Under the Dome (Stephen King)

Title: Under the Dome

Author: Stephen King

Released: 2009

Rating: 6/5

Basic Plot: A mysterious dome drops around the town of Chester's Mill. A man decides to try and take control of the town while others, lead by a drifter, attempt to stop him. All the while time runs out for Chester's Mill.
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Big Jim
This character is unlikable from the first page he appears on. His whole thing is that he must always be right and will kill those who speak out against him. From his first appearance you don't want him in charge of the town. Jim says that he cares about Chester's Mill, he even thinks that in various parts of the novel, but he never really does. He thinks people need to be controlled because they are stupid and he has never tried to actually give the town the help it needs even before Dome came. As he's the big bad of the book, you know he'll survive close to the end and you merely hope his death scene will be glorious.

Children Are Wicked
I am not saying all children are of the devil, but multiple times in this novel it's shown that some children are violent and that when you get older certain violent behavior goes away. Well...for some people. Violent behavior being things like burning ants with a magnifying glass and burning barbies in a microwave. Anytime those violent behaviors carry over to the time the person is an adult or are kept as is, it's not shown as good. All children aren't shown as violent as three teens are crucial to the town's survival.

Rape
In this book there is a rape scene...well, technically more than one. But only one major rape scene (those of you triggered by rape: I only remember two...and one person having sex with corpses is only implied/talked about and never shown). This rape scene serves to show how brutal the police force has gotten as well as how certain professions are looked down upon. It is these two reasons, as well as the rape itself, that makes the scene so terrifying. I must say that when the victim/survivor gets her vengeance, it is a good payoff (I would've been more horrified if all the rapists survived until the end).

Final Thoughts
This book is long (over a thousand pages), but well worth it. The length of the book allows things to develop well. As it's really a study of how quickly a society (in this case a small town) breaks down when put under pressure. How sometimes the reason for it all isn't something grandiose merely because sometimes horrible things happen because of ignorance and a lack of empathy. I love how it's shown how political positions can make a person feel they have a reason to act. There are parts of this book that will make you long for the conclusion of a subplot and it won't be answered for many pages. As for the tv show...I have only seen the first six episodes and I suggest finishing the current season(s) of the tv or finishing the book before going to the other medium. Both are set in two different universes where characters either have different backstories or are living.