11/22/63 by Stephen King

Megan | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9

Rating: *****

Jake Epping is a high school English teacher in Maine. One day, he receives a phone call from his acquaintance Al Templeton, owner of a local diner, requesting to meet up. Out of curiosity, Jake obliges. Al reveals that there is a time portal in his diner that can whisk you back to 1958. Al sends Jake on a mission to impede John F. Kennedy’s notorious assassination in 1963, a feat he himself no longer be able to accomplish due to his lung cancer. Jake then thinks back to a powerful essay that he once graded, written by GED student and school janitor, Harry Dunning. In it, Harry recounts the night when his father murdered his mother and siblings, forever altering the course of his life. Realizing that the fate of the world is in his hands, Jake travels to the past under the alias George Amberson, determined to save the Dunning family, before eventually preventing the assassination of JFK. King tells the love story of a heartfelt romance, interlaced with an unbelievably tragic one, and beneath it all, an unrelenting desire to save the world.

Although I am not particularly interested in history, I thoroughly enjoyed King’s masterpiece nevertheless. King adds the perfect touch of foreshadowing, making the book nearly impossible to put down. The protagonist, Jake, was portrayed remarkably realistically, and his passion for teaching, unwavering perseverance, and loyalty to his loved-ones can be relatable to many readers. Not only is 11/22/63 a story of heart and soul, but it is incredibly thought-provoking, delving into the ideas of time travel and the Butterfly Effect. King makes the reader question how the smallest of events may have the largest implications. Overall, I highly recommend that you give this book a try -- you will not regret it.