Rating: 
Summary: King - There is No Substitute
Review: I've been a fan of Stephen King for many, many years and although I haven't had time to read much of his "newer" stuff lately (the last book I read was "Bag of Bones"), I did manage to pick up the pretty short "Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" and read it in two wonderful hammock visits. And in the end, I was actually crying.The story is pretty basic. Nine-year-old Trisha is on a hiking jaunt with her older brother and mother, and when she steps off the main trail to relieve herself, she gets lost in the woods almost instantly. King brings Trisha alive with an uncanny maturity for a 9-year-old, and throughout the tale, he manages to keep the same setting but through Trisha's hallucinations (Tom Gordon, the Boston Red Sox closer and Trisha's favorite baseball player, who seemingly walks the woods with her), her memories of friends (Pepsi, whose banter keeps you laughing), family (Dad, whose love of baseball and beer keeps Trisha close, yet so far away), and the scary things in the woods (you'll have to read for yourself), it never gets mundane. To keep it simple, "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" is a quick, wonderful book that takes a unique 9-year-old girl and thrusts her into an extremely dangerous setting. King's way of showing Trisha's maturity as she copes with the denizens of the forest is terrific, and as always, he makes you care about the fate of this little girl. Again, King throws away the supernatural and pure terror (as he did in "Bag of Bones") and gives you 200+ pages of emotion. You won't put it down until it's Game Over.
Rating: 
Summary: Go Red Sox!
Review: Nine year old Trisha McFarland, wearing her favorite blue Red Sox batting practice shirt and Red Sox cap, began her six mile hike in the woods with her mother and brother Pete. Her troubled brother and recently divorced mother were constantly bickering. This hike of the Applachian Trail could not for one moment extinguish or interrupt their steady flow of quarreling. To evade this annoying and endless confrontation, Trisha drops back and wanders off. She decides to go forward instead of backtracking to the path and unknowingly strays further and further into the wilderness. Trisha listens to her Walkman for comfort and hears the Boston Red Sox game being broadcast and anxiously awaits the performance of her hero, number 36, relief pitcher, Tom Gordon. Trisha truly amazed me with every turn of the page, displaying courage, faith and a will to survive. Stephen King transports the reader to a new plateau of emotions in this novel. Did I mention that I was also a Red Sox fan?
Rating:
Summary: An okay offering from King
Review: The overall plot (a young girl lost in the woods being trailed by a mysterious creature) is interesting yet the book never quite delivers creepiness that readers expect. King shines in this book with his fully-fleshed and believable characters as he does in all of his work. However, when measured against other King titles, this one falls behind.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: Young Trisha McFarland is put through the test of her young life while on what started out as a six-mile hike on the Maine-NH branch of the Appalachian Trail. Mom's been difficult since the divorce and Trisha's older brother Pete hasn't been much better. Trying to escape their constant arguing, Trisha allows herself to fall a little behind, but wanders off the path, takes a wrong turn and falls deeper into the woods, finding herself completely lost. Trisha's Boston Red Sox hero, number 36, relief pitcher Tom Gordon, helps comfort her as she catches a couple games on her Walkman and through her own vivid imagination. A story of a child's terror, her faith and her love of the "game." A pretty good story that really held my interest. Growing up just south of Boston, I really enjoyed all the Red Sox talk.
Rating: 
Summary: I think I love Tom Gordon
Review: I was done reading this book just as soon as I opened the cover. My friend recommened that I read the book because it was a "quick read," but I didn't think it would go quite as quickly as it did. Stephen King really knows how to hold a reader's attention. The suspense was non-stop up until the end. I found myself worrying about the well being of this nine-year-old girl while I was suppose to be learning other topics at school. I've never been much of a fan of literature, but this book just might have turned me into a Stephen King fan. The usage of sports as a reason to stay alive was very refreshing. It made me realize that there's more to life than just money and careers; there's also entertainment. Life's simple pleasures can actually keep somebody alive. I loved the book and I recommend that everyone should read it.
