NOS4A2

A Novel

By: Joe Hill

Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew

Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The spine-tingling, bone-chilling novel of supernatural suspense from the number one New York Times best-selling author of The Fireman and Horns - now an AMC original series starring Zachary Quinto, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Ashleigh Cummings.

"A masterwork of horror." (Time)

Victoria McQueen has an uncanny knack for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. When she rides her bicycle over the rickety old covered bridge in the woods near her house, she always emerges in the places she needs to be.

Charles Talent Manx has a gift of his own. He likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the vanity plate NOS4A2. In the Wraith, he and his innocent guests can slip out of the everyday world and onto hidden roads that lead to an astonishing playground of amusements he calls Christmasland.

The journey across the highway of Charlie's twisted imagination transforms his precious passengers, leaving them as terrifying and unstoppable as their benefactor.

Then comes the day when Vic goes looking for trouble...and finds her way to Charlie. That was a lifetime ago. Now, the only kid ever to escape Charlie's evil is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx hasn't stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. On the road again, he won't slow down until he's taken his revenge. He's after something very special - something Vic can never replace.

As a life-and-death battle of wills builds, Vic McQueen prepares to destroy Charlie once and for all - or die trying.

©2013 Joe Hill (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Quite simply the best horror writer of our generation, Joe Hill’s masterful storytelling is on full display in NOS4A2. It is by turns terrifying and hilarious, horrifying and full of heart, and relentlessly compelling." (Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of The Prophet)

"Fascinating and utterly engaging, this novel is sure to leave readers wanting more. One thing is for certain, however. After reading this book, readers will never hear Christmas carols in quite the same way again." ( Library Journal, starred review)

"[A] new take on the fantasy-horror genre...Highly recommended." ( The Sun Herald Sydney, Australia)

better than "IT"

loved this book. performance was amazing and story went along with it. much better than "IT" in my eyes

The World of Stuff and the World of Thought

In the prologue of Joe Hill's NOS4A2 (2013), Charlie Manx, who looks like a bald, Keith Richards (only older), has apparently been lying comatose for a decade in a prison hospital since being convicted of abducting and killing dozens of kids in his Christmas-themed house of horrors, the Sleigh House, when he briefly wakes up in 2008, grabs the wrist of a nurse, and tells her that he has a place for her son in Christmasland, where all the children are safe in his head, and a place for her in the House of Sleep, courtesy of the Gasmask Man and his gingerbread smoke, and that all he needs is his ride, the Wraith. The novel itself begins in 1986, when eight-year-old Victoria "Vic" McQueen's first rides "between Lost and Found," pedaling her too big and too boyish Raleigh Tuff Burner bicycle through a condemned covered bridge called the Shorter Way into a different place several hours away from her hometown in order to find her mother's lost bracelet. The novel then sets the paths of Vic and Manx on a decades-long collision course in suspenseful, painful, humorous, and moving ways.

The premise of the novel (as a few characters explain it) is that everybody lives in two worlds, the "real" world of stuff, facts, work, etc., and the "inscape" world of thought, emotion, and imagination, which are as powerful as gravity and as real as rocks. Furthermore, a small number of "strong creatives" (like Vic and Manx) are able to use special personal vehicles to move back and forth between their personal inscapes and the real world and or to bring elements from one into the other and or to shape reality like dough. Thus from when she was a girl Vic could ride her Tuff Burner through her personal bridge, coming out anywhere in America where she would find whatever she was looking for. Such "gifts" come with a cost. So using her imaginary but real bridge gives Vic terrible migraines centered in her left eye, messes with her mental equilibrium, and leads her right to Manx.

Joe Hill writes vivid and imaginative descriptions, as when Vic first rides her Tuff Burner, and "It was like witchcraft; she could've been riding a broom, slicing effortlessly through Halloween darkness, a thousand feet off the ground"), and then first rides through the wood-slatted Shorter Way, "through stammering rays of white light. When she crossed through one of those wafer thin sheets of brightness, she felt it in her left eye, a kind of distant throb."

He has a mind for how people hurt each other, as when Vic's father says to her mother during an argument, "Jesus. What an ugly fuckin' person you are inside. And I had a kid with you." He also has an ear for the witty line, as when Manx rhetorically asks, "Who do you think I am? Willy Wonka?"

He writes flawed and human characters that make what happens easy to sympathize with. Vic can be unlikeable, denying the reality of her gift and hurting her parents, but she is also brave, strong, creative, and down to earth: a biker picture book maker mother. The supporting characters are neat: Lou Carmody, a "morbidly obese," gentle and innocent biker-mechanic fan of comic-books and Vic; Maggie, an elfin punk librarian whose gift is to find answers to questions by pulling Scrabble letter tiles out of a bag, the cost of which is a painful stammer (Hill under and poorly uses Maggie); and Bing Partridge, a childlike (in all the worst ways) middle-aged loser who murdered his abusive parents as a boy and becomes Manx' Renfield. And Charlie Manx is a fine villain. At once stupid and cunning, creepy and funny, sadistic and protective, he believes he's rescuing kids from abusive parents ("The fires of hell are not hot enough the man or woman who would hurt their children") and giving them endless fun without pain or sadness.

NOS4A2 reminds me of the work of Hill's father Stephen King in novels like Doctor Sleep (the True Knot villains from that book are referred to here as being strong creatives like Vic and Manx). Like his father, Hill works into his novel many references to American popular culture (here from Sam Spade and Sponge Bob to Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Ironman), as well as some to international high literature (here from Chekov to Borges). Like his father, Hill works into his novel relevant themes (here about parent-child relationships, childhood and adulthood, imagination and reality, and love) and writes suspenseful and brutal action scenes and brief moments of grace.

