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NOS4A2: A Novel
Written by Joe Hill
Narrated by Kate Mulgrew
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Joe Hill, the acclaimed, award-winning author of the New York Times bestsellers Heart-Shaped Box and Horns, plunges you into the dark side of imagination with a thrilling novel of supernatural suspense that will have you flinching at shadows and checking the rearview mirror again and again. . . .
NOS4A2
Don't slow down
Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.
Charles Talent Manx has a gift of his own. He likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate NOS4A2. In the Wraith, he and his innocent guests can slip out of the everyday world and onto hidden roads that lead to an astonishing playground of amusements he calls Christmasland. Mile by mile, the journey across the highway of Charlie's twisted imagination transforms his precious passengers, leaving them as terrifying and unstoppable as their benefactor.
And then comes the day when Vic goes looking for trouble . . . and finds her way, inevitably, to Charlie.
That was a lifetime ago. Now, the only kid ever to escape Charlie's unmitigated evil is all grown up and desperate to forget.
But Charlie Manx hasn't stopped thinking about the exceptional Victoria McQueen. On the road again, he won't slow down until he's taken his revenge. He's after something very special-something Vic can never replace.
As a life-and-death battle of wills builds-her magic pitted against his-Vic McQueen prepares to destroy Charlie once and for all . . . or die trying. . . .
Joe Hill's acclaimed works of fiction, Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and 20th Century Ghosts, have already earned him international acclaim. With NOS4A2, this outstanding novelist-"one of America's finest horror writers" (Time magazine); "a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction" (Washington Post)-crafts his finest work yet. Disturbing, mesmerizing, and full of twisting thrills, Hill's phantasmagoric, devilishly playful masterpiece is a terrifying high-octane ride.
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
NOS4A2: A Novel
Written by Joe Hill
Narrated by Kate Mulgrew
Description
Joe Hill, the acclaimed, award-winning author of the New York Times bestsellers Heart-Shaped Box and Horns, plunges you into the dark side of imagination with a thrilling novel of supernatural suspense that will have you flinching at shadows and checking the rearview mirror again and again. . . .
NOS4A2
Don't slow down
Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be. Vic doesn't tell anyone about her unusual ability, because she knows no one will believe her. She has trouble understanding it herself.
Charles Talent Manx has a gift of his own. He likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate NOS4A2. In the Wraith, he and his innocent guests can slip out of the everyday world and onto hidden roads that lead to an astonishing playground of amusements he calls Christmasland. Mile by mile, the journey across the highway of Charlie's twisted imagination transforms his precious passengers, leaving them as terrifying and unstoppable as their benefactor.
And then comes the day when Vic goes looking for trouble . . . and finds her way, inevitably, to Charlie.
That was a lifetime ago. Now, the only kid ever to escape Charlie's unmitigated evil is all grown up and desperate to forget.
But Charlie Manx hasn't stopped thinking about the exceptional Victoria McQueen. On the road again, he won't slow down until he's taken his revenge. He's after something very special-something Vic can never replace.
As a life-and-death battle of wills builds-her magic pitted against his-Vic McQueen prepares to destroy Charlie once and for all . . . or die trying. . . .
Joe Hill's acclaimed works of fiction, Horns, Heart-Shaped Box, and 20th Century Ghosts, have already earned him international acclaim. With NOS4A2, this outstanding novelist-"one of America's finest horror writers" (Time magazine); "a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction" (Washington Post)-crafts his finest work yet. Disturbing, mesmerizing, and full of twisting thrills, Hill's phantasmagoric, devilishly playful masterpiece is a terrifying high-octane ride.
