libraryofaryn's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book from start to finish. I loved that Vic, the heroine, is a flawed character and she readily admits her flaws and deals with them as best she can. I loved Maggie and all her quirks. I loved Lou and how he cares for Vic and is unabashedly himself.
I hated Manx and Bing (as I was supposed to), but I despised Bing more even though he wasn't the main villain.
I was obsessed with all the Stephen King references (for those that don't know, Joe Hill is Stephen King's son) and got excited every time one popped up. I like that Hill leaned into the King lore, especially as he has tried to distance himself from his father's work in the past.
Kate Mulgrew (who I loved as Red in Orange is the New Black) narrates the audiobook and she does an amazing performance. She really brings the character to life and makes you feel every emotion the text conveys.
If you're looking for a horror book that really gets into the power of imagination and deals with the ways your childhood shapes you, I would recommend you pick this up.
I hated Manx and Bing (as I was supposed to), but I despised Bing more even though he wasn't the main villain.
I was obsessed with all the Stephen King references (for those that don't know, Joe Hill is Stephen King's son) and got excited every time one popped up. I like that Hill leaned into the King lore, especially as he has tried to distance himself from his father's work in the past.
Kate Mulgrew (who I loved as Red in Orange is the New Black) narrates the audiobook and she does an amazing performance. She really brings the character to life and makes you feel every emotion the text conveys.
If you're looking for a horror book that really gets into the power of imagination and deals with the ways your childhood shapes you, I would recommend you pick this up.
swuffy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theredqueen444's review against another edition
4.0
I might have rated this book higher, but some of the characters were so disturbing it was hard to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
lllkilli's review against another edition
2.0
Long slow burn. Well written, some fun gory descriptions when the kids show up, unique concept.
Not scary and the constant graphic/implied sexual assault ruined it for me. No hint of that on the back, so if that’s a sensitive topic be warned.
Not scary and the constant graphic/implied sexual assault ruined it for me. No hint of that on the back, so if that’s a sensitive topic be warned.
lmskikun's review against another edition
2.0
It was such a looooong book for me.... I guess it killed all excitement after all
_tilly_'s review against another edition
4.0
“Everyone lives in two worlds, right? There's the physical world... but there's also our own private inner worlds, the world of our thoughts. A world made of ideas instead of stuff. It's an inscape, and they all connect, too, in the same way New Hampshire connects to Vermont. And maybe some people can ride into that thought world if they have the right vehicle. A key. A car. A bike. Whatever.”
I read N0S4R2 for the first time in December 2018 and it was not what I was expecting, in the best way possible. I went in trying to know little as possible and I'm glad I did, so much blew my mind. Joe Hill is a fantastic writer, so much so that I wasn't looking forward to the 689 paged book but it actually turned out to be one of the most easiest, entertaining and addictive reads I have ever read. I would pick this beautiful book up and before I knew it I'd have read 5 or 6 chapters in one go without even thinking about it.
My reasoning for the 4 star and not a full 5 star rating is because there are a few things in this book that made me think of Joe Hill's father, Stephen King. Hill has picked up a lot of bad habits from his dad, the obsession with women's bodies and descriptive sexual scenes that were unnecessary as well as there being one chapter where Hill got to be very repetitive. They are the only things that stopped it from being a 5 star rating.
Now on to all the good things this book has to offer. N0S4R2 is like nothing I have ever read before, Hill writes characters that you get attached to quite quickly, I liked Vic, I even liked Manx and I loved Maggie! Joe Hill also knows how to write a great plot without giving everything away at once, the story begins with Vic as a child at home with her parents, home life isn't great and when an argument starts due to a missing bracelet Vic decides to take a ride on her bike, this bike can literally transport her from one place to the next and it usually brings her to find the one thing she is looking for.
The pacing of this story is amazing there are many good points in this novel, Hill manages to make the story feel realistic even though it does have fantastical elements to it. I also loved the story line between Vic and her parents, it is such a realistic outlook on a home surrounded by domestic violence.
“He knew from things Vic had told him that the man was a wife beater and a cheat. He knew, too, from things Vic had not told him, that she missed him and loved him with an intensity perhaps matched only by what she felt for her son.”
You learn about Vic's upbringing and how she came to meet Manx as a child. Then the story smoothly goes into Vic's present day life where Manx doesn't seem to want to let go of Vic, or her son, Wayne.
The ending in this book seriously made me struggle to rate this book, I was undecided between a 4 and a 5 because this ending was perfect. I had all the feels. Do you ever get that feeling at the end of the book where you just need to hug it? That was me once I finished N0S4R2. I already cannot wait to revisit this story, it might have to be a new Christmas tradition.
Full review on my blog - https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
I read N0S4R2 for the first time in December 2018 and it was not what I was expecting, in the best way possible. I went in trying to know little as possible and I'm glad I did, so much blew my mind. Joe Hill is a fantastic writer, so much so that I wasn't looking forward to the 689 paged book but it actually turned out to be one of the most easiest, entertaining and addictive reads I have ever read. I would pick this beautiful book up and before I knew it I'd have read 5 or 6 chapters in one go without even thinking about it.
My reasoning for the 4 star and not a full 5 star rating is because there are a few things in this book that made me think of Joe Hill's father, Stephen King. Hill has picked up a lot of bad habits from his dad, the obsession with women's bodies and descriptive sexual scenes that were unnecessary as well as there being one chapter where Hill got to be very repetitive. They are the only things that stopped it from being a 5 star rating.
Now on to all the good things this book has to offer. N0S4R2 is like nothing I have ever read before, Hill writes characters that you get attached to quite quickly, I liked Vic, I even liked Manx and I loved Maggie! Joe Hill also knows how to write a great plot without giving everything away at once, the story begins with Vic as a child at home with her parents, home life isn't great and when an argument starts due to a missing bracelet Vic decides to take a ride on her bike, this bike can literally transport her from one place to the next and it usually brings her to find the one thing she is looking for.
The pacing of this story is amazing there are many good points in this novel, Hill manages to make the story feel realistic even though it does have fantastical elements to it. I also loved the story line between Vic and her parents, it is such a realistic outlook on a home surrounded by domestic violence.
“He knew from things Vic had told him that the man was a wife beater and a cheat. He knew, too, from things Vic had not told him, that she missed him and loved him with an intensity perhaps matched only by what she felt for her son.”
You learn about Vic's upbringing and how she came to meet Manx as a child. Then the story smoothly goes into Vic's present day life where Manx doesn't seem to want to let go of Vic, or her son, Wayne.
The ending in this book seriously made me struggle to rate this book, I was undecided between a 4 and a 5 because this ending was perfect. I had all the feels. Do you ever get that feeling at the end of the book where you just need to hug it? That was me once I finished N0S4R2. I already cannot wait to revisit this story, it might have to be a new Christmas tradition.
Full review on my blog - https://littlereaderxoxo.wordpress.com/
where_are_the_turtles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alle_kat97's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mrajful's review against another edition
4.0
It's quite long, but well worth the journey. Found many similarity in the style of writing to Stephen King, but not complaining. Enjoyed it