Finders Keepers by Stephen King

I. Love. Stephen. King.
Now that we've got that out of the way...

Finders Keepers is not truly a sequel, but the events of this novel take place after those in Mr. Mercedes.  3 main characters from Mr. Mercedes play important roles in Finders Keepers.  I would definitely recommend reading Mr. Mercedes first then Finders Keepers.

Anybody out there read The Catcher in the Rye?  The numbers of kids who have read it are dwindling, mostly because it's been phased out of curricula as irrelevant (rich and white kid, boarding school, actual records) for today's students.  I read Catcher on my own in middle school.  Reaction?  Mind. Blown.  It was like this:

"For readers, one of life's most electrifying discoveries is that they ARE readers--not just capable of doing it, but in love with it.  Hopelessly.  Head over heels.  The first book that does that is never forgotten, and each page seems to bring a fresh revelation, one that burns, and exalts "Yes!  That's how it is!  Yes!  I saw that, too!"  And, of course, "That's what I think!  That's what I FEEL!"

That is from this novel.  The main character is obsessed with The Runner and its author Rothstein.  Rothstein is modeled on Salinger.  He never writes another word after the publication of The Runner trilogy.  The truth though, is that he has been writing.  A fourth and fifth novel in the series.  Morris Bellamy breaks into Rothstien's home and steals the notebooks on which the two sequels are scrawled.  Bellamy ends up prison, and the young boy, Pete Saubers, who now lives in his old house finds them, along with several thousand dollars.

What ensues is a cat and mouse game between Bellamy, Saubers and his sister Tina, a rare book collector, Bellamy's parole officer, and Finders Keepers.  Finders Keepers is a quasi-private detective/bounty hunter agency comprised of three characters from Mercedes: a former cop, a hermit, and a college kid who's personality switches back and forth from educated young man to slave.

King leaves the door open to make this series a trilogy with a visit to a now "brain dead" Mr. Mercedes.  I'll be looking for it!

Note, as Bellamy serves time in prison, there are allusions to institutional rape.

Don't forget, if you're part of the WHHS community, tweet what you're reading at #whhssummerread

UPDATE 11/21/15....YES, THERE IS A 3rd BOOK COMING! #knewit