Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

NOS4A2, by Joe Hill

8 reviews

skeptic_hecate's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

It was entertaining, it is short of 4 stars because I sense a lot of r/menwrittingwomen and the protagonist is a bit of a pick me girl. Some scenes I found too long and pointless. The last part pf the book is the best, especially the climax. And the world building is fine, if not a bit too convenient with its many plot holes. The dialogue could use some work, when done right, it is very realistic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Drug use, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Abandonment, Child death, Self harm, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, and Stalking

ptoridactyl30's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Blood, Sexism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Blood, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abandonment

melchncookies's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Rape, Alcoholism, Violence, Sexual violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, Fatphobia, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Police brutality, and Gun violence

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny

jloud_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/injury detail, Gun violence, Drug use, Abandonment, Cursing, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Xenophobia, Torture, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Vomit

savanapavlak's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Fatphobia, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Drug use, Abandonment, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Body horror

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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.

---

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