A Review of Elevation by Stephen King

Scott Carey is losing weight rapidly. As he does so, his body doesn’t change physically at all and his weight stays the same with or without clothes. He confides in his retired doctor friend, Dr. Bob Ellis, who agrees to monitor him and his strange affliction.

Scott has new neighbors, a married couple named Deirdre and Missy, who have opened a new restaurant in town. The patronage at their restaurant isn’t very good, a fact they contribute to the town’s prejudice against their same-sex marriage. When the couple’s dogs continue to mess up Scott’s yard, he takes in upon himself to talk to the ladies about the issue. It doesn’t go too well, as Deirdre is the colder of the two women and isn’t warming up to Mr. Carey.

The Castle Rock Turkey Trot race presents an opportunity for Scott to interact with the women on their own turf, forming new relationships. With his weight decreasing rapidly, Scott must face what is to come.

This tale of friendship is easy to read. Just shy of 200 pages, you can easily consume it in a day or two. Not what I expected from King, but I was pleasantly surprised. This novel took some getting used to, but in the end I was glad I read it. The themes of friendship and caring about your fellow human had me in tears by the end. Elevation is a beautiful story, and definitely worth the read.