Much like "Daredevil", this was something that got pushed to the back burner for a long time as a result of the Examiner shut down. It's a shame as it, more or less, negated the positive note that the last part ended on. Whatever momentum that generated was more or less gone when I did finally start reading it again.
While there was a little of the old, "Wait, who are these people, again?" It really wasn't that hard to get back into it. In fact, this did a much better job of keeping me invested than the part that preceded it. It does a great job of fleshing out the cast and keeping things moving.
The prisoners themselves are interesting, but the book does remind you that they are guilty of horrid crimes. It's for the best, really. Someone like Delacroix is oddly charming, especially when he forms a bond with Mr. Jingles. It would be easy to forget that these are violent criminals. While the book doesn't paint the death penalty in a positive light, exactly, it would be a stretch to call these people victims in the traditional sense. Giving them just enough humanity to connect, but still showing that they're deplorable is rather effective as it embraces the moral ambiguity of the issue. Unlike "Insomnia", the politics don't get in the way of the story as it does a much better job of showing both sides.
As was the case with the last part, the mouse steals the show. He pretty much does the same stuff, but it's still cute and his presence does bring the best out of the characters, Percy notwithstanding.
Considering the title, the mouse doesn't get as much time as you'd think he would. I'd say he has the same presence that he did in part 1. You could argue that he's just a mouse and that there isn't much else for him to do. At the same time, you could counter by saying that a different title might have worked better. The title does get dropped at one point, so there's that.
It was a little weird that they do "rehearsals" for the executions. If there was a rookie on the staff, I could see it, but it seems like even Percy has been around for a while. You'd think that there's no reason for it. I suppose it helps keep them on the ball. At the very least, it does set up some Chekhov's Guns, but that's knowledge gleaned from watching the movie and having a decent idea of what comes next.
It is, oddly, one of the part's highlights. The newly introduced character with the dumb name Toot-toot really shines, adding some dark comedy to the proceedings. Given the morbid plot premise, it's good that the work can still inject some levity into it. It's especially impressive as King doesn't really do comedic banter, but it's working well in this case.
In true serial fashion, this one ends in a cliffhanger. You'd think that I would have expected it, but it kind of caught me off guard. I figured that each part would be self contained, but this works well as it keeps you engaged in the story and makes you eager to keep going.
I was also surprised by the size of each part. Looking at them on the Kindle, they seem fairly sizable. Looking at the paperback versions of each part, though, you see that the book really isn't that daunting when you break it down. Each part is shorter than your average "Goosebumps" book. Here, I thought this was a door stopper, but it really isn't. That's a good thing, though, as it removes the psychological daunting that can occasionally come with reading a really thick book.
Overall, this part was a big improvement. The story is gaining momentum and it's working to the book's favor. It's a shame that Coffey more or less sits it out, but the next few parts should make up for that. I'm looking forward to tackling the remaining sections.
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