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When I first read the plot summary of Cell, I was skeptical.  The story of a malicious Pulse broadcast to the world's cell phones that turns their users into murderous drones sounded like a weak, even derivative, plot for a novel.  But while King is obviously paying homage to Romero and Matheson, his skill as a writer makes this iteration of the familiar zombies-take-over-the-world tale engaging and disquieting.  King is by no means the most nuanced of writers, but I like reading him because he knows how to balance character and plot.  I cared about the characters and what happened to them as they made the trek out of a devastated Boston and into the New England countryside.  Not everything in the book works.  King's efforts to work in plot elements regarding computer viruses and worms felt a little clumsy.  But these quibbles are small; Cell is a satisfying piece of escapist fiction that is by no means phoned in.