Finished: Fairy Tale (King) I haven't read a Stephen King book since one of my favorites, 11/22/63, and this one was very good, with characters I'll not forget: Charlie, Radar, Mr. Bowditch, Dora, Leah, Iota, the Snab, and more...but mostly, Charlie and Radar. Fairy Tale is the story of Charlie, a 17 year old boy whose mother dies when he's 7 and whose dad he watches live in a stupor of alcohol for years until he finally gets sober. Charlie is a great son, a great student, and a great athlete. One day on his way home from school, he's passing the neighborhood "Pyscho" house when he hears a long, sad howl coming from the backyard. He hears is again and again, and decides he must go back and see if everything is okay. He comes across the elderly man who lives there by himself, Mr. Bowditch, who has fallen off a ladder and broken his leg. His 14 year old German Shepard, Radar, is by his side and pleading for someone to help his master. Charlie calls 911 for the very grumpy and suspicious Mr. Bowditch, and so begins a relationship between Charlie and Mr. Bowditch, which turns into one of complete trust and caring. Mr. Bowditch has to be in the hospital for several weeks and Charlie promises to take care of Radar. He even quits the baseball team when it comes down to Mr. Bowditch coming home and having no one to stay with him. This is a good story in of itself, but this is Stephen King, so you know it's just beginning. :-) It's not long until a few unusual things start happening...especially pertaining to a shed in the backyard and a pot full of gold pellets in Mr. Bowditch's safe. After Mr. Bowditch passes away a few months later (not related to the fall), Charlie finds out that he's left his house and everything in it, including Radar, to him. Of course, this also includes the gold, the mysterious shed and a message about what exactly is underneath that shed, and where Charlie must take the rapidly failing Radar to help him live longer. Charlie and Radar basically enter a whole new world that looks as if it once belonged in a fairy tale, but now has a horrific, evil enchantment cast over it that is killing most of the residents. Charlie meets unforgettable character after character, most of whom call him the Prince who had been foretold to come and save them all. The adventure ensues. There's an old woman who repairs shoes, instead of living in one. There's a princess who no longer has a mouth. There's a giant red cricket. There's a very nasty Rumpelstiltskin type man. There are two giants. There is evil everywhere as the few good people try to prevail. I'll have to let you read for yourself and see what happens. :-)