Hill can do some bad writing, as when he cracks an excrescent joke about a young soldier, "Tom was well dead, not to mention well-done." He's also capable of going too far, as with some FBI machine guns. And there are multiple occasions when he contrives something against what we might expect characters to do given their personalities, situations, or gifts. An author shouldn't give his characters supernatural abilities and show them in action and then without a good explanation make them not work (or introduce new supernatural elements like ghosts) to generate suspense or complicate the plot.

About the audiobook, listeners who prefer less dramatic readings might be put off by it being "PERFORMED by Kate Mulgrew." But I enjoyed her relishing the language and enhancing the story and making it more funny, scary, and moving. She revels in reading Charlie Manx, Bing, Lou ("Dude!"), sweet, stammering Maggie, and a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, "Kingfishers Catch Fire" (alas Hill abandons it).

Hill closes the audiobook by reading an afterword in which he talks about the novel's themes (the loss of innocence and childhood magic and how hard it is to be a parent) and premise (everyone lives in the world of consensus reality and a world of personal fantasy), about how he naturally came to be a writer by growing up observing his father and mother, and about why he likes audiobooks.

Fans of Joe Hill, Stephen King, or urban fantasy horror, as well as people who find Christmas creepy, would like this book.

Big Joe Hill Fan

What did you love best about NOS4A2?

I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't entirely predictable. There were a number of plot twists that I found were unexpected but added to the story.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were not perfect. Too many times, stories like this are written with characters that lack the normal flaws of human nature. In this case, the characters suffer from the typical happenings and consequences of life, and their responses to what happens in the story reflect that.

Have you listened to any of Kate Mulgrew’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of her other performances.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Telling it here would give it away for another potential listener, and that just wouldn't be fair. But yes, there was.

Any additional comments?

As I stated in my headline, I am a big Joe Hill fan, so I was predisposed to liking this book. However, the reason I am a fan is because he always manages to create a story that captures me almost immediately and refuses to let go until the end. In this case, I was surprised by a number of plot twists that kept the story going, even after I thought it was over. I would definitely recommend this book, not because I am a big fan, but because I found the main characters to be very believable and the plot an entertaining listen.

The most macabre christmas story ever!

Couldn't stop listening. A fantastic (literally) combination of time travel, mass murder, Vampires, Christmas themes and love. Vic McQueen has a talent for finding lost things, including a way to travel instantly to far places. Charlie Manx has a 'love' of children whose parents don't appreciate them, so 'helps' them by bringing them to Christmasland, a place with its own sinister magic. The book focuses on Vic's life, her magic, heroism and flaws. The people around Vic are equally flawed, but are bound by their love of each other. They all face their failures to save Vic and rescue Mr. Manx's captives.

I have to give Kate Mulgrew 5 stars for her performance. I thought I would only be able to hear "Captain Janeway" at the beginning, but after the first 15 minutes, that stopped. She gives each character their own voice, sound and personality. From Charlie Manx's whispery old man voice, to Bing's whining, sing-song one she captures their character giving them more life. Fantastic!

Creepy, different, great read

If you could sum up NOS4A2 in three words, what would they be?

Narrator a Gem!

Any additional comments?

I am not usually a big science fiction fan. However, I found this book a wonderfully creepy escape from my usual mysteries, novels, and histories. Mulgrew really made this story! Her capacity to fully inhabit each character allowed the reader to imagine appearances, and motivations were well covered. I loved the original plot and incorporation of the inexplicable during a "typical" moment in time. It takes a lot for me to award 5 stars - the fact that I felt each category merited 5 stars reveals one of my favorite listens to date. Such fun to read - you will not be disappointed with this purchase!

Good story Horrible voices

I enjoyed the story. Very much like classic King but the performance of the girl with the stutter was almost unbearable. unfortunately this is a pretty big part of the story.

A love letter to a father

Joe Hill may have dedicated this novel to his mother, but it seems like a love letter to his father, Stephen King. Yeah, the famous one, in case you didn't know. There is certainly elements of IT, Carrie, Buick 8, The Shining, Christine, and many others meshed up to create something completely different and, maybe not original, but told in a new way. This is a sad story about the loss of innocence, and coming of age too late, as many do these days in our overly technical world. I can't write much that will not spoil it, but it is a good story, and worth a read/listen.

Wow! Fantastic story!

Joe Hill knocked it out of the park with this one. The idea of the covered bridge is super interesting. Christmas Land is an amazing thought! Hill is one twisted guy! I’ll never think about Christmas the same way again. The story flowed in a really natural way and was beautifully read by Kate Mulgrew. He even got a reference in to Locke and Key!

Loved it!

Cant put it down!

Everything was great, the plot, characters, everything! Was my first Joe Hill and I am definitely diving into his other works now!

CRAZY BRILLIANT!

What made the experience of listening to NOS4A2 the most enjoyable?

Kate Mulgrew was brilliant as the reader of this novel! She made each character crystal clear and identifiable. Her voice inflections were incredible!! I just wanted to fall into this story.

What did you like best about this story?

I think Joe Hill is a bit insane, and that is why I loved this book! The story was so far out yet completely gripping. I couldn't get enough and was sorry when it ended. The ending was satisfying however - great job!

Have you listened to any of Kate Mulgrew’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

n/a She was BRILLIANT!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, when Vic died at the end I was very sad :(
She was a hero, a survivor. She lived her life with courage.

Any additional comments?

I had a hard time with this book at first, then all of a sudden it took me on the wildest flight ever! Thanks to Audible I never run out of captivating listens!! I spend 7 hours a day in my car, audiobooks are a lifesaver for me.