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maxikf's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent story in the tradition of magical realism. Hill, like his father, has a knack for creating beautifully imperfect protagonists and this is no exception. The characters are multi-dimensional. The horror is unfiltered. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
rachelparaski's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ombm31329's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jenagregoire's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like I am WAY behind the ball on finding Joe Hill. As you all know, I am an audio book junkie. One day, I hopped out to Audible to find something new to listen to and one of my recommendations was a book titled NOS4A2. My first thought was clever title (for those who are somehow missing it, it’s a license plate representation of the word nosferatu). Well, as a long time lover of vampire fiction, I couldn’t not grab it.
Weeks went by with it sitting in my library. At the time, I was wrapping up listening to a series I had been hooked on and when I was done, something else I was waiting on had come out, and NOS4A2 got pushed to the back of the line yet again.
Then I got an email. River Run Book Store in Portsmouth NH was having an in-store event with author Joe Hill. There it was, NOS4A2, staring back at me again. I bought a pair of tickets and a few weeks later, my friend Jessilyn and I made the road trip to meet this Joe Hill.
At the time of buying the tickets, I didn’t know this, but Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. Yes, that Stephen King. You know, the author I WORSHIP as a writer. So, yes, cool, but he wasn’t Stephen himself.
At the time, I was also listening to the audio book for Doctor Sleep, the 36-years-coming sequel to The Shining. Imagine my surprise when I went to the meet-n-greet/signing with Joe Hill to hear things I was familiar with – Charlie Manx and Christmasland among them. Turns out, there are some tie-ins between Doctor Sleep and NOS4A2.
That was it. With how much I loved Doctor Sleep, I had to read this book. I got a copy of NOS4A2 signed and got to meet Joe. He was super nice and funny as hell. As an added bonus, I also got to meet Christopher Golden that night, an author I have been a fan of for YEARS. We sang fucked up Christmas carols (you have no idea….) and did a lot of laughing. It was a pretty incredible night and a memory which will always make me smile.
So, I started listening to NOS4A2 the next day at work….and I was blown away.
What I Liked:
OMG, I dont even know where to start. As I said, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and apparently, that is a gene pool to be ENVIED. Although his style is a little different than his father’s, you can definitely feel the influence. Even with how dark the majority of SK’s body of work is, Joe has got him beat, I think. Joe Hill has a seriously twisted imagination and I think I might be a little bit in love.
NOS4A2 is a super-duper creepy story, a story which will, at times, leave you with a serious case of goosebumps. It’s been a long time since I have read a character I was genuinely afraid of, and Charlie Manx is a dude I would not want living in our world.
He’s……he’s…….omg, I cant even think of a word with the power to properly convey just what a fucked up package of psycopathy goodness Charlie Manx is. Trust me, if you like dark fantasy and have a thing for really well-written villains, NOS4A2 is for you.
1379220507000-Wra1th-01-covA
The story itself is a work of art. It’s well-woven and never moves slowly. I did something with this book which I almost never do. I read some of the reviews before reading it, both good and bad. I have to say, I respectfully disagree with all the folks out there who claimed it was slow or got weird too fast, and I have to believe you’re probably attempting to read the book while your head is firmly implanted up your ass because that is the only logical explanation for why one would think those things about this book. Does it get weird early? Yes, and it’s shocking because it’s not like every other book on the market. NOS4A2 doesn’t make you sit through eighteen chapters of world building before something exciting happens. You get a small glimpse of the normal and then you’re violently shoved into the world of the not-so-normal. I fucking loved it.
What I Didn’t Like:
Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Absofuckinlutely nothing. This book is brilliant from cover to cover.
Who I Would Recommend It To:
EVERYONE. lol If you’re a fan of DARK sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal anything, and/or horror, you MUST read NOS4A2. It’s flawlessly written, creepy as hell, and kind of leaves you wanting more.
Now that I have had a taste of his writing ability, I cant wait to read more Joe Hill titles. I just may have found a new favorite author. 😉
Weeks went by with it sitting in my library. At the time, I was wrapping up listening to a series I had been hooked on and when I was done, something else I was waiting on had come out, and NOS4A2 got pushed to the back of the line yet again.
