I just re-read this. I haven't read it since high school. I basically had the same impression, I remembere the Long Walk and the Running Man. But the other two I couldn't really recall. I remember being really struck by the ending of both of these. King has always been good at not giving you the warm fuzzy endings you expect. There is of course still and amatuerish quality. (he wrote most of it in college) I've never thought King was a very good writer, but an amazing story teller. Also after you read it you should go wathc the Running Man and see how they basically just took the title and made a movie out of it. But its still a fun movie at least.