Alright folks, let’s get a couple things out of the way before I jump right into this review. First of all, I’m a big Stephen King fan. A relatively new and uneducated fan thus far (I’ve only managed to read perhaps ten of his books to date, I’m working on it), but a fan nonetheless. I already profess the man as my favorite author of all time, and frankly I don’t think that’s going to change. So yes, I may have a tendency to worship him every now and then, so expect a little of that in the review.
Second of all, I’ve never actually tackled a book review before. This is partially due to my interest in movies and television strongly exceeding that of my interest in literature. But also because, before Stephen King, I never really read a book that I felt was worth my time writing about (Perhaps the Harry Potter books being an exception). So, as you read this, keep in mind I am a book review virgin.

With all that out of the way, I shall begin.

Christine, if you’ve never heard of it, or even seen the cover of the book itself, is essentially a story about a car. An EVIL car. Ooh, scary! Yes, the premise of it may sound lame to many of you, and hell the book probably would’ve been just that if it wasn’t executed properly. Fans of King will know of his ability to take any idea (as lame as it may be) and turn it into something original, scary and for the most part, cheese-free. Christine is no exception, and is highly entertaining as a horror, a drama and even a love story.

Our story begins when teenage boy and main protagonist Arnie Cunningham first lays his eyes on Christine. Christine herself at first glance appears to be nothing more than a rundown old car -- a piece of scrap metal, nothing more. But Arnie is attracted to her, and decides to buy her, despite the pleas from his best friend Dennis not to do so.
Arnie was never anything special. He’s not the best looking kid in school, or the coolest. He’s never had a girlfriend, and Dennis is his only true friend in the world. But when Arnie fixes up his newly bought 1958 Plymouth Fury, things start to change. Suddenly, Arnie has confidence. He even manages to swing the best-looking girl in school, Leigh, as his new girlfriend. Arnie is changing, and it’s all due to the car.

Throughout the beginning of the story, there are hints that Christine has a mind of her own -- that she is alive. And Arnie knows this. He treats her like a real person. Arnie becomes so invested and so in love with Christine that it starts to ruin his relationship with the people around him. His parents, Dennis, and even Leigh, who are all completely worried about him. And they have good reason to be. He goes off the rails quite often. Yes, this all sounds quite dramatic and everything, but where’s the horror!? Don’t fret, everyone, there is plenty of that too.

Like I said, with Christine having a mind of her own, she often takes it upon herself to take a midnight drive or two. The feelings Arnie has for Christine are very much mutual. And when someone is troubling Arnie or gets in the way, be sure that Christine will do something about it. There are some very intense passages in the book in which a rampaging Christine tracks down, chases and kills some of Arnie’s enemies. Something that I found to be simultaneously disturbing and also, I must admit, a tad satisfying. Christine and Arnie have bonded, and she will do anything to get rid of anyone else who Arnie has shown affection for, so she can have him all to herself. This puts Dennis and Leigh in danger too, and although once again this all sounds rather lame and cheesy, I assure you it’s not.

So, without spoiling how everything turns out, I will say that there are some twists and turns along the way. Something which King does so well is write from the perspectives of multiple characters, and this is done brilliantly by him once again in Christine. Chapters alternating primarily between Arnie, Dennis and Leigh give us a good insight into the various feelings of the characters, something which makes for an engaging and personal read. Very well written, and so easy to mentally visualize, this book is a real treat. John Carpenter quickly had a go at a film adaptation that same year, and although it never quite captures the atmosphere of the novel, it’s still a good attempt. But read first, watch later!

   -- Joe O'Brien