About the author
Reviews
Since Victoria "Vic" McQueen was a child, she has possessed a supernatural ability to piece reality with her bicycle to find lost objects. Others possess similar gift including the stuttering homeless girl named Maggie who lives in a library who can divine the future using Scrabble tiles. Another is the antagonist, the wizened Charlie Manz, driving in his demonic Rolls Royce with license plates displaying NOS4A2 (think Nosferatu, the early 20th century film vampire, who entices children in his vehicle promising to transport them to Christmasland where Christmas exists year around. However, exercising these gifts are not without their cost.When Vic is kidnapped by Manz, she shortly escapes and Manz is imprisoned. Vic goes on to live her life but the ordeal leaves her psychically scared, which she treats with alcohol and other self-defeating behavior. Although Manz dies and is autopsied, the body disappears from the morgue and is reunited with his vehicle. Now Manz has stolen something valuable from Vic and she is determined to retrieve it and to bury Manz under Christmasland.If you are a fan of horror writers, Stephen King and Dean Koontz, you need to include Joe Hill who reads similar to his mentors. Although Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King, he has definitely put his mark on the horror genre making it his own style. The action was so tense I found myself driving longer than I needed so I could listen to another few minutes of the story. The narrator for the audiobook was the actress Kate Mulgrew whose character voices made this novel more terrifying.
Rating: 4Not super scary, but a very imaginative and unique story. I loved the idea of Christmasland. And when we finally get there, it was super creepy. The actual book was a little long, and I didn't like how all of the characters were damaged. I just wished some of them could be normal, and not destroyed by their time in the inscape.
I would give this book 5 stars for the basic idea, but the execution was lacking, so only 3 stars. Also, if a book is considered a "horror" novel, I want more scares.
Rating: 3I would give this book 5 stars for the basic idea, but the execution was lacking, so only 3 stars. Also, if a book is considered a "horror" novel, I want more scares.
Written at a fast page-flipping pace that could only rival his dad Stephen King's writing (pertaining to my book experience anyway), this book is quite the race on St. Nick's Parkway. The book encompasses a smaller cast of characters, if you compare it to a group of characters in something like 'The Stand', so it's surprising that it's almost 700 pages. There also seems to be connections to Joe Hill's other books, his dad's books, and even a couple David Mitchell books were mentioned, which I was especially happy about. (All three of these writers seem to love the idea of shared universes!) So much detail is here, I can't help but think not ALL of it is necessary. Everything doesn't need to be spelled out, but at the same time, intriguing things like a place on a map called "Giant Toys" are only mentioned leaving a bit of a disappointment. Surprisingly, not a ton of the book takes place in Christmasland, which is where the characters are headed for most of the book. The book is creepy but I expected even more zaniness from the son of a horror genius. It might not be fair to Joe Hill that my expectations were this high... really no one can write these fast paced books like Stephen King but Joe Hill is probably the closest thing.
Rating: 4Very fast paced book with little or no filler. Now, having read this, I can say the series is an abject failure and does nothing justice. Hill's book is quick, deadly and full of turns with a nice little twist at the end. I know Hill has to be disappointed with the outcome of the series. I found this better than Horns. Not really scary but creepy. The kids were spookier than Manx.Recommended.
Rating: 5My first Joe Hill book that I've read and not the last. Great story and awesome ending! Basically its a story about an evil man who steals kids with his car through his mind to Christmasland. There is a girl who escapes from him and stops him from stealing children for a while. But as you know, that would be too quick of a story. Great mention in the book is: They were looking at a different map called The Inscape of America and of course he gives a nod to his father by naming one of the places in Maine as Pennywise Circus. Long book but the story kept me interested all the way through and I cared about Lou, Vic, Maggie and Wayne. Very cool to see what was in Christmasland at the end... spooky murdering children!! All in all a great read.
Rating: 4The story reads like a children’s book for adults blended with a dark thriller. Though surreal, perhaps bizarre, the increasing conflict kept me enthralled. It’s been a while since I felt I couldn’t put a book down and while I maybe didn’t feel like that all the way through I did for most of the novel. This may be in part because Joe Hill has created a better heroine for me than many blockbusting movies. Victoria may be a mess but she’s a mess with reason, has stamina, purpose, tenacity, and a whole list of exceptional traits that many female leads lack. Perhaps some belief edged close to the line but in a world where Christmasland exists a thought or bike ride away I’m prepared to suspend my doubts for the sheer enjoyment of reading. I like the way he stretches the story over time told at different points in the character’s lives. I may never enjoy Christmas in quite the same way but will happily live with that too for such a well-thought and excellently presented story which tugs on so many emotional strings.
