Apr 262006
When I first read the plot summary of Cell, I was skeptical. The story of a malicious Pulse broadcast to the world’s cell phones that turns their users into murderous drones sounded like a weak, even derivative, plot for a novel. But while King is obviously paying homage to Romero and Matheson, his skill as a writer makes this iteration of the familiar zombies-take-over-the-world tale engaging and disquieting. King is by no means the most nuanced of writers, but I like reading him because he knows how to balance character and plot. I cared about the characters and what happened to them as they made the trek out of a devastated Boston and into the New England countryside. Not everything in the book works. King’s efforts to work in plot elements regarding computer viruses and worms felt a little clumsy. But these quibbles are small; Cell is a satisfying piece of escapist fiction that is by no means phoned in.
