Around the time of 1973 a teen named David Jones had lost his mother. That summer changed for him, but he kept going forward. He got a job at a carnival called Joyland that was pretty out of date but still going. “Walking into the welcome sign to joyland written in neon letters (now off) was mostly empty parking lot” (King 25). This place was full of creeps, mystery, haunted places, and murder. His working spot was the farres wheel that was pretty tough for him. He found out so many things on the secrets of the carnival that just changes David’s life, but especially this little girls murder story that he had to go through. Finding out about her ghost and the ride is haunted. He got his first and last love that summer, that very special girl named Wendy. Over the heart break David finds out the amusement park legacy of murders. That summer is one that changes everything

These stories about all these murders came to me so mysteriously real. The guy in the book David really had a great back story. His back story made you feel his pain that had happened in the past and during the part of his job and all the plot twist making you feel his life changing experience, but for him its pain. For him to lose his mother and his dog without saying good bye was pretty tough, but it shows us as people who have lost someone that close to not let that bring you down because even though he was going through something very impacting he got through it and got up. “Sorrow and terror over lost parents were forgotten, at least for the time being” (King 79). Even though this book has more of David’s pain that he goes through it’s a good mixture of pain and mystery to capture the interest in the book.

Joyland has this thing for mysteries. This book would be recommended for those mystery and a lot of plot twist lovers. These mysteries can really make you feel like you’re in the book and part of David’s life. The mystery on the carnival makes it even better since it’s a big place. Especially if you like haunted topics because there’s a part of the book where there’s ghost and missing people.