"The Body," by Stephen King

When 4 boys by the names of Chris, Teddy, Vern, and Gordon get word there’s a dead body of a boy their age laying in the woods, they make it their goal to find the body and become heroes in their town. They each tell their parents they are sleeping over at another friends’ house, and set out on their hike. Throughout their two-day trip, the boys have to overcome many obstacles just for a chance of seeing this coveted, dead body. Stephen King, born on September 21st, 1947, in Portland, Maine, is known by many for his horror books and movies. King, often referred to as the ‘King of Horror’ is widely considered to be the most famous and successful horror writer in modern history. Some of Stephen King’s most popular horror stories include It, The Shining, The Stand, and The Body.

Chris, Gordon, Teddy, and Vern, four lifelong friends, set out on an adventure when Vern overhears his older brother Billy talking with his friend, and gang member, Charlie about the dead body of a boy named Ray Brower. Vern overhears that his body is out in the woods, waiting to be discovered, but Vern has to make sure his brother who is part of Ace’s gang  doesn’t get word that he and his friends are going to look for the body, or they will get in serious trouble. After convincing each of their parents to let them stay over at another boy's house, they begin their adventure. During their journey the friends have to climb many obstacles such as their lack of money, food, water, and the danger of the open train tracks. After finally discovering the body, they hear the noise of cars, and when the boys look up, they see nobody other than Ace Merril and his gang standing in front of them. Towards the beginning of the book, each character has to deal with family conflict. Their every day experiences with their families was one of the main factors leading them to going on this exploration. In the middle of the book, the boys have to deal with conflict on their way to the body. With no money, food, and little access to water, the trip is lengthy and exhausting for the boys. At the end of the book, even after finding the body, the boys have to deal with the conflict between Ace Merril and his gang. After finally finding the body, the boys were rewarded with a greeting from Ace’s gang, the last people they wanted to see. Chris Chambers, known as the toughest, scariest one in the boys’ group leads the way throughout their journey. He brought his dad’s gun, and was ready to fight anyone who came along their path. Throughout their journey, Chris develops from a hopeless, troubled young boy into an ambitious young scholar, after discovering the true meaning of death and fending off his brother and his gang. Chris wound up going to college and becoming a successful lawyer before being stabbed to death attempting to break up a fight.  

What I liked about the book was how well each character’s background was explained. Throughout the book you could understand the development and change of the characters during their journey. Vern, Teddy, Chris, and Gordon each had family or other personal issues and over the course of the book you can see how they overcame them. Watching the characters develop throughout their adventure was one of the most important and interesting parts of the book. I would definitely recommend buying this book as it shows how young, reckless teenagers can develop into prosperous adults. Through Chris Chambers’s background especially, the story depicts how someone with a rough childhood can still become successful in the future. Overall, this book was a great read and a book I recommend to teenagers and young adults. The Body was an action packed horror story that kept me interested within each chapter and page.