Under the Dome is a Thriller by Stephen King that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its 1,074 pages! It delves into the terrifying unraveling of a small town trapped beneath an invisible barrier. It blends horror, suspense, and psychological trauma with a touch of the supernatural. It's a pressure cooker of a town full of people slowly losing their minds and their will.

Set in Chester's Mill, Maine, the story kicks off when a small plane suddenly crashes into seemingly nothing in the middle of the sky. It's shortly followed by a vehicle also crashing into an invisible wall. It doesn't take long to figure out that suddenly Chester's Mill is cut off from the rest of the world. What follows is a chilling descent into chaos as the town's residents grapple with dwindling supplies, rising tensions, and the sinister ambitions of the power-hungry local politician, Big Jim Rennie, and his son, Junior. What's surprising is how quickly the deterioration of the town happens. It will truly make you think.

The hero happens to be one of the town's cafe cooks, Dale "Barbie" Barbara. Who, unbeknownst to anyone in the town, also happens to be an Army hero. Julia is the other hero in this story. She's the town's third-generation newspaper editor. They make an unstoppable team. They'll need all their wits and help from some friends to try and stop Big Jim Rennie and his son—two of the most unsavory characters imagined. The last of whom you'd want leading your town in any situation, much less circumstances such as these.

The pacing of the book is solid, and the tension keeps building. It has a large group of characters, which King does an excellent job of giving all of them their own voice. The real horror lies in the darkness it reveals in human nature: Greed, violence, fear, and power struggles that contribute to a tense and unsettling atmosphere.

I did find the ending to be a bit too abrupt and convenient. I felt like it was a bit rushed and found it a bit disappointing. But not so much that I would not recommend reading.

Stephen King fans, horror, psychological horror, suspense fans

I was a bit disappointed in the ending. As stated above, it felt too abrupt and convenient. I wish he had added at least one more chapter and given it a more thoughtful ending.

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Never Flinch (May 2025), the short story collection You Like It Darker (a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

It keeps you turning the pages. You'll be through before you know it!

Published July 6, 2010
1,074 Pages
Suspense Thriller
4.4 Rating

626 Words

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