Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

NOS4A2, by Joe Hill

19 reviews

bruinrocks's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad 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

This novel felt like a mix between The Shining and Doctor Sleep, it follows Vic McQueen as she struggles with the trauma of being attacked by Charlie Manx when she was a kid. I found this novel to be much more enjoyable after I read the prequel comic book Wraith. There is a near constant dread throughout the whole novel, never knowing when Manx will appear to wreck havoc on Vic and her families lives. There is some really strong character development and world building. Christmasland, a place that sounds like it should be magical and wonderful, is actually a horrifying location that keeps the fear at a maximum. With a middle section that drags a little the ending definitely amps it up to a 10 for the last stretch becoming very action packed, and explosive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Alcoholism, Child death, and Child abuse

Minor: Drug use and Sexual violence

ripxw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Rape, and Child abuse

Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Animal death, and Terminal illness

bookbelle5_17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

NOS4A2

By: Joe Hill

Victoria McQueen has a gift, she can find lost things with help from her bike and a magic bridge.  Unfortunately, she finds herself in the hands of another gifted person, Charles Talent Manx.  He has a magic antique car that takes him to the magical world of Christmasland, but this isn’t a nice place.  He takes children that he feels are treated badly by their parents to Christmasland while draining them of their life force turning them into malicious but “happy” children.  Vic was the one who got away and ten years later Manx wants revenge….

            Joe Hill, like his famous father Stephen King, knows how to craft a story that manages to be creepy and whimsical at the same time.  The writing is similar to his dad’s and he makes references to elements of his dad’s books like the True Knot. It’s straight forward and not flowery.  It is not a fast-paced horror but a slow build to the climax adding compelling tension.  We don’t know when Manx will strike again or if his minion, Bing Partridge, would snap and do something crazy.  I hated Bing with his childish antics and disgusting thoughts.  In a small, way I did pity him for he loved Manx like a father and was desperate to go to Christmasland.  He never seemed to have grown up and has the perfect mind for Manx. Bing’s use of the gingerbread gas is unsettling, especially as someone who doesn’t like laughing gas with the mask makes me panicky.  Reading Bing’s chapters is uncomfortable to reading as he rapes the mothers and talks about raping a father that made wrong choice without meaning to. Manx is a terrifying villain.   He plays that charming and wholesome figure, but you can see underneath he is dangerous underneath. Vic is complicated as she makes bad choices as she tries to escape her trauma, but she loves fiercely. The emotional core is her love for her son Wayne.  I felt so bad for Wayne as he was caught in middle and used up by Manx as a way to punish Vic.  He’s my favorite kind of villain.   Maggie Leigh and Lou Carmody were my favorite characters.  The ending was perfect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Animal death

adriennne's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death of parent, and Blood

Minor: Domestic abuse and Fire/Fire injury

spoookycat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Violence, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Gore, Addiction, Cursing, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Ableism, and Rape

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Drug abuse

peppers_books's review against another edition

4.0

this book has one of the best lines i have ever read in a book, i will remember this for as long as i can:  "he was hideous-old, not to mention hideous. his great bald skull was a globe mapping an alien moon" i actually cackled out loud, and this gem happens on page four

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

ranocchietto's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed the novel, I particularly liked the well-rounded characters, how each had its distinctive "voice" and the descriptions matched their personalities.

The book deals with cycles of trauma, growing up and the loss of innocence, and how people close to us make a difference in our lives, it was quite moving at times.

I would say my main problem was with the pacing, it felt unfocused towards the last third, it would have benefited from fewer digressions. I also felt the tone towards the end didn't match the tension the author was probably going for, but it didn't really spoil the experience for me.

Do check the content warnings before reading, it can get a bit heavy. The fatphobic undertones made it quite uncomfortable for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual assault, Gore, Child abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Cancer, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Incest

mattotheratto's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Fatphobia

Minor: Infidelity

podanotherjessi's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Wow. I wish I had read this in December because walking into a store and hearing Christmas carols while I was in the middle of this would have been horrific. This definitely has some flaws; the story gets a little muddled at points. The choice to play with timelines was maybe a mistake. Definitely has the penchant of a lot of horror of leaning on sexual assault and child abuse for scaring the reader, but not too often. Vic is a great character, flaws and all. Wayne is good too. Lou left a little to be desired though. Manx, however, is a fantastic villain, all the more because he truly thinks that he's doing the right thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Rape, and Mental illness