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libraryam's review
3.0
Waffled between 3 and 4 stars. More like 3.75 stars. Liked it muchly but felt some of the foreshadowing was heavy handed and some of the outcomes seemed like forgone conclusions. I hardly cared though. It was a good journey.
bigpapadouglas's review
5.0
LOVED IT!!! I didn't realize, until I started reading this book, that Joe Hill is a pseudonym for Joseph King. Note the last name. Yes, Joseph King is the son of Stephen King. Not the reason I started to read this book, and I thouroughly enjoyed it from the start. I couldn't help but notice the uncanny similarities in the writing.
What a great adventure though. I instantly fell in love with Vic, and even more so as an adult. Joe Hill presents an amazing heroine, full of her own demons and flaws, which I think makes her an even stronger heroine.
I have always been a huge Stephen King fan, and often wondered what depths he pulls his dark thoughts and ideas from. After reading NOS4A2, I am left now with the same thoughts about Joseph King. Is there a well they draw from that only the Kings have access to?
What a great adventure though. I instantly fell in love with Vic, and even more so as an adult. Joe Hill presents an amazing heroine, full of her own demons and flaws, which I think makes her an even stronger heroine.
I have always been a huge Stephen King fan, and often wondered what depths he pulls his dark thoughts and ideas from. After reading NOS4A2, I am left now with the same thoughts about Joseph King. Is there a well they draw from that only the Kings have access to?
jenstarfury's review
4.0
1st impression: This book is weird.
Later: It's pretty good though.
Even later: Wow, it's 1 in the morning, I should probably stop reading and get some sleep.
Later: It's pretty good though.
Even later: Wow, it's 1 in the morning, I should probably stop reading and get some sleep.
tomgenue's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hodges_wt's review against another edition
4.0
This book was written by Joe Hill, who is Stephen King's son. I'm glad he doesn't capitalize on King's name, because that would feel cheap (even if it is his actual last name). This book has a few small easter-eggs for King's Constant Readers--"Hi-yo, Silver!," "the doors to Mid-World," and one or two more that I can't remember right now.
Back to the story. It starts out a little slow, leaving me unsure, but around 25% of the way through, it really picks up and leaves you captivated for the rest of the book.
The back of the book doesn't really have much description of the book, so I'll provide a spoiler-free version here: Vic McQueen grew up with a Mom who was crazy and a Dad who beat her, but both of them loved Vic in their own, weird way. Vic had a bike, a Raleigh TuffBurner, and when she rode it, a bridge called the Shorter Way would appear. On the other side of the bridge was an item that had been lost--or just anything Vic wanted to find. Vic eventually learns of Charles Manx, a man who has a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith that allows him to abduct children and bring them to "Christmasland," part of his imagination, called an inscape. One day, Vic goes looking for Manx, and the story starts in earnest.
As you can, there's a slim chance I'll be hired to write book descriptions, but that doesn't matter.
This book was excellent.
Back to the story. It starts out a little slow, leaving me unsure, but around 25% of the way through, it really picks up and leaves you captivated for the rest of the book.
The back of the book doesn't really have much description of the book, so I'll provide a spoiler-free version here: Vic McQueen grew up with a Mom who was crazy and a Dad who beat her, but both of them loved Vic in their own, weird way. Vic had a bike, a Raleigh TuffBurner, and when she rode it, a bridge called the Shorter Way would appear. On the other side of the bridge was an item that had been lost--or just anything Vic wanted to find. Vic eventually learns of Charles Manx, a man who has a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith that allows him to abduct children and bring them to "Christmasland," part of his imagination, called an inscape. One day, Vic goes looking for Manx, and the story starts in earnest.
As you can, there's a slim chance I'll be hired to write book descriptions, but that doesn't matter.
This book was excellent.
kelsdafirenze's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.25
pages_and_papercrafts's review against another edition
3.5
What a wild ride this horror based book was! Christmasland is not a place I’d like to go. This was just a really, really long book, even in audio. I listened to it in audio because an over 600 physical page book would be eye fatigue for me! and the narrator did a phenomenal job. I think she made the book more creepy.
fictionaddictions_amanda's review
4.0
One Sentence Review: If you don't understand the title, it's ok, you will after you read this fantastic horror book.
More thoughts and info about the book will be posted on my YouTube channel (Fiction Addictions) in my March Wrap Up video.
More thoughts and info about the book will be posted on my YouTube channel (Fiction Addictions) in my March Wrap Up video.