fo–a place where cell phone reception is nonexistent and therefore believed to be safe. It's not, of course. Yet they go anyway, because they must. Readers who dread going out of their comfort zones will find this part of the novel very disconcerting.

I'll leave the Battle Royale and the outcome to readers. There will be no spoilers here, though I will say that the ending disappoints, as the ultimate outcome is left unexplored. It would make a great first novel in a series, though, and were King to go on with these characters in the Pulse's aftermath I would gladly get a copy and some popcorn. I guess it's fair to say that I was left wanting more. This is particularly apt in the character of Tom McCourt, our gay co-protagonist.

You can tell a lot about what an author thinks of his characters by how they are introduced. King describes Tom as a very small man in a tweed suit, with gold-rimmed glasses and a neat mustache. He doesn't use the word ‘bookish', but I will. It's a bit of stereotyping on King's part and makes it seem as if there are no gay cops or construction workers in his world.

Tom's relationship with the bloodied and traumatized Alice is almost immediately paternal and protective–he provides her with the emotional support she needs to get it together, and the three begin the long walk from Boston to Tom 's home in the exurb of Malden.

In describing Tom's home, King reveals more of his character. It is small, immaculate, complete with garden and cat, and Clay observes that it smells of furniture polish and leather, which evokes for him the homes of men who ‘live calm lives that don't necessarily include women'.

This is just more stereotyping, though I'm sure the slight was unintentional. Surely King knows that lots of gay men have women friends. But Tom has none. In fact, he seems to have no friends at all, let alone a love interest, ex or otherwise. It is here that King truly sells the gay community short.

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