After reading "Later" by Stephen King, I began to feel like I knew Jamie Conklin very well. As a matter of fact, the reader was there for all of his growing pains. Conklin is not your ordinary adolescent. Much like the kid in "Sixth Sense," he could see dead people. I mention this because I don't feel like this is a spoiler because you learn this tidbit about Jamie very early on in the story.
He doesn't know who is dad is but he is extremely close with his mom. Jamie is desperately trying to understand the relationship between his mom and Liz Dutton, who works in law enforcement. Dutton, as you will see when you read the book, upsets the family vibe after awhile. King is the master at character development within the horror genre.
Getting back to dead people, Jamie can also speak to them ( with some restrictions). This could be seen as a blessing or a curse! As far as he knows, the deceased can only tell him the truth. Then, the story picks up with dirty cops, an uncle harboring a life-changing secret and a deceased person who is being controlled by an evil entity.
This book is a fast and easy read, making it hard for you to put down. Each chapter had you enthralled in the story in such a way that you wish you could introduce Jamie to childhood. And then there's Uncle Harry and the literary agency that Jamie and his mom depended on to put food on the table. All of this leads to a very unstable life for a child. This book will not only make you think but also take you on an emotional rollercoaster of words that has always made King popular.