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The Outsider

A Novel

Stephen King

Ages 16+

Readers rate it 3.9 (962 on Hardcover)

656 pages · Released Jun 30, 2020

Content report card

What's inside

High confidence

Graphic depiction of a murdered child's body; physical violence and supernatural brutality escalates throughout; gun violence and confrontations.

Frequent profanity and crude language typical of Stephen King's adult fiction; includes slurs.

Sexual assault of a child is central to the plot; references to sexual violence and adult sexual content.

LGBTQ+ themes

Presence of characters or themes

Extremely dark supernatural horror with a malevolent shapeshifter entity; graphic crime scene descriptions; themes of trauma, grief, and the violation of innocence; pervasive dread and psychological horror.

Incidental references to alcohol consumption by adult characters.

What it offers

Positive messages

Kindness, courage, honesty, resilience

Positive role models

Characters who model good judgment and growth

Educational value

History, science, culture, how the world works

A note for parents

The Outsider is a dark Stephen King thriller centered on the murder of a child and featuring graphic violence, sexual assault, and mature supernatural horror. While the book explores themes of justice and redemption through detective work, the content is disturbing and explicitly adult-oriented. This is not appropriate for younger teens and is best suited to mature readers aged 16 and up who are familiar with King's work.

Analyzed by AI · 16 hours ago

From the publisher

Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn!​ Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King. An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular... Now an HBO limited series starring Ben Mendelsohn!​ Evil has many faces…maybe even yours in this #1 New York Times bestseller from master storyteller Stephen King. An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens—Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.

Shelved under

  • Fiction
  • Strong Character Development
  • Loveable Characters
  • Not Diverse Characters
  • A mix driven
  • Diverse Characters
  • Unloveable Characters
  • Weak Character Development
  • Plot driven
  • Character driven
  • Purchase
  • dark

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ISBN 9781501180996 · Pocket Books