Rating: 5This was solidly OK. First off, or is clearly a product of Stephen King in one way or another; the simplistic language used to convey severity, the obsession with the innocence of children, nostalgia taken to a supernatural extreme. It's all here. That said this was placed better than any King I have read. So I suppose it's an improvement in the school of. I was never bored with it though it did become predictable. Like I said, solidly OK.
Rating: 2As a child, Victoria McQueen discovered that she had a unique gift – she could open the door between reality and fantasy. Using her bicycle, she could conjure up a covered bridge that would take her to wherever she needed to go. If something had gone missing, Vic would race off on her bike, cross the shorter way bridge and locate whatever had been misplaced.
Vic would eventually learn that she wasn't alone in her ability to alter reality to her benefit. Others exist with this special gift and not all of them use it for admirable purposes. Take Charlie Manx for example. Just as Vic uses her bike, Charlie uses his vintage 1938 Rolls Royce to travel to Christmasland. Manx’s Christmasland is a world in which happiness is against the law, that every morning is Christmas morning and every night is Christmas Eve. Manx would abduct children that he believed were mistreated by their parents and transport them to his magical wonderland keeping them safe from harm.
However, everything changed when both Vic and Manx finally crossed paths. When Vic was twelve years old, she found her way to Manx’s utopia only to discover that it’s not the paradise that Manx would have you believe. Following a daring escape, Vic leads Manx to capture and following his death many years later, Vic believes that she can finally rest. That is until the phone calls begin..
I enjoyed Hill's last full novel, Horns and am a massive fan of his Locke & Key series so I had high hopes for this one. Fortunately for me, the hype surrounding NOS4A2 was well deserved. Hill crafted not only an interesting story but filled it with characters that will probably stick with me for a while. I'll have to admit that when it was over, I was disappointed I wouldn't get to hang out with Vic MacQueen and her husband, Lou.
The tag team of Manx and Bing was a formidable one. I'll go on record as saying the most interesting bad guys are always the ones that view their work as admirable and righteous. Sure, you can give me a villain who loves cracking skulls and conquering lands but give me someone who thinks child abduction is in the kid's best interest and you're going to have me hooked. But as interesting as Manx is, it's his servant Bing that steals the show. This guy is one creepy dude and throughout NOS4A2, he does some pretty reprehensible things. Bing's actions had my skin crawling and I couldn't wait to see him get what he deserved.
I really didn't want to mention his father in this review but it was inevitable. It's also hard to ignore when Hill has tied his work in with his dad's by mentioning a few key locations and events that occurred within the Stephen King universe. I won't spoil them here but if you're a King fan, you'll enjoy those "a-ha" moments the same way I did.
Oh, and there's a Firefly reference. Browncoats forever!
Cross Posted @ Every Read Thing
Rating: 5Vic would eventually learn that she wasn't alone in her ability to alter reality to her benefit. Others exist with this special gift and not all of them use it for admirable purposes. Take Charlie Manx for example. Just as Vic uses her bike, Charlie uses his vintage 1938 Rolls Royce to travel to Christmasland. Manx’s Christmasland is a world in which happiness is against the law, that every morning is Christmas morning and every night is Christmas Eve. Manx would abduct children that he believed were mistreated by their parents and transport them to his magical wonderland keeping them safe from harm.
However, everything changed when both Vic and Manx finally crossed paths. When Vic was twelve years old, she found her way to Manx’s utopia only to discover that it’s not the paradise that Manx would have you believe. Following a daring escape, Vic leads Manx to capture and following his death many years later, Vic believes that she can finally rest. That is until the phone calls begin..
I enjoyed Hill's last full novel, Horns and am a massive fan of his Locke & Key series so I had high hopes for this one. Fortunately for me, the hype surrounding NOS4A2 was well deserved. Hill crafted not only an interesting story but filled it with characters that will probably stick with me for a while. I'll have to admit that when it was over, I was disappointed I wouldn't get to hang out with Vic MacQueen and her husband, Lou.
