The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Title: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 1999

Date read: 7th April 2009

Score: 5/5

Genre: Psychological, Horror, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King, published in 1999, is a psychological horror novel that deviates from his usual sprawling narratives, offering a focused and intensely claustrophobic tale of survival and the blurring lines between reality and delusion.

The story centers on Trisha McFarland, a nine-year-old girl. On a hiking trip in rural Maine with her recently divorced mother and older brother, Trisha's family argument causes her to step off the path to avoid it. She gets lost almost immediately, wandering deeper into the vast and unforgiving wilderness.

As days turn into nights, Trisha, equipped with only a small backpack, a few snacks, and a Walkman, struggles to survive. She battles hunger, thirst, exposure, insects, and fear. Her only real solace comes from listening to Boston Red Sox baseball games on her Walkman, finding comfort and a sense of connection in the voice of her idol, relief pitcher Tom Gordon. She begins to imagine Tom Gordon accompanying her, offering advice and encouragement, a coping mechanism that slowly blurs into hallucination.

However, Trisha's ordeal is not just a battle against nature. As her physical condition deteriorates and her grip on reality loosens, she begins to believe she is being stalked by a monstrous, malevolent entity that she calls the "God of the Lost." This creature, a twisted and terrifying presence, seems to be driving her further into the woods, feeding on her fear and despair.

The novel explores themes of resilience, the power of belief (both rational and irrational), and the psychological impact of extreme isolation. Trisha's mind, oscillating between lucidity, delirium, and a profound connection to her imagined companion, becomes the true battleground. The suspense is derived not just from the external dangers but from the question of whether the "God of the Lost" is a genuine supernatural threat or a manifestation of her own mind breaking down under the stress.

The climax involves Trisha, at the absolute edge of her endurance and sanity, facing a direct confrontation with the unseen entity. Drawing on every ounce of her remaining strength and a desperate, almost spiritual faith inspired by Tom Gordon's unwavering focus under pressure, she makes a final, desperate attempt to escape the wilderness and defeat the terror that stalks her. "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" is a gripping and deeply unsettling survival story that preys on fundamental childhood fears.

Comments:
I always say that this is the first Stephen King book that I knowingly read. I picked it because it was relatively short and it was on the shelf in my local library and I was running out of other things to read. I will never know why but my mother always said that she didn't like King's books and as we enjoyed so many of the same authors, I just assumed that I would not like them. How wrong could I have been? I adored this book and it opened the gates to such a wonderful selection for which, I will always be so grateful.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)