Apart from the initial idea (transmission by mobile phone "disease") everything is missed in this book. Characters, situations, developments of the plot, everything sounds artificial and false from beginning to end. Despite the challenges, the suspense never born.
In my view, the main reason for failure, it is the total immaturity with which King designed the universe. A kid nightmares based universe having abused sweets, nightmares both naive and hollow. This novel was written there are less than ten years, there is a feeling by reading it that it was written in the seventies, as it seems dated and next to the plate, with its dreamlike junk and transparent characters.
Worst of all is that it does not frighten. At all.
This is the book to recommend to all writers who want to write the post-apocalyptic: it contains everything not to do in the matter.