The tag team of Manx and Bing was a formidable one. I'll go on record as saying the most interesting bad guys are always the ones that view their work as admirable and righteous. Sure, you can give me a villain who loves cracking skulls and conquering lands but give me someone who thinks child abduction is in the kid's best interest and you're going to have me hooked. But as interesting as Manx is, it's his servant Bing that steals the show. This guy is one creepy dude and throughout NOS4A2, he does some pretty reprehensible things. Bing's actions had my skin crawling and I couldn't wait to see him get what he deserved.
I really didn't want to mention his father in this review but it was inevitable. It's also hard to ignore when Hill has tied his work in with his dad's by mentioning a few key locations and events that occurred within the Stephen King universe. I won't spoil them here but if you're a King fan, you'll enjoy those "a-ha" moments the same way I did.
Oh, and there's a Firefly reference. Browncoats forever!
Cross Posted @ Every Read Thing
LOVED this one. Even my fiance enjoyed it. Kudos to the author and narrator for an excellent book. :-)
Rating: 5I liked this book quite a lot. I read Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill years ago and liked it but for some reason had never picked up anything else by the author. I have been hearing great things about this book for years and added the book to my audiobook library when I caught it on sale about a year ago. I am glad that I decided to finally listen to it because it was really well done. I found that I kept needing to listen for just a little bit longer simply because I had to know what would happen next.This was a big story. We first meet Vic as a child. She has a special ability to find lost items with her bicycle and a magical covered bridge that seems to appear exactly where it is needed. Charlie Manx has his own special ability that involves a classic Rolls Royce and a trip to Christmasland. Christmasland might sound like fun but I don't think I will be trying to take a trip there anytime soon.I grew to really like Vic over the course of this story. She wasn't perfect and made quite a few mistakes but I felt like she was always trying. Since nobody else could see or hear the things that were happening to her, she thought that she was crazy but she kept trying to move forward in her life. I thought that Lou complimented Vic perfectly. I loved how supportive they were of each other and how they both wanted what was best for their son.I loved the way that this book was able to keep me guessing. The story took a lot of twists and turns and I was never quite sure which direction things would go. There were moments that were quite creepy and some that were truly horrible. No matter how bad Manx and his sidekick were, I always had faith that Vic would be able to work things out. This book really was a journey with lots of pieces clicking into place to make a complex picture.This was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to Kate Mulgrew's narration and she did a phenomenal job with this book. I am so glad that I made the decision to listen to this story because I really do feel like she added to the experience. She handled a wide variety of character voices very well and added to the intensity of the story.I would recommend this book to others. This was a very well done story filled with great characters and enough creepy situations to keep me hooked from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more from Joe Hill soon.
Rating: 4Clever title, scary story, interesting characters, story moves along at a nice pace.
Rating: 4NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is a story about a young girl, Victoria McQueen, who has a secret gift for 'finding' things. When she 'finds' Charles Talent Manx, her life is changed forever.Joe Hill's writing is captivating, his world building is impeccable, and I loved the Easter eggs throughout the story as a nod to his father. For anyone who loves Stephen King, this is a great choice to read as Hill's writing and story telling is chilling. A brilliant story I highly recommend.
Rating: 5Okay, how good is this book? Anyone who follows me knows that I love Stephen King, but I think Joe Hill is inching his way up into that eschelon of beloved authors. His writing is just so visceral. It takes the unassuming world, the humdrum place we live, and opens up all the hidden doors. Our nightmares, our dreams, they pour onto the page. NOS4A2 captivated me from beginning to end, with the thin line it walked between reality and something more. Is it possible that epic writing skills are transmitted through genes? Reading this book on the heels of It was a surreal experience. It's like Joe Hill is a carbon copy of his father. I don't mean that to say that he isn't original. That he isn't something different. Still, it's an amazing thing to ponder.
