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)

glad they made it into a series

the reading was amazing and they story was great. didn't really close with what the children actually become but other then that loved it.

Kate Mulgrew is amazing!

Joe Hill is most definitely a very talented writer in his own right. NOS4A2 was original and creative and the characters were so well developed. The end got a bit confusing for me, but I think its that I was listening to the book to ad from work and just maybe I missed some parts. Kate Mulgrew is so good at narration.

Great book

Great story, cant wait to hear more from him. It is very imaginative and engaging.

As a New Englander, I cringed every time she mispronounced towns etc

Haverhill is not pronounced Haver Hill! It's Hay ver ill. Frappes are not Frap Ay, simply Frap. Joe Hill is from New England! That said, fun story, creative and fun to listen to all the same.

Bone chilling story

I had read this book and decided to listen to it, the storytelling is so fantastic, I could not stop listening.

Meh, it was alright.

I've read better. First off the heroine is a little bit of a twit.
It was hard to stomach her stupidity or the fact that anyone would want to be associated with her.
The villain was about as scary as a toothache.
He was more like a character from an old black and white movie that my mom had enjoyed during her youth.
This is a great read for someone with very little imagination and who isn't into more complicated content.

A great next step for fans of Stephen King

Joe's voice is incredibly unique, with a incredible proficiency towards character and the subtle nuances of people. Fans of his father will enjoy the easter eggs that join their worlds together. Both literally and thematically.

Kate Mulgrew is a tour de force. The energy she brings to the entirety of this recording is so powerful and visceral but never over done. It's an incredible effort. This is a skilled thespian executing a finely tuned and evocative performance.

Whereas most skilled audiobooks are simply wonderfully executed readings, this is... something else. I actually had to break from the book now and then because between her performance and the nature of the text itself, I was unprepared for that level of intensity from an audiobook.

I especially enjoyed the final chapter after the credits where Joe spoke about his inspiration for the book and gives some audiobook recommendations. I wish they could manage to get more authors to do this.

A surprising read that's impossible to forget

I pride myself in making guesses on how stories will end, and I love being wrong as often as I was for this book. Joe Hill is yet again full of surprised in this book, about these strange characters shown in the book. I would make one suggestion, don't read this book around Christmas time it would be creepy. Just sayin.

Good Story

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

The story line itself was interesting and kept me entertained.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Kate Mulgrew?

I don't think so

Any additional comments?

The narrator was distracting to me and I stopped listening at one point because of her voices she chose to use for some of the characters.

Engrossing, creepy fun!!

Kate Mulgrew's narration of this intense horror novel is stellar. The characters are vivid and so easy to love or hate. Joe Hill is definitely his father's son, and I for one am happy for it!!