The spine-tingling, bone-chilling novel of supernatural suspense from the #1 New York Times bestselling 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 … 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.
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This is what some people call genre-bending. It is kind of a fantasy thriller adventure. I found the story engrossing, and grew fond of the characters. There is a TV series based (very) loosely on this novel. From the clips I’ve seen, it looks faithless to the story. Stick to the novel. A side note, the author is a son of writer Stephen King.
Love the TV series, and now the books.. got me hooked by the fangs and tied in Christmas lights. Give this book a try and escape reality!
The reader/performance of this story was awesome. I loved her use of inflections and gravely voices, and high squeaks for the characters. it was so well done, I will listen to more with her.
The story was very well written. such good elements and thought provoking ideas. it is true about living life in the two worlds and some more deeply than others. I do wish there had been significantly much less language.
Wow…seriously, WOW. You are sucked into an alternate universe that will scare you to the bone and have you turning pages until past dawn. Keep the lights on…this is too scary to read in the dark. Joe Hill is firmly establishing himself to be a force to be reckoned with far beyond his famous father.
A fast-paced, entertaining horror read. The pages turn fast and the characters are well written. Possible to read in one sitting – great for a plane journey or an afternoon on the beach.
Fantastic! I didn’t want it to end!
Unlikeable heroine, muddle writing, I couldn’t even finish it.
Wonderful book! Joe Hill definitely has his Dad’s talent!
I loved this novel. Though it’s not my favorite of Joe’s it is a close second.
I really enjoyed how Joe made mention of some well known things in this story that had been in some of his fathers books (Stephen King). It makes them somewhat related and to seem as if those other worlds and creatures actually existed. A little head nod to Dad and recognition of great characters and places confirmed and brought to life in a subtle way. This was a very interesting story and different than what I’ve read before.
Wow.
Loved this book. Joe Hill is a very talented writer and I am happy to see him following in his father’s footsteps and keeping us scared.
NOS4A2 was my first book by Joe Hill, and what a thrill ride it was. I started watching the AMC series that is based on the book (which is very good by the way) and was curious to get the story behind the TV version. I was glad I did. The unique idea of making Christmas – everyone’s favorite holiday – into a horror story was creepy, especially with Christmas music playing all year-round, a thought that made me want to grind my teeth. Still, it made an excellent backdrop for a nightmarish tale of a vampire-like monster that uses his car to suck the life out of children. The concept of Charlie Manx’s Wraith and Vic McQueen’s Shorter Way bridge being figments of their minds was a little hard to grasp at first, but after I got used to the time shifts, it was cool. Even though there were some disturbing scenes, I loved the way everything pulled together at the end (no spoilers). Very entertaining, but not for the squeamish.
Good book not as good as his Fathers stories but still good
While I imagine a few already know this it is important to note that Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son, which is actually what made me interested in his work. This book reflects the works of Stephen King so much that I almost thought he was the actual author. It is very clear that this book resides in the same universe as Stephen King’s works. It mentions things like the Pennywise Circus and True Knot (Doctor Sleep). It also reminded me of Christine and multiple people in the book have “a touch of the shinning” and if readers pay attention they may notice elements from Dreamcatcher and Finders Keepers as well.
As a child, Vic discovers a bike that gives her the ability to cross the Shorter Way Bridge to locate lost things, so long as they are in a fixed position. The bad thing about this is that using the ability has its cost and the price she must pay is the risk of losing part of her mind each time she goes across. One day after fighting with her mother she takes off across the bridge looking for trouble and finds just that in Charles Manx. Luckily she manages to escape but Charles Manx will forever hold a grudge against her and she will see him again after she is an adult and has convinced herself that the Shorter Way Bridge was just a fantasy from a delusional mind.
I highly recommend this book. The only reason why it did not get a 5 out of 5 was that while the story was original the world felt to firmly set in the Stephen King universe and I am not sure if that was intentional or if it was just a by-product of the household that Joe Hill grew up in.
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good book. watching the series too. cant wait for the second half of the series in June to see how it follows the book.
Loved it! Interesting angle on vampires. The car was interesting even having the name. Loved the bridge too! The dysfunctional parents needed a spanking.
I love Joe Hill’s writing and world building. Similar to his father, but with a voice all his own. This one is pretty original, and a little disturbing. I found myself really liking the main character. The series on television was ok, but doesn’t do the story justice. The antagonist is much scarier than the campy one seen in that version.
I bonded immediately with Vic McQueen and was entranced with the bridge to anywhere. All of the characters and landscapes are fully-explored and never dull. Christmasland is particularly haunting. I listened to this audiobook during my daily commute. I’d hate to read it alone in the dark. Enjoy!
Nightmare inducing!