First off, let's talk characters. Vic McQueen was just the most perfect protagonist. I connected with her instantly. A young girl, with a huge love for her father, a troubled relationship with her mother, and an unnatural ability to "find" things. The first time that Vic drove across her bridge, and ended up just where she needed to be, I was sold. Her personality, her willingness to sacrifice for others, I was in love with Vic McQueen. And that only increased the more I read, and the older she got. Contrasted against the sinister and slimy Charlie Manx, a man who was so much more than he seemed, this set up the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Oh, and the plot. It's just beautiful how well-done it is. If the writing hadn't already sold me, the fact that this was a perfectly paced, expertly built book, would have. Every page unveiled something new. What started as a vague unease the instant that Charlie Manx came into the scene, turned into an all out stomach twisting horror. By the time the final showdown was presented, I was a blubbering mess. Once again, I was so committed to this book that my poor bookish brain could do nothing more than gape, and sob. I'm wrung out now, but it was worth it.
If you have the opportunity to listen to this on audio, please do. The narrator was absolutely fabulous. Her voices, her emotions, brought the story to life. Read this. Do it. You won't be sorry.
Rating: 5First off, let's talk characters. Vic McQueen was just the most perfect protagonist. I connected with her instantly. A young girl, with a huge love for her father, a troubled relationship with her mother, and an unnatural ability to "find" things. The first time that Vic drove across her bridge, and ended up just where she needed to be, I was sold. Her personality, her willingness to sacrifice for others, I was in love with Vic McQueen. And that only increased the more I read, and the older she got. Contrasted against the sinister and slimy Charlie Manx, a man who was so much more than he seemed, this set up the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Oh, and the plot. It's just beautiful how well-done it is. If the writing hadn't already sold me, the fact that this was a perfectly paced, expertly built book, would have. Every page unveiled something new. What started as a vague unease the instant that Charlie Manx came into the scene, turned into an all out stomach twisting horror. By the time the final showdown was presented, I was a blubbering mess. Once again, I was so committed to this book that my poor bookish brain could do nothing more than gape, and sob. I'm wrung out now, but it was worth it.
If you have the opportunity to listen to this on audio, please do. The narrator was absolutely fabulous. Her voices, her emotions, brought the story to life. Read this. Do it. You won't be sorry.
There was no such thing as arguing with delight. Like seeing a pretty girl with the sunlight in her hair, like pancakes and hot chocolate in front of a crackling fire. Delight was one of the fundamental forces of being, like gravity.
I must begin by thanking Maciek for his review. You should stop here and read his superior account of this weird diversion. His review lingered in my head for some time and then I stumbled upon a copy in one of those honor libraries which people out in the exurbs have at the end of their driveways. I immediately dashed back to my truck and swapped out a paperback and my week of losing myself in the genre woods began. I typed "woords" initially. I like that better.
I can't begin to speak about horror -- genre or otherwise, thank the infinite. I will say that Joe Hill appears to me to be a better writer than his father. This is a strange tale about inscapes, those psychic byways of ideas and escape which transcend the good old space time limitations. There is a rancid knot of childhood terror, betrayal and the holidays at the core. It isn't a novel premise. Oh well, despite its glib assuredness, its serial winks to the geek squadrons, this is a rich tale really deep in character. I enjoyed it.
Rating: 4I must begin by thanking Maciek for his review. You should stop here and read his superior account of this weird diversion. His review lingered in my head for some time and then I stumbled upon a copy in one of those honor libraries which people out in the exurbs have at the end of their driveways. I immediately dashed back to my truck and swapped out a paperback and my week of losing myself in the genre woods began. I typed "woords" initially. I like that better.
I can't begin to speak about horror -- genre or otherwise, thank the infinite. I will say that Joe Hill appears to me to be a better writer than his father. This is a strange tale about inscapes, those psychic byways of ideas and escape which transcend the good old space time limitations. There is a rancid knot of childhood terror, betrayal and the holidays at the core. It isn't a novel premise. Oh well, despite its glib assuredness, its serial winks to the geek squadrons, this is a rich tale really deep in character. I enjoyed it.
A very good book.
