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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Cujo kills; graphic animal violence; the boy's death is depicted unflinchingly
Language
A lot
Strong language throughout
Sexual Content
Some
An extramarital affair in the backstory; adult content
Substance Use
Barely any
Some alcohol use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The extreme psychological horror of watching a child die while helpless; King's most uncomforting ending
What this book is about
Cujo is a good dog. Then he chases a rabbit into a cave and is bitten by a rabid bat. The rabies progresses, and the once-friendly St. Bernard becomes a killer. Donna Trenton and her four-year-old son Tad are trapped in a broken-down car in the Camber driveway with Cujo outside and the July heat inside. King's 1981 novel is his most relentless—no supernatural element, just a dog, a car, and a child whose immune system is being destroyed by the heat. The ending does not flinch.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic animal attack violence
A child's death depicted without softening
Extreme psychological intensity throughout the siege
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