“Joyland” is a surprisingly average novel by an otherwise amazing novelist.  Its ghost story is actually pretty scary, but it occupies so little of the book that it seems like a brief subplot.  The bulk of the book is a coming-of-age story about its protagonist, with tons and TONS of expository information about “carny” life, work, and culture.  I actually found myself skimming pages that detailed the carny dialect (or “Talk”), or the descriptions of daily work.

The characters of Devin, Tom and Erin were relatable and likeable — Annie and Mike were a little less so.

This book was okay, but I doubt it belongs at the top of anyone’s must-read list.