My all-time favorite King story. This is more than just a hostage novel; it's about growing up, social pressures, perverted childhood experiences, sex, and many more. I admire how unabashedly brave King was in this short book. His protagonist and narrator doesn't believe in taboos; he knows how to bring up the most uncomfortable things in life. Imagine having to divulge how you lost your virginity in great, shocking details. Or tell the most disgusting thing you've ever done. Or how you heared your parents having sex on a few occasions. Things you don't usually tell to a lot of people. This was one fucked-up novella. It blew my mind.