NOS4A2
“Every now and again, a book has the power to haunt you, to become a part of something so commonplace or mundane that you know you'll never view something quite the same again. And so it is with me and NOS4A2. Because of this book, I know that one day I'll hear a Christmas carol and get a chill...”
“Every now and again, a book has the power to haunt you, to become a part of something so commonplace or mundane that you know you'll never view something quite the same again. And so it is with me and NOS4A2. Because of this book, I know that one day I'll hear a Christmas carol and get a chill that has nothing to do with winter.
Joe Hill is brilliant when it comes to creating a world or an "inscape" (read the book). His rich, vivid settings and ability to pull the reader right into a scene are reasons he is among the best in class. As a horror writer, he has a knack for taking something ordinary and/or commonplace and turning it into a creep show. His characters come to life on the page because of the level of detail he adds. It's easy to see their pain points, their motivations, their scars and their strengths. And how they're woven together -- why it's a beautiful tapestry.
Vic McQueen is the protagonist and heroine of the story. This is really the first book that Joe Hill has written where a female sits in the driver's seat. This time, the character is a rider of a legendary bicycle (a Tuff Burner, which she will later trade in for a Triumph motorcycle). Vic is able to transport herself from the reality of her hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts to the alternate reality of Christmasland in the mountains of Colorado by accessing a portal of sorts -- a rickety old covered bridge known as the "Shorter Way Bridge." And that's where she encounters her life-long foe: Charles Talent Manx.
As the antagonist, Charlie Manx would say, "Blood didn't come out of silk." And at an alleged 116 years of age, he's a tough one to shake. He drives a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith with a personalized license plate of NOS4A2 that runs on nothing more than the souls of his victims. Like all monsters, Manx thinks he's doing a public service by kidnapping children and bringing them to his "Sleigh House" in Christmasland. He'll save them from abuse, neglect, poverty and scandal, he vows. But he and his creepy sidekick have met their match in Vic.
The punch that NOS4A2 delivers is that it has not only the characters questioning reality throughout, but it did the same thing to me as the reader. I was one with them through the chaos and confusion, on the edge of my seat cheering for the "good guys," who are also rather flawed at best (aren't we all?), and wondering how it was all going to play out. So while it was a lengthy undertaking at almost 700 pages, it was most definitely a worthwhile investment of my all-too-precious time.
From a writing critique standpoint, I only have good things to say about this book, with the exception of the point about 2/3 through the book where there is a bit of a lag. It's worth trudging through it -- I deducted a 1/2 star for it but in the end rounded back up to five stars because of the lasting impact this book will undoubtedly have on me. The rest of the book is what I think the best of horror looks like: riveting, captivating, transporting, creepy, chilling, consuming and rife with dry wit (even the acknowledgements made me laugh out loud!). So yes, I'm adding this one to my "Best of Horror" list on Shelfari, and I highly encourage you to add it to your TBR list if you haven't already done so.
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(read full review)