Rating: 4Don't be misled by the title. This is not your typical vampire story. More of a soul vampire. It wasn't the story I was expecting but I loved this book. Can't say I was crazy about the ending, but I inhaled this book.
Rating: 5Imaginative, exhilarating, frightening, Joe Hill's "NOS4A2" is a wild sleigh ride through a thrilling wonderland of creativity and a perfect seasonal read.
Rating: 5Joe Hill’s Nos4a2 is a long sprawling story where all the pieces fit together, where none of the scenes could be cut, and where every character plays a vital part. It’s a powerfully gripping read, combining physical and emotional terror, human need and greed, sanity and the edges of insanity, and a flawed protagonist growing from child to parent to runaway. “You’re not crazy. You’re creative!” Maggie tells Vic. But creative carries a price, and sometimes that price is too much to pay.Parents and children people these pages, flawed, human and achingly real. Sometimes they refuse to listen or understand. Sometimes they break, and sometimes they break each other. But sometimes the anchor of love just might be enough to build new bridges and restore what’s lost. Maybe.The premise of Nos4a2 is seriously cool--what if the constructs in our heads, as well as the music and paintings in our heads, could be made real? The resulting story is executed to convincingly it pulls the reader in without any space to reason why. Arguments ring true because they have to be, and the bike will chase the car. And Vic will be, must be, surely victorious…Author Joe Hill builds his readers’ trust and never betrays it in this beautifully structured, hauntingly executed tale. It’s the sort of novel that stays with you afterward, inviting you to ask just what happened, what would you be willing to believe, and what price would you pay.Disclosure: It was a Christmas present.
Rating: 5It's a story about a very bad man with a very bad car". Manx is a 140 year old man who drives around in a 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate "NOS4A2" and kidnaps children, taking them to "Christmasland". He entreaties helpers as needed to "take care" of loose ends (like parents). Bing Partridge is one of the recruited helpers. Bing is the most disturbing character in the story as he is not deliberately malevolent. He honestly believes he is doing good as he sees it. Sound familar? At any rate Christmasland holds a horrible end for the children whose bodies are never found since they are ordained to live there forever. Vic McQueen is the "traveler" and a mother searching for her son. It becomes her destiny to put an end to Manx, the vampire, who does not drink blood but takes from his victims something far more precious.
This is a truly horrifying tale that grabs you in the first chapter and doesn't let go until the end - at which point you're almost guaranteed to have a nightmare or two. Through all 700 plus pages, Joe Hill does not waste a single word. Each character is well thought out and presented; each a solid building block in this fascinating and chilling tale. This is a fast paced book and a quick read considering its enormous size, (almost 700 pages). Joe Hill is a great story teller who, as soon as you set the book down for a break, beckons you back for "just one more chapter".
Rating: 4This is a truly horrifying tale that grabs you in the first chapter and doesn't let go until the end - at which point you're almost guaranteed to have a nightmare or two. Through all 700 plus pages, Joe Hill does not waste a single word. Each character is well thought out and presented; each a solid building block in this fascinating and chilling tale. This is a fast paced book and a quick read considering its enormous size, (almost 700 pages). Joe Hill is a great story teller who, as soon as you set the book down for a break, beckons you back for "just one more chapter".
Featuring a vampire-like menace and a tenacious, strong heroine, NOS4A2 is instantly creepy, magical, dark, and disturbing with a sense of humor. NOS4A2 is unique in its premise with fascinating characters. I’ll never listen to “Holly, Jolly Christmas” the same way again. Always tense and suspenseful, sometimes even grotesque with vivid imagery, NOS4A2 drops the reader into a horrifying, heart-pounding narrative. I felt like cheering when the bad guys got their comeuppance even though it came at a heavy price. Recommended for fans of horror stories. Note: This book contains mature themes and foul language.
Rating: 4A very good book.
Rating: 4On par with his father's The Stand!
