Stephen King - If It Bleeds Review: 5 Ups & 1 Down
3. Holly Gibney
Introduced in Mr. Mercedes and playing a major role in The Outsider, Holly Gibney has stood out as one of King's best characters in recent years. Thankfully, the title story of 'If It Bleeds' puts her in the spotlight in her first of hopefully many solo adventures.
Originally starting out as a nervous and neurotic mess, Holly has come into her own as a confident and capable detective. After a tragic school bombing, she suspects the man behind it may not be a man after all. As the case goes on, Holly makes it her mission to bring down the thing responsible no matter the danger.
Seeing Holly swallow her fear to stand up to both a literal monster and the one that gave birth to her is empowering. Once dominated by her own anxieties, she refuses let anyone or anything control her. Holly has fought long and hard to regain her agency proving herself to be a legitimate force to be reckoned with.
What makes this evolution so satisfying is it comes across as natural. The Holly in 'If It Bleeds' feels like she's still growing giving her a sense of humanity rare in the world of horror fiction.
Perfectly imperfect, Holly Gibney is the type of character that is simply a delight to spend time with.