[[nid:3878]]The Dead Zone is a supernatural thriller by Stephen King. This story works very well for people who like thrillers, but are not keen on delving into horror. There are supernatural elements, but the story never delves into the horror that Stephen King is famous for. The story deals in adult fears such as mortality, the threat of war, religious fanaticism, mental illness, violence, and the idea that a child might pass away before his/her parents. The book also delves into what responsibility a person has when given the power to know in advance when major events will take place.

The story follows John “Johnny” Smith. He begins the story as a twenty-something teacher who is a prankster. He has a girlfriend named Sarah that he wants to introduce to his parents soon, so life is good. Then a catastrophic accident happens, and Johnny’s world is wiped away. He is left in coma for a number of years, and everybody around him must decide how to proceed from there. His parents are smacked with the reality that their only child might never wake up, and given the severity of the accident, Johnny might die. They also must face the financial cost of keeping their child alive while in a comatose state.Sarah, his girlfriend, must decide whether to move on and when. Everyone tries to move on as best as possible, but then Johnny wakes up. Normal goes out the window almost immediately due to Johnny’s psychic ability. This ability sends Johnny on a headlong collision course to an increasingly violent man who has the potential to destroy the world.

The story flows well and does not plod. It is a short book with only 428 pages. It seemed that every part was an essential part of the story. The violent moments can be shocking in how ordinary the acts are. What happens to Johnny is horrifying because it could happen to anyone. So, many of the intense moments are scary because they are familiar.