Rating: 5Vic McQueen is a great kid who doesn't like conflict, especially when her parents fight, or Dad hits Mom. She wants to escape. And on her gorgeous bicycle, one that's too big for her but which her dad got her anyway, she can. The first time Vic gets across the Shorter Way Bridge, she magically finds herself miles away and retrieves her mother's lost bracelet.But another time, as a rebellious, unhappy teenager, she goes looking for trouble. She finds it in the form of Charles Manx, a ghoulish figure who captures children he deems in jeopardy from parents whose conduct he doesn't like, and takes them to his version of paradise, Christmasland. Unlike the other children, Vic is the one who gets away.The experience, and her other trips across the Shorter Way, cost Vic her sanity. She hooks up with Lou Carmody, a big, gentle soul who drove by on his motorcycle when she got away from Manx, and who fathers their child, Bruce Wayne Carmody. She draws elaborate, mazelike illustrations about a cartoon character that meets with success. Vic draws so she can't hear the phone ring. It's the children from Christmasland calling her.After she spends years in asylums and rehab, she and her son plan to spend the summer together. Manx, whose antique Rolls Royce carries the vanity plate NOS4A2, is ready to take his revenge for Vic getting away. He's going to take Wayne to Christmasland.This is the bare bones of what happens in the first half of Joe Hill's remarkable, fantastical and exuberant tour de force. This is a big book in more ways than its 700-plus pages. This is a full-bodied, heavy stout of a tale, with rich characters to care about and wry observations on families, society and pop culture. There are nods to the work of his father, Stephen King, and a wise and wonderful character named after his mother, Tabitha. There is knowledge of having a beloved parent and being a loving parent, and of being a kid.Perhaps best of all is the voice, which is knowing and looks for the humor, but which is not sardonic. The action is brisk. If someone could ride a bicycle across a bridge to end up in an entirely different place, the rest of the story hangs together very well.Adding to the entertaining reading experience is what happens after the climax of the story. Hill knows how to wrap things up so that the reader can sit back and know the hell of a ride that he presents was a complete journey.
Rating: 5I had a banana seat Schwinn and went everywhere because that bike meant freedom. After reading Joe Hill's truly scary tale of a little girl on a banana seat bike who finds things, I may never be able to look at a bike again or stop myself from cringing if I see a classic Rolls Royce. Vic is able see and use a bridge that has long since been destroyed and with it, go off and find things. Unfortunately for her, she finds trouble in the form of the boogeyman. Charlie Manx is a child kidnapper who along with his henchman, finds children and takes them to Christmasland (we won't even go there for fear I will destroy your fond memories of Christmas). When you have Stephen King for a father and an equally talented author for a mother you had better be great at your craft and Joe Hill is. NOS4A2 is just as scary as Stephen King's It or his earlier classics and brings back all the childhood fears. The characters who are caught up in this thriller are real and you will like them which makes the book much more frightening. Vic is a tough girl who is a survivor and is saved by a man who is all heart. Together, they raise a son who is just as tough and endearing as his parents. You will find yourself caught between cheering for the good guys and hiding from the bad guys and in the end, you will be talking about this book.
Rating: 4I'm still working on how to express my thoughts about this read. I've been a fan of this author ever since I came across 20th Century Ghosts at the book store where I used to work. I had no idea who his father was until after I finished his collection of stories and wanted to know more about him and his books.Some compare him to his dad, it seems hard not to do, however there is no comparison other than how much alike they look. Not only has Joe Hill worked at developing his own voice, but has perfected his own brand of goose-bump inducing terror that has yet to disappoint. Please, PLEASE do not let the book length scare you off. It may be just over 700 pages, but it read like one half that length. There were no fillers, and I never felt like skipping passages. If I hesitated, it was because I wasn't sure if I was ready for what was coming next.By the time I got to the last chapter, I still was under the impression I knew what was going on. I didn't. By the time I turned the last page, I was angry and sad and happy all at the same time. I like these kinds of endings, because as I said, I was feeling all kinds of emotions and wondering how in the world am I going to convey them accurately in a review. Hmmm, maybe I just did.
Rating: 5Creepy in parts, but I couldn't really get into it. I can't put my finger on why, though.