Then I got an email. River Run Book Store in Portsmouth NH was having an in-store event with author Joe Hill. There it was, NOS4A2, staring back at me again. I bought a pair of tickets and a few weeks later, my friend Jessilyn and I made the road trip to meet this Joe Hill.
At the time of buying the tickets, I didn’t know this, but Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son. Yes, that Stephen King. You know, the author I WORSHIP as a writer. So, yes, cool, but he wasn’t Stephen himself.
At the time, I was also listening to the audio book for Doctor Sleep, the 36-years-coming sequel to The Shining. Imagine my surprise when I went to the meet-n-greet/signing with Joe Hill to hear things I was familiar with – Charlie Manx and Christmasland among them. Turns out, there are some tie-ins between Doctor Sleep and NOS4A2.
That was it. With how much I loved Doctor Sleep, I had to read this book. I got a copy of NOS4A2 signed and got to meet Joe. He was super nice and funny as hell. As an added bonus, I also got to meet Christopher Golden that night, an author I have been a fan of for YEARS. We sang fucked up Christmas carols (you have no idea….) and did a lot of laughing. It was a pretty incredible night and a memory which will always make me smile.
So, I started listening to NOS4A2 the next day at work….and I was blown away.
What I Liked:
OMG, I dont even know where to start. As I said, Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, and apparently, that is a gene pool to be ENVIED. Although his style is a little different than his father’s, you can definitely feel the influence. Even with how dark the majority of SK’s body of work is, Joe has got him beat, I think. Joe Hill has a seriously twisted imagination and I think I might be a little bit in love.
NOS4A2 is a super-duper creepy story, a story which will, at times, leave you with a serious case of goosebumps. It’s been a long time since I have read a character I was genuinely afraid of, and Charlie Manx is a dude I would not want living in our world.
He’s……he’s…….omg, I cant even think of a word with the power to properly convey just what a fucked up package of psycopathy goodness Charlie Manx is. Trust me, if you like dark fantasy and have a thing for really well-written villains, NOS4A2 is for you.
1379220507000-Wra1th-01-covA
The story itself is a work of art. It’s well-woven and never moves slowly. I did something with this book which I almost never do. I read some of the reviews before reading it, both good and bad. I have to say, I respectfully disagree with all the folks out there who claimed it was slow or got weird too fast, and I have to believe you’re probably attempting to read the book while your head is firmly implanted up your ass because that is the only logical explanation for why one would think those things about this book. Does it get weird early? Yes, and it’s shocking because it’s not like every other book on the market. NOS4A2 doesn’t make you sit through eighteen chapters of world building before something exciting happens. You get a small glimpse of the normal and then you’re violently shoved into the world of the not-so-normal. I fucking loved it.
What I Didn’t Like:
Nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Absofuckinlutely nothing. This book is brilliant from cover to cover.
Who I Would Recommend It To:
EVERYONE. lol If you’re a fan of DARK sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal anything, and/or horror, you MUST read NOS4A2. It’s flawlessly written, creepy as hell, and kind of leaves you wanting more.
Now that I have had a taste of his writing ability, I cant wait to read more Joe Hill titles. I just may have found a new favorite author. 😉
hdbblog's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, how good is this book? Anyone who follows me knows that I love Stephen King, but I think Joe Hill is inching his way up into that eschelon of beloved authors. His writing is just so visceral. It takes the unassuming world, the humdrum place we live, and opens up all the hidden doors. Our nightmares, our dreams, they pour onto the page. NOS4A2 captivated me from beginning to end, with the thin line it walked between reality and something more. Is it possible that epic writing skills are transmitted through genes? Reading this book on the heels of It was a surreal experience. It's like Joe Hill is a carbon copy of his father. I don't mean that to say that he isn't original. That he isn't something different. Still, it's an amazing thing to ponder.
