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lyrian_moss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
4.75
marthahope's review against another edition
4.0
"SCISSORS-FOR-THE-DRIFTERS!SCISSORS-FOR-THE-BITCH!"
I am a real sucker for horror-filled novels that explore the intense darkness of humanity. Joe Hill's third novel NOS4R2 did not disappoint. NOS4R2 is almost seven hundred pages of blood-curdling, spine-tingling terror, with human captors, rapists, murderers and child ghouls and vampiric corpses. It is written beautifully and with a fluidity that results in a frequently lost three or so hours reading without ever noticing the time passing.
This supernatural story follows Victoria McQueen from fucked up childhood to fucked up adulthood, exploring her ability to somehow cut through real time and space in order to discover lost objects, people and all sorts. It is quickly made apparent that Vic is not alone in her ability to find gateways in reality and so enters Charlie Manx, nicknamed Nosferatu by his unfortunate ex-wife. It is about the breaks in reality, the destructive strength of imagination, and the strongest, truest, most damaging kinds of love - of even the most ugly and flawed kinds of people.
Hill's narrative is witty and engaging, leaving you in constant anticipation and an agonising suspense; especially in chapter breaks ending mid-sentence, I found myself simultaneously eager to continue and shitting myself. One of the most fascinating and intelligent features of the story is the protagonists continuing uncertainty about her own sanity, and the truth of her story: "you can't let facts get in the way of truth". Vic's journeys over the Shorter Way Bridge take a toll on her physical and mental self, resulting in a constant internal struggle over what she thinks she knows and what is true. Hill cleverly has her convincing not only the other characters of her sanity but also herself.
With all her flaws Vic is an intensely likeable and real character. Indeed, all the novel's characters are dense with negative characteristics but remain endearing and compelling - including Charlie Manx, perhaps the most compelling character of them all. For all his vileness and inhuman behaviour I found myself desperately anticipating his return to the narrative.
"I think you're suffering from the human condition."
Read this book. Whether you like Stephen King or not is immaterial, Hill may occupy a similar genre to his father but he offers a dissimilar delivery and fresh helping of horror. Hill is an excellent writer, constantly demonstrating a deep understanding of the inherent darkness of humanity and the conflicts of love and 'goodness'.
Five stars, dripping in blood, atop a Christmas tree.
I am a real sucker for horror-filled novels that explore the intense darkness of humanity. Joe Hill's third novel NOS4R2 did not disappoint. NOS4R2 is almost seven hundred pages of blood-curdling, spine-tingling terror, with human captors, rapists, murderers and child ghouls and vampiric corpses. It is written beautifully and with a fluidity that results in a frequently lost three or so hours reading without ever noticing the time passing.
This supernatural story follows Victoria McQueen from fucked up childhood to fucked up adulthood, exploring her ability to somehow cut through real time and space in order to discover lost objects, people and all sorts. It is quickly made apparent that Vic is not alone in her ability to find gateways in reality and so enters Charlie Manx, nicknamed Nosferatu by his unfortunate ex-wife. It is about the breaks in reality, the destructive strength of imagination, and the strongest, truest, most damaging kinds of love - of even the most ugly and flawed kinds of people.
Hill's narrative is witty and engaging, leaving you in constant anticipation and an agonising suspense; especially in chapter breaks ending mid-sentence, I found myself simultaneously eager to continue and shitting myself. One of the most fascinating and intelligent features of the story is the protagonists continuing uncertainty about her own sanity, and the truth of her story: "you can't let facts get in the way of truth". Vic's journeys over the Shorter Way Bridge take a toll on her physical and mental self, resulting in a constant internal struggle over what she thinks she knows and what is true. Hill cleverly has her convincing not only the other characters of her sanity but also herself.
With all her flaws Vic is an intensely likeable and real character. Indeed, all the novel's characters are dense with negative characteristics but remain endearing and compelling - including Charlie Manx, perhaps the most compelling character of them all. For all his vileness and inhuman behaviour I found myself desperately anticipating his return to the narrative.
"I think you're suffering from the human condition."
Read this book. Whether you like Stephen King or not is immaterial, Hill may occupy a similar genre to his father but he offers a dissimilar delivery and fresh helping of horror. Hill is an excellent writer, constantly demonstrating a deep understanding of the inherent darkness of humanity and the conflicts of love and 'goodness'.
Five stars, dripping in blood, atop a Christmas tree.
amb123abc's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
Jesus Christ tap dancing on a cracker.
I can't remember the last time a book scared me this badly. I think it was Something Wicked This Way Comes. And that's Beverly Cleary in comparison to this.
I had to take continuous breaks to get through this. I read it at home, and at work. Never after the sun went down. Not that it helped.