Rating: 3Although this was a very good book, I was slightly disappointed. I absolutely loved Horns and Heart Shaped Box. This book was much more like his father's books and his newer book In the Tall Grass.
Rating: 4An enjoyable easy read with an alternative take on vampirism. Gory in places but not gratuitous in my opinion.
Rating: 4NOS4A2 is the first novel I’ve read by Joe Hill, the son of a certain famous father, and I can safely say that the apple does not fall far from the tree. NOS4A2 is the kind of epic (and epic length) horror novel Stephen King perfected decades ago, the sort where average people are confronted with an implacable evil and must ultimately rise to the challenge if said evil is to be vanquished. By any scale, this book meets the high standards set by horror fans for a good and scary read.First the premise: That there is a lurking evil hiding beneath the visible surface of everyday life, one that entices and snatches up the innocent and unwary and takes them to Christmasland, the creation of a malignant imagination, where they are fed upon and corrupted by their malevolent host, then twisted to his corrupt purpose. This vile place unto itself is unseen by the normal world as it goes about its business, except for a rare and gifted few individuals who stumble upon its secrets by accident. The protagonist: Victoria “Vic” McQueen is one of those gifted few, a teen who always manages to be where she needs to be by riding her bicycle across a rickety bridge that magically appears when she reaches fast enough speed. One day she stumbles into Christmasland and barely escapes with her life, an event that scares her for years to come into adulthood, leaving her to doubt her sanity and haunted that she will one day come face to face with Charlie Manx again. Vic is a sympathetic heroine, starting out as one of those plucky teens who populate much of pop culture, maturing into a complex and difficult adult, one who is not always likable. She not necessarily the strong woman character to be found in many books, but that makes her all the more interesting when Vic has to do whatever it takes to save her son.The antagonist: Charlie Manx is an interesting take on the classic vampire, one who uses a classic 1938 Rolls Royce to prey upon children and stay young long after he should have been six feet under. To some readers, Manx may seem like a one dimensional personification of evil, but Hill renders him with such detail that he becomes one of the more memorable recent horror fiction villains. By the end, it is clear that Manx is quite sincere in his wickedness, a foul predator who truly believes he is the best thing that ever happened to his innocent victims.The supporting cast is filled with fully realized persons, starting with Vic’s son, Bruce Wayne Carmody, who becomes the focus of Manx’s vengeful wrath and must learn to face the monster alone. Bruce’s well meaning father, Lou, is unusual in that he is a sympathetic character more than a little on the heavy side, obesity often being the outward manifestation of corruption or moral weakness in many books. Manx’s loyal henchman, Bing Partridge, is the perfect Renfield to his master.Hill’s pacing moves the story along at a fast clip for a novel at nearly 700 pages in length, with surprisingly short chapters in many sections that will be greatly appreciated by many readers. There is also a fine eye for detail and place without wasting words as the story unfolds through the tried and true three part act. Hill also makes it clear that NOS4A2 exists in a larger universe that encompasses not only his other novels, but some of his father’s works as well through a couple of well placed Easter eggs. As someone who has tried their hand at writing horror fiction, I can respect the hard work Hill must have put in to get this work completed.I’m sure some critical readers will call NOS4A2 Stephen King light, and compare it very unfavorably to his father’s better work, but I would say that compared to the two most recent King books I have read, DOCTOR SLEEP and REVIVAL, the son’s work is slightly superior to the father.
Rating: 4I read Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box and thought is was good, I gave it three stars, but I wasn't overly impressed. When I saw the blurb for NOS4A2 it piqued my interest I decided to check it out. I was much more impressed by NOS4A2 than Heart Shaped Box. This book was much scarier, had better character development is much, much better written. NOS4A2, is the story of Vic McQueen, the only child to escape Charlie Manx. Years later Manx is back to torture her and Vic is determined to put an end to his insanity for good. Vic was a wonderful character, flawed but strong and fiercely loyal. If you are a fan of classic horror that has you sleeping with the lights on than I recommend you check out NOS4A2
Rating: 4