Pet Sematary

By Stephen King

Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestseller is a “wild, powerful, disturbing” (The Washington Post Book World) classic about evil that exists far beyond the grave—among his most iconic and frightening novels.

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes, dead is better

BUY THE BOOK

Published Feb 1, 2002

Average rating: 7.85

306 RATINGS

|

Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Pet Sematary* is one of Stephen King's scariest and most emotionally powerful novels, deeply exploring grief, especially the tragic loss ...

Ann Banan
Aug 21, 2026
8/10 stars
This story filled me with dread. Absolutely one of King's most upsetting novels (to me, anyway). Revealing Gage's death in such a fragmented, non-linear way was a particularly nice choice. Louis is a chump who did not deserve his family. I enjoyed the several clear, direct, explicit warnings Louis was given to Not Do The Thing, only to have him Do The Thing anyway. This is very realistic IMHO - he's a doctor but also a complete bonehead.
Sarah Hackbarth
Jan 30, 2026
10/10 stars
One of the scariest novels I’ve ever read. The novel explores the complexities of grief, and the most tragic topic of losing a child. It started out creepy and just got progressively spookier throughout. But it was so so good. King is a genius.

“In the end, we can only find peace in our human lives by accepting the will of the universe.”
Maria Diaz
Oct 28, 2024
6/10 stars
First time reading SK so I did not really know what to expect. The book is a slow burn where u get key events at very marked times throughout the novel, still at times it felt a very slow story development. One thing I liked is how SK engages you with the characters, letting you slip inside their heads and their dynamics. I found quite nice to get into Louis' family day-to-days and getting to understand in full the emotional links between the main characters. When it comes to the plot, I'll say it was rather predictable. No big plot twists. I liked the concept but I do think the story could have evolved more interestingly. Overall I'll say, it was a dark story, more centered in providing suspense rather than pure horror; exploring the psychological consequences of the death of a loved one and the trauma that comes with it. How people go through with the mourning period afterwards, and how that can affect their mental health and sense of identity.
MadocMattox
Oct 03, 2024
6/10 stars
It was OK, but definitely not my favorite King story. Full of reflective thoughts about love, loss, and resurrection.
Em-Mo
Oct 02, 2024
10/10 stars
This book got me into reading. My past child self thanks you King!

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.