10 Endings Stephen King Actually Got Right

9. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Stephen King The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Scribner

This is a simple novel, closer really in length to a novella. Trisha, a 9 year old girl, becomes lost in the woods and has to learn to survive while the cops and her family search for her. What could very easily become a silly story actually ends up becoming a taut, thrilling story of endurance.

Throughout her story, as she begins to succomb to the elements, she begins to hallunicate that the God of the Lost is following her, waiting for her to drop her guard. She sees visions of her family and her hero, Tom Gordon. These visions keep her going, forcing her to continue on until she finally finds a road that leads to civilization.

Before she can leave her situation, a bear crosses her path. Trisha, in her 9 year old's mind, sees the bear as a manifestation of the God of the Lost, standing up to it by launching her walkman at it - exactly in the same way that her hero Tom Gordon would pitch a baseball. Though aided by a hunter who comes upon them both, she is saved and brought back to her family, certain that it was her hero that helped her along.

This is a simple, lovely little book - one where the ending absolutely pays off.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"