Product Review
Blaze is named for its lead character, whose full name is Clayton Blaisdell, Jr. but has gone by Blaze for most of his life. Blaze is a big guy, practically a monster of a man, complete with a nasty-looking indentation on his forehead and a rather slow intellect, both the result of an abusive father. Blaze is also a small-time criminal, but as the novel opens is looking to upgrade to the big time by kidnapping the newborn baby of a rich family. It was a plan cooked up by George Rackley, his former partner in crime. Problem is, George is dead, but Blaze still hears him (and talks to him) in his head.
The story begins just as Blaze is making his plans for the kidnapping alone. By jumping back and forth in the story, we learn of Blaze's colored history in and out of foster homes and orphanages, at the same time as he is committing his biggest crime ever, with the help of George's voice, always heard but never seen.
Fans who want a taste of the early King will find their appetites more than satisfied with this relentless and unstoppable storytelling engine that propels the reader from first page to last: BLAZE is a meteor cutting a bright swath across the heavens, and you'll find a lot to mine in this early but wholly satisfying story by America's storyteller, Stephen King.
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