I resisted The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon for a while because the premise sounded kind of dead-end--I imagined a "Blair Witch Project" without the witch, and I didn't enjoy that movie, and I love being in the woods.
So I was delighted to find not only was the Appalachian forest setting engaging and well drawn, it wasn't presented as just a hostile enemy--there is beauty and bounty and life, though some raw edges and danger exist. And the plucky little protagonist never got annoying (though she seemed far too wise and clever for her years, speaking as the dad of a gifted 10-year-old). The mix of pure adventure and the subtle suggestion of the supernatural hit a satisfying note. I am a big fan of Bachman's "The Long Walk," and this put me in the same place, though with a little baseball backstory. And it was also a journey of discovery for the young star. King reminded me yet again of his effortless genius in manipulating the tricks of the craft.
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