Manx. Dear god, I can't even talk about Charlie Manx. I could hear his voice so crisply in my head. He's British, if you're wondering. Although when he was talking to Wayne in the car, he sounded more like a TV announcer. Actually, he sounded like...who was that guy from SNL who died who was not Chris Farley? Phil...Phil something. He sounded like him. ETA: Hartman. Phil Hartman. He sounded like him.
Ma[n]xwell's Silver Hammer was all I could think every time it came up. God, he was a vicious motherfucker, and my skin crawled with every scene he was in. Just so gentlemanly, even during the moments when he lost his mind. Well, until the end, anyway.
Bing. God, I can't even discuss Bing because his character was 100% human, there was nothing supernatural about him, which probably makes him the worst of the lot. I'm getting the skin crawlies just thinking about him.
EDIT! OH MY GOD, I didn't even mention Maggie Leigh. Can we talk about the injustice that is Maggie Leigh only being in the book for such a short period of time? Love her. I need a pair of FU Scrabble tile earrings. Love her. Love her. Love her.
AND THE BUFFY AND FIREFLY REFERENCES. Holy fuckballs, the term Browncoat is in here at least twice.
God, this book was so fucking amazing.
I said from page one that I was worried I was going to make too many unfair comparisons to Joe Hill's father. And for the first 10 or so pages, I did. But this book...Joe Hill kicked his father's ass with this book. All love and respect to Stephen King, but your kid's wiping the floor with you. If all of his books are as amazing as this, you're not the king anymore. And I swear to god, I did not intend for that to be a pun.
I keep imagining a kid growing up in the King household. Growing up with stories. Stories of cars that run on their own, and kill people. A man who promises the world, both to adults and children, for his own greedy pleasures, his own need, if you will. The scariest clown every invented in any universe. Little children with weapons who kill adults gleefully.
And then he grows up, and this is what he writes.
Amazing. Absolutely incredible.
I can't wait to see the "prequel" story, Wraith. And I really want to know the story behind Walking Backwards Man. Seriously, the thought of him has taken over my brain.
Now I must go and read, like, Babysitter's Club or something. I need a palate cleanser.
I can't remember the last time a book scared me this badly. I think it was Something Wicked This Way Comes. And that's Beverly Cleary in comparison to this.
I had to take continuous breaks to get through this. I read it at home, and at work. Never after the sun went down. Not that it helped.
Spoiler
Vic McQueen is fantastic. Beyond fantastic. I'm sort of known for seeking out strong female heroines, the Buffys and the Katnisses. But Vic is not that. She's severely flawed, damaged. Vic is Faith. And the more I read, the more I adored her. I felt what she felt, including feeling a little insane at times. The thought of the phone ringing and ringing with creepy fucking murderous vampire children made me want to turn my cell phone off. And I was reading this while receptionisting, where the phone rings constantly. You want to talk about mind fucking.Manx. Dear god, I can't even talk about Charlie Manx. I could hear his voice so crisply in my head. He's British, if you're wondering. Although when he was talking to Wayne in the car, he sounded more like a TV announcer. Actually, he sounded like...who was that guy from SNL who died who was not Chris Farley? Phil...Phil something. He sounded like him. ETA: Hartman. Phil Hartman. He sounded like him.
Ma[n]xwell's Silver Hammer was all I could think every time it came up. God, he was a vicious motherfucker, and my skin crawled with every scene he was in. Just so gentlemanly, even during the moments when he lost his mind. Well, until the end, anyway.
Bing. God, I can't even discuss Bing because his character was 100% human, there was nothing supernatural about him, which probably makes him the worst of the lot. I'm getting the skin crawlies just thinking about him.
EDIT! OH MY GOD, I didn't even mention Maggie Leigh. Can we talk about the injustice that is Maggie Leigh only being in the book for such a short period of time? Love her. I need a pair of FU Scrabble tile earrings. Love her. Love her. Love her.
AND THE BUFFY AND FIREFLY REFERENCES. Holy fuckballs, the term Browncoat is in here at least twice.
God, this book was so fucking amazing.
I said from page one that I was worried I was going to make too many unfair comparisons to Joe Hill's father. And for the first 10 or so pages, I did. But this book...Joe Hill kicked his father's ass with this book. All love and respect to Stephen King, but your kid's wiping the floor with you. If all of his books are as amazing as this, you're not the king anymore. And I swear to god, I did not intend for that to be a pun.
I keep imagining a kid growing up in the King household. Growing up with stories. Stories of cars that run on their own, and kill people. A man who promises the world, both to adults and children, for his own greedy pleasures, his own need, if you will. The scariest clown every invented in any universe. Little children with weapons who kill adults gleefully.
And then he grows up, and this is what he writes.
Amazing. Absolutely incredible.
I can't wait to see the "prequel" story, Wraith. And I really want to know the story behind Walking Backwards Man. Seriously, the thought of him has taken over my brain.