Rating:
Summary: The amazing story
Review: This book was like a breath of fresh air after reading Dreamcatcher. The plot is very simple: a survival story about a little girl lost in the woods scared to death and she's looking for her mom and brother and finds them at the end of the book. King manages to avoid the psychological babbling of his recent books but still pull you in with well developed characters.
In this story a little nine year old girl must battle the elements, her fear of a stalking creature, and the deterioration of her body and senses.
This book is not meant to scare you into the wee hours of the night but it will keep you turning the pages just the same. King makes you care about this girl and whether or not she will survive, which makes it a given that she will (this isn't a Bachman novel). Knowing this doesn't take away from the intensity of her struggle.
I highly recommend this to Stephen King fans or anyone who loves a good read.
Rating:
Summary: My Book Review
Review: This book was like a breath of fresh air after reading Dreamcatcher. The plot is very simple: a survival story about a little girl lost in the woods and she is looking for her parents but doesnt find them til the end of the book. King manages to avoid the psychological babbling of his recent books but still pull you in with well developed characters.
In this story a little nine year old girl must battle the elements, her fear of a stalking creature, and the deterioration of her body and senses.
This book is not meant to scare you into the wee hours of the night but it will keep you turning the pages just the same. King makes you care about this girl and whether or not she will survive, which makes it a given that she will (this isn't a Bachman novel). Knowing this doesn't take away from the intensity of her struggle.
I highly recommend this to Stephen King fans or anyone who loves a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful change for SK
Review: As an avid reader of King's works, this book surprised me in many ways. As most of his readers know, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is especially different from King's previous works. This story was certainly more realistic than most others because it did not deal with the supernatural. I was hesitant in reading it, but pleasantly surprised. He kept my interest throughout, and although it was realistic and nothing too earth-shattering as far as the climax of the story, it was a page-turner. King never fails to keep me turning the pages - with the exception of Insomnia perhaps - and once again, he has gained my approval. I would love to see this as a movie. The episode/s of the bear throughout the wooded area reminded me so much of Gerald's Game. I was beginning to think that the 'something' that was watching the girl would end up being a figment of her imagination because she was becoming so ill and her health was declining. Thanks SK, once again. Next one up will be Hearts from Atlantis. (I know it's been out a while, but I rotate authors with King always along the way...)
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King--The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Review: ...P>Trisha McFarland, a clever nine-year old with incredible wit and character, has enough of her family while on a six-mile hike on the Maine-New Hampshire branch of the Appalachian Trail, and decides to take her own path. But as she wanders off by her herself and then attempts to use a shortcut to return to her mother and brother, she becomes lost in the dark, mysterious wilderness. While on her quest back to safety, Trisha uses the comfort of her radio, which she uses to listen to the Red Sox and her favorite player--closer Tom Gordon. When the radio's reception fades, she uses Gordon as her guide away from a terrifying enemy that lurks in the woods. Not one of King's most exciting works, but at only 264 pages, it is fortunately a quick read. Trisha is a well-developed character who has many levels to her, but ultimately her love for baseball and God is what carries her presence through the novel. Having a love for baseball (and even Tom Gordon) is not a prerequisite, but it certainly helps. A good tale of courage, innocence, and love for the game.
Rating:
Summary: A simple story that simply pulls you in.
Review: This book was like a breath of fresh air after reading Dreamcatcher. The plot is very simple: a survival story about a little girl lost in the woods. King manages to avoid the psychological babbling of his recent books but still pull you in with well developed characters.
In this story a little nine year old girl must battle the elements, her fear of a stalking creature, and the deterioration of her body and senses.
This book is not meant to scare you into the wee hours of the night but it will keep you turning the pages just the same. King makes you care about this girl and whether or not she will survive, which makes it a given that she will (this isn't a Bachman novel). Knowing this doesn't take away from the intensity of her struggle.
I highly recommend this to Stephen King fans or anyone who loves a good read.
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