_tilly_'s review
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
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
onlymattjohnson's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
obsessiveviewer's review against another edition
3.0
Really solid novel. Charlie Manx is a particularly interesting antagonist and once the plot really kicks into gear, it goes to some disturbing places and has some really strong bits of tension. It loses a little bit of focus once the police and FBI enter into the story, but overall it's a good read.
I did love the multiple Easter eggs to King's works.
I did love the multiple Easter eggs to King's works.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
constantcatreader's review
3.0
Nos4a2: Bliss-less Innocence
Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Paranormal
Theme: Bliss-less Innocence. The author is trying to show how staying young forever is not always wise or favorable and can lead to a sick-mindset of bliss-less innocence or ignorance.
Writing style: Style used relatively simple words which I believe was due to the theme of a child-like innocence.
Story development: Major gaps of time left unexplained until you've kept reading can be frustrating or anti-climatic in my opinion such as most of the beginning parts of Vic's childhood as well as Vic's death itself. Sometimes this made the book confusing but still understandable.
Elements: The only story element I want to note is overall tone and mood: silly strange. It's not even scary in my opinion, yes weird, but not scary. Maybe that's because I have read Stephen King and that stuff is crazy bone-chilling scary. But this, not so much. What kept me reading? The character Charlie Talent Manx is so intriguing and I wanted to see how he met his end (if any end at all) which was a disappointment because Vic ended up using physical explosives rather than the power of imagination (which was supposed to be a major point of the story: using our imaginations to escape.) I think a different escape from Charlie Manx would have made a more impressive ending, in my opinion.
Devices: I like how Manx's right-hand man is a highly immature and childishly insane grown man, and how this ultimately back-fires on Manx himself when Bing shoots his ear off.
DISLIKES:
• More silly than scary; some good laughs but at some points a little too strange. Maybe because of the Christmas references?
• Maggie's character seems a waste. She dies and I didn't know her well enough to feel sad about it.
• Seems as if I know nothing about the characters except Vic since she is the main character and we see her grow from childhood to adulthood, still even though the book is decently long, I felt unattached to character due a feeling of not know them
• Love the overlap of reality and our minds, but some of the interactions with Feds seem unrealistic like not being able to find her and how the map on find my iPhone shows Christmasland? And the Feds are like cool as a cucumber about this??? What? No one goes to jail? No one gets shot except her father??
LIKES:
• References to Stephen King's It with "Pennywise" and a Fahrenheit 451 book literally burning, and even Harry Potter.
• Bing at first praises God but then burns the church and writes about demons being there. An interesting reflection on religion and that relationship between God.
• Overall idea of the shorter way is cool as well as how we can travel to where we wish in our minds.
• Lou and Vic have been together for both when she was abducted and their child being abducted. Both characters seem to be stuck in childhood, reckless and defiant.
• I liked how the children were freed at the end.
OVERALL: The book had some uniqueness with the mix of genres such as thriller, paranormal, adventure, comedy, irony, and some romance here and there. The ideas of the mind and how we can escape reality with our minds was a wonderful concept. I would have liked this idea in another book with different characters. The overall purpose of bliss-less innocence was conveyed strongly by the lasting effects of Christmasland and Mr. Manx on Vic and then Wayne even after his death was a brilliant way to continue the theme into the very last pages of the book. Personally, the book rubbed me the wrong way and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would have.
Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Paranormal
Theme: Bliss-less Innocence. The author is trying to show how staying young forever is not always wise or favorable and can lead to a sick-mindset of bliss-less innocence or ignorance.
Writing style: Style used relatively simple words which I believe was due to the theme of a child-like innocence.
Story development: Major gaps of time left unexplained until you've kept reading can be frustrating or anti-climatic in my opinion such as most of the beginning parts of Vic's childhood as well as Vic's death itself. Sometimes this made the book confusing but still understandable.
Elements: The only story element I want to note is overall tone and mood: silly strange. It's not even scary in my opinion, yes weird, but not scary. Maybe that's because I have read Stephen King and that stuff is crazy bone-chilling scary. But this, not so much. What kept me reading? The character Charlie Talent Manx is so intriguing and I wanted to see how he met his end (if any end at all) which was a disappointment because Vic ended up using physical explosives rather than the power of imagination (which was supposed to be a major point of the story: using our imaginations to escape.) I think a different escape from Charlie Manx would have made a more impressive ending, in my opinion.
Devices: I like how Manx's right-hand man is a highly immature and childishly insane grown man, and how this ultimately back-fires on Manx himself when Bing shoots his ear off.
DISLIKES:
• More silly than scary; some good laughs but at some points a little too strange. Maybe because of the Christmas references?
• Maggie's character seems a waste. She dies and I didn't know her well enough to feel sad about it.
• Seems as if I know nothing about the characters except Vic since she is the main character and we see her grow from childhood to adulthood, still even though the book is decently long, I felt unattached to character due a feeling of not know them
• Love the overlap of reality and our minds, but some of the interactions with Feds seem unrealistic like not being able to find her and how the map on find my iPhone shows Christmasland? And the Feds are like cool as a cucumber about this??? What? No one goes to jail? No one gets shot except her father??
LIKES:
• References to Stephen King's It with "Pennywise" and a Fahrenheit 451 book literally burning, and even Harry Potter.
• Bing at first praises God but then burns the church and writes about demons being there. An interesting reflection on religion and that relationship between God.
• Overall idea of the shorter way is cool as well as how we can travel to where we wish in our minds.
• Lou and Vic have been together for both when she was abducted and their child being abducted. Both characters seem to be stuck in childhood, reckless and defiant.
• I liked how the children were freed at the end.
OVERALL: The book had some uniqueness with the mix of genres such as thriller, paranormal, adventure, comedy, irony, and some romance here and there. The ideas of the mind and how we can escape reality with our minds was a wonderful concept. I would have liked this idea in another book with different characters. The overall purpose of bliss-less innocence was conveyed strongly by the lasting effects of Christmasland and Mr. Manx on Vic and then Wayne even after his death was a brilliant way to continue the theme into the very last pages of the book. Personally, the book rubbed me the wrong way and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would have.
csdaley's review
5.0
I really loved this book. Full of horror and hope. Sprinkled with love and gore. Easily the best of my Halloween reads this year. Joe Hill knows how to do magic to words and I am glad he chooses to share it with the rest of us.
honeybadger11492's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0