Now I must go and read, like, Babysitter's Club or something. I need a palate cleanser.
plandocalrisian's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Incredible. check trigger warnings 18+
-Multiple pov
-a good horror to read right *after* the holidays
-kickass fmc
-the audiobook was phenomenal
This is a gripping story with incredible suspense, horror and heart. We mainly follow Vic (Victoria) who finds an inter dimensional bridge which connects her thoughts to the real world. She uses this to escape her turbulent home life, but it shortly links her to others who have similar abilities. Some are good, and some you don’t want to go seeking out. After a fight with her mom, she seeks out some trouble and finds it in a serial killer and child kidnapper, Charlie Manx. He’s not just any typical serial killer, he has the power to enter the dream plane and keeps kids in his “Christmas Land.” Vic escapes their first encounter, but is haunted throughout her life into adulthood - until one day, she is confronted by Manx’s return and in order to stop him from taking more lives (including those she loves), she needs to find out his secrets and kill him herself.
I really liked how this story progressed and its pacing. The multiple povs made it read like a movie, you could really picture everything that happened (whether you wanted to or not). And it was tied up neatly at the end. What really kicked me, though, was how much heart this book had - you really rooted for Vic and her relationships. While she didn’t have a nice relationship with either of her parents, she was still loved and they definitely redeemed themselves in ways that I teared up reading about.
My only criticism was the mental health representation. It kind of represented it in a way that horror so easily falls to - infantilizing and stereotyping people who struggle with mental illness. The fmc seemed to have ptsd, depression and anxiety in the end, and not the other illnesses she was being treated for because the bridge turned out to be real, but the way the representation was described was the all too commonly seen sensationalization of mental health facilities and illnesses. I understand self-criticism and flawed internal monologues we sometimes have towards ourselves and our illnesses, but I just wish that was handled with a bit more care.
Would definitely recommend overall.
**spoiler alert**
happy-ish ending
-Multiple pov
-a good horror to read right *after* the holidays
-kickass fmc
-the audiobook was phenomenal
This is a gripping story with incredible suspense, horror and heart. We mainly follow Vic (Victoria) who finds an inter dimensional bridge which connects her thoughts to the real world. She uses this to escape her turbulent home life, but it shortly links her to others who have similar abilities. Some are good, and some you don’t want to go seeking out. After a fight with her mom, she seeks out some trouble and finds it in a serial killer and child kidnapper, Charlie Manx. He’s not just any typical serial killer, he has the power to enter the dream plane and keeps kids in his “Christmas Land.” Vic escapes their first encounter, but is haunted throughout her life into adulthood - until one day, she is confronted by Manx’s return and in order to stop him from taking more lives (including those she loves), she needs to find out his secrets and kill him herself.
I really liked how this story progressed and its pacing. The multiple povs made it read like a movie, you could really picture everything that happened (whether you wanted to or not). And it was tied up neatly at the end. What really kicked me, though, was how much heart this book had - you really rooted for Vic and her relationships. While she didn’t have a nice relationship with either of her parents, she was still loved and they definitely redeemed themselves in ways that I teared up reading about.
My only criticism was the mental health representation. It kind of represented it in a way that horror so easily falls to - infantilizing and stereotyping people who struggle with mental illness. The fmc seemed to have ptsd, depression and anxiety in the end, and not the other illnesses she was being treated for because the bridge turned out to be real, but the way the representation was described was the all too commonly seen sensationalization of mental health facilities and illnesses. I understand self-criticism and flawed internal monologues we sometimes have towards ourselves and our illnesses, but I just wish that was handled with a bit more care.
Would definitely recommend overall.
**spoiler alert**
happy-ish ending
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'NOS4A2' by Joe Hill was the October selection of my online book club.
Charlie Manx like taking children off to Christmasland, but he is not a good man. Victoria McQueen may be crazy, but she has a way of finding lost things. When Charlie Manx takes Victoria's son Wayne, things are not going to end well for someone.
I had a great time reading this. There are a lot of messed up characters and a lot of death, but it was a perfect read for October, and may have creeped me right out of Christmas.
Charlie Manx like taking children off to Christmasland, but he is not a good man. Victoria McQueen may be crazy, but she has a way of finding lost things. When Charlie Manx takes Victoria's son Wayne, things are not going to end well for someone.
I had a great time reading this. There are a lot of messed up characters and a lot of death, but it was a perfect read for October, and may have creeped me right out of Christmas.
scott204's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.75
catherinevpark's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
papelgren's review against another edition
3.0
I listened to Kate Mulgrew's reading of this book on Audible. The reading was great. The book is entertaining, but a little too fantastical and craven. I appreciate Joe Hill's desire to stay at arm's length from his father, but its nearly impossible not to think of Stephen King while reading it.