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)

Definitely inherited his father’s style

Sometimes I thought SK wrote in too much detail where I almost zoned out. Joe has that same tendency. It certainly forces an exact image in your mind but if used in every scenario, it tends to drag on to the point your mind checks out and therefore you miss an important detail. Don’t get me wrong, I think SK is one of the greatest writers of our generation (boomers). I enjoyed this book enough to buy another one and I guess that’s the point.after all, right? We will see if this apple falls close to the tree.

Excellent

Kate Mulgrew does a fantast9c job of immersing the listener. I couldn't stop listening. Joe Hill drags you into his inscape where Christmas is macabre and children have sharp pointy teeth and I loved every second of it.

Narrator ruins the book

Great book too bad the narrator is beyond horrible. Her attempts to use different voices for the characters are cringe worthy. She ruins this terrific book.

great book

good listen. was hard to separate narrator from her part in star trek voyager though

Crazy Good - Heck of an Imagination

Wow, not sure what I just listened to but it was by far one of the most eerily disturbing storylines I have heard in a long, long time. I love Christmas and the visuals I had imagining what Christmas Town would look like just creeps me out! Parts actually made my teeth hurt!!!

Incredible

This book will have you hooked from minute One and you won't want to stop. Easily one of the best performances on this App.

Great story, great reader

This was my first Joe Hill book and wow, was it good! Admittedly, I have watched the series before and had some idea what to expect. However, the depth of the characters and the unexpected turns make me look forward to trying more of Joe’s books. Did I mention how great the reader is? She breathed life into the characters…especially Charlie Manx.

good book

I thought it was good, but I think Heart Shaped Box is Joe Hill's best book. this would for sure be 2nd. still a good story

Good permeance.

I did like the permeance of the of how these select people had gifts that could be used for good or evil. The off color language didn't really work, and the overall story could have been better. Good performance overall.

Great story!! Narrator sounded like a barn owl...

The story was very entertaining and for the most part, the narrator's voice was pleasant. When the characters in the story yelled or screamed out words or sentences, the narrator sounded more like a screech owl and it was very annoying.
The other problem I encountered was the b ame of the main town in th es story. I have lived in this town and it is Haverhill, Massachusetts, pronounced, "hay-ver-ill". The narrator continuously called it "haver-hill "....it is supposed to be a long "a" , not a short "a". This i would have expected to have been researched.
Overall, it was a good horror story. It wasnt an epic story by any means but if you enjoy Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or John Saul, you will appreciate this story.