https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1400756419
As I was reading the first half of Bag of Bones, two thoughts continued to surface: "King sure likes to tell me what's going to happen later," and "this would be a much more interesting story if it weren't for all the ghosts."
Reading the second half, these thoughts became "I'm glad he's stopped telling me what's going to happen, and started telling me what's happening," and "the ghosts are much more interesting now."
Having read only a half dozen of King's works, I find that I am drawn to him mainly for his ability to write about characters' internal struggles while focusing on a major theme. Salem's Lot, for instance, dealt with characters' reactions to fear more than the source of that fear itself. Pet Semetary focused mainly on how people deal with and react to death. Bag of Bones, being written in the main character's voice as he looks back over events, is filled with his own internal conflict but lacks that overarching premise that ties it all together.
Ultimately, like Rose Red, it's just an excuse for King to throw a bunch of creepy situations at us without rhyme or reason. While the second half was certainly more enjoyable than the first, I can tell already that it's a book I'll have forgotten in a month.