NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description: NOS4A2 is a spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from master of horror Joe Hill, the New York Times bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns.

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

My thoughts: I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. Once I started, I felt like I was reading a Stephen King book. So I did a little research and realized I was reading a novel by his son which then made so much sense. It's nice that Mr. King has someone to share his weird little world that horrifies and fascinates us. Of course, that is the premise of this book; our two worlds. We have real life then we have our imagination. Some people have strong inscapes and can mix the two worlds like Vic and Mr. Manx.

Mr. Hill is not getting by riding his father's coattails. He is a creative storyteller and writer in his own right. The guy can write a fantastical and detailed horror story. There were also possible echos of his dad's work but nothing so blatant as to seem out of place.

If you like Stephen King, you'll love this book. My problems with the book were personal. There was more detail than I needed and the language is filthy. Not only is it full of cursing but uses gynecological and phallic terms often. I get that Vic is a tough chick. I loved Lou and Mr. Manx sounded and looked like Mr. Burns from The Simpson's inside my head. The language was distracting and detracting. It wasn't clever and witty, simply crass and unimaginative. For all that raw and refined talent, that kind of language was unnecessary and distracting.