One thing that Stephen King does excellently is character development. You leave a story carrying his characters in your very bones, perhaps your very heart. He does it so well, here, that I almost stopped reading a few chapters in. The dad, mom, and little son were too, too real. I could relate too much, to each of them, in different ways, and it was raw. Not gonna lie. King has a knack for holding up a mirror and you think it's for his characters to see themselves but really more than half the time it's to see YOURSELF. I digress...

But I'm glad I pressed on.

This book is for you if...
- You like horror in which a house (hotel) is its own character.
- You like horror in which the real trauma, or horror, is what was inside of you all along.
- You identify with being intuitive or knowing things you shouldn't, especially when you were young.

Beware that this might be difficult to read if you've experienced abuse, addiction, or domestic violence. All are present. All are explored and understood deeply. Which is...wait for it...quite horror-ible. 🙃 But that's what King does best. 

And he sticks the landing, in my opinion. I was reminded strongly of how I felt at the end of IT, though The Shining is much shorter lol. So if you want to experience King at his finest but are intimidated by length, maybe give this one a go?