First off, let's talk characters. Vic McQueen was just the most perfect protagonist. I connected with her instantly. A young girl, with a huge love for her father, a troubled relationship with her mother, and an unnatural ability to "find" things. The first time that Vic drove across her bridge, and ended up just where she needed to be, I was sold. Her personality, her willingness to sacrifice for others, I was in love with Vic McQueen. And that only increased the more I read, and the older she got. Contrasted against the sinister and slimy Charlie Manx, a man who was so much more than he seemed, this set up the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Oh, and the plot. It's just beautiful how well-done it is. If the writing hadn't already sold me, the fact that this was a perfectly paced, expertly built book, would have. Every page unveiled something new. What started as a vague unease the instant that Charlie Manx came into the scene, turned into an all out stomach twisting horror. By the time the final showdown was presented, I was a blubbering mess. Once again, I was so committed to this book that my poor bookish brain could do nothing more than gape, and sob. I'm wrung out now, but it was worth it.
If you have the opportunity to listen to this on audio, please do. The narrator was absolutely fabulous. Her voices, her emotions, brought the story to life. Read this. Do it. You won't be sorry.
First off, let's talk characters. Vic McQueen was just the most perfect protagonist. I connected with her instantly. A young girl, with a huge love for her father, a troubled relationship with her mother, and an unnatural ability to "find" things. The first time that Vic drove across her bridge, and ended up just where she needed to be, I was sold. Her personality, her willingness to sacrifice for others, I was in love with Vic McQueen. And that only increased the more I read, and the older she got. Contrasted against the sinister and slimy Charlie Manx, a man who was so much more than he seemed, this set up the ultimate battle between good and evil.
Oh, and the plot. It's just beautiful how well-done it is. If the writing hadn't already sold me, the fact that this was a perfectly paced, expertly built book, would have. Every page unveiled something new. What started as a vague unease the instant that Charlie Manx came into the scene, turned into an all out stomach twisting horror. By the time the final showdown was presented, I was a blubbering mess. Once again, I was so committed to this book that my poor bookish brain could do nothing more than gape, and sob. I'm wrung out now, but it was worth it.
If you have the opportunity to listen to this on audio, please do. The narrator was absolutely fabulous. Her voices, her emotions, brought the story to life. Read this. Do it. You won't be sorry.
aml44's review against another edition
5.0
Joe Hill is amazing! Quite a twisted tale, just like Heart Shaped Box and Horns :)
steph1529's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
lesserjoke's review against another edition
4.0
NOS4A2 is a great story, but it's also something of a love letter from author Joe Hill to his father. The plot and the characters all feel like they could be pulled straight from a Stephen King novel, and even if Hill were not King's son, it would be hard to avoid acknowledging the debt NOS4A2 owes to classic King horror stories like Black House, IT, or Christine. (And as though to emphasize these connections, Hill sprinkles plenty of King references throughout this book, from Shawshank and Derry to Mid-World and the True Knot.)
Yet in many ways, Hill has taken his father's tropes and stripped them down to their essentials, adding what works to his toolkit and leaving the rest behind. A plot description of this novel, which involves a supernatural child-kidnapper being fought first by a young girl and then later by the woman grown in defense of her son, reads like quintessential King. But Hill dives deeper into the psychology of these characters than his father generally does, offering up a villain who could almost be plausibly defended as a sort of Peter Pan and a heroine whose mental illness may be slanting her perspective and her grasp on reality. NOS4A2 represents a triumph of the son outpacing the father all the way through to its explosive end.
Yet in many ways, Hill has taken his father's tropes and stripped them down to their essentials, adding what works to his toolkit and leaving the rest behind. A plot description of this novel, which involves a supernatural child-kidnapper being fought first by a young girl and then later by the woman grown in defense of her son, reads like quintessential King. But Hill dives deeper into the psychology of these characters than his father generally does, offering up a villain who could almost be plausibly defended as a sort of Peter Pan and a heroine whose mental illness may be slanting her perspective and her grasp on reality. NOS4A2 represents a triumph of the son outpacing the father all the way through to its explosive end.
nickbyers's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be excellently written with a deep internal lore and logic. The one thing I didn't find it was scary. Maybe that's my fault, maybe I can't really be scared by words alone. The fact that it didn't scare me is not necessarily a knock against the book, just one reader's opinion.