Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

39 reviews

randi108's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I don’t know what to say other than I really hated this book. I love horror and I love Christmas, and unsurprisingly I am a huge of the niche Christmas horror genre, but this just did not land for me. The only “scary” parts of the book involved the sexual assault of women and that desn’t sit right with me. Especially considering this book was written by a man. The writing lacked depth and I think many passages verged more towards problematic rather than disturbing. I dragged myself through the book out if spite and hope for some improvement (which never came). I genuinely don’t understand all the love for this book. 

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alyg's review against another edition

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2.25


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skeptic_hecate's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

It was entertaining, it is short of 4 stars because I sense a lot of r/menwrittingwomen and the protagonist is a bit of a pick me girl. Some scenes I found too long and pointless. The last part pf the book is the best, especially the climax. And the world building is fine, if not a bit too convenient with its many plot holes. The dialogue could use some work, when done right, it is very realistic.

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pancakes4all's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

2.0

While this book did something new with vampires, its plot seemed to limp towards what turned out to be a pretty predictable end.

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locke_reads's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75


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ptoridactyl30's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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hayleys_comment's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

On a technical level, NOS4A2 is an imaginative, well-written horror novel. It takes familiar concepts, (magic, murder, and Christmas) and twists them into strange, blood-soaked treats. The protagonists are ragged and complicated. The villains are creepy and weird. The plot is interesting. The pacing is good (especially in action sequences—Hill’s got some crazy rhythm). It’s gritty, off-the-wall, and freaky to the max.

Technical-goodness aside, I have a some mixed feelings about Hill’s work. The book’s a bit like Dracula, in that every once and a while, there will be a scene that really grabs you, or a line that makes your pulse pound. Everything in-between is just background noise. Of the (roughly) 700 pages, only a handful are memorable.

If you’re not sure whether this book is for you, here are a few things to consider:

1. The novel relies heavily on themes of sexism, sexual assault, and child abuse. There are a few scenes that feature existential/body horror, but they’re less prevalent.

2. Hill is fantastic at scene descriptions. When he’s describing something cool, it’s awesome. Really, really awesome. When he’s describing something gross, it’s visceral. And this novel gets gross. Really, really gross. Nothing too crazy for a horror novel, but it’s definitely worth mentioning, especially with point #1.

3. Ask yourself this: could you ever think of Christmas as something strange, or scary? If the answer is no, you’ll have a hard time suspending your disbelief. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try, but it may have an effect on how you engage with Hill’s story. Christmasland is a big deal.

4. If you’re hesitant, check the content warnings. Seriously. There’s no shame in saying, “this isn’t for me,” or, “not right now.” You can always come back later.

Bonus
The audio book, narrated by Kate Mulgrew, is absolutely bonkers. 10/10. If you’re an audio person, you’re in for a treat. 

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haleea's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

geez this was LONG

some parts of this book rubbed me the wrong way and i think it definitely could have been shorter but overall i enjoyed it. i REALLY liked the bittersweet ending. was definitely fun to read over the holidays!!

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carliethompsonwriting's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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kswanson900's review against another edition

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dark funny sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Check your triggers. Objectively good but very hard to read in some areas.

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