3.5 stars. I actually AGONIZED over the rating to give this novel. I love me some Stephen King (I may even go so far as to say he's my favorite author) and I loved this novel, but sometimes I didn't like it so much, and sometimes I loved it again. Even after I finished it last night I kept thinking about it and trying to decide how I really feel about it. 
 Lisey's story is about Lisa Landon, whose husband, Scott, has died two years ago. He was a famous and successful novelist with some SERIOUS demons in his past, and Lisey is trying to clean up her life and clean out Scott's old writing room. There is SO MUCH in this novel--first of all, the word pool. That is one of the coolest concepts I've ever read about in a novel. It's so simple and yet King executes it masterfully, and even includes numerous references to novels, poems, songs, and more, just to illustrate how wide the word pool really is. I think that was my favorite part of the novel. 
 Lisey is a badass character, there's no other way to say it. She straps it on (there's a catch from the word pool!) when necessary and, believe me, it's plenty necessary throughout the novel. But there was something about her that bothered me--was her whole life about Scott? Even the title of the novel, Lisey's Story, suggests that now it's Lisey's turn in the spotlight, but really, the novel is still about Scott and his demons. This is what I struggled with during and after reading this novel--where is the Lisey separate from her husband? 
 I think this is one of those door stopper novels that I'll have to read again and again before I really form a strong opinion about it. I liked it more than I disliked it, let's say that. My apologies if this review is as disjointed as my thoughts about the story.... But, if you are a Stephen King fan, I think this is a must read!