'NOS4A2' by Joe Hill

NOS4A2, Joe Hill (4)

I am giving this book a ‘4’ with one caveat. I believe it is a very interesting story and is very well written. The caveat is that it is of the dark fantasy genre and one must be a fan to truly enjoy this book. The story centers around two main characters; both have the ability to travel between places in a magical way. One is a serial killer, who abducts children and takes them to Christmasland, a world where they can live their life somewhat dead and forever in the best place known to children (maybe?). The other is a young girl who can find things by just wishing and using her favorite bike to travel to where the lost things will be. She ends up being the only one to escape from his clutches, but suffers greatly from her affliction/capability. The pace of this story is rapid – it is a ~700 pages and I read it in 4 days! The action never stops. I particularly liked the ending. It was succinct, but Mr. Hill managed to add some fun in the ‘Acknowledgements’ and even a cookie in the ‘Notes on the Type’ that could possibly lead to a sequel. My biggest complaint is that it is very dark. I don’t typically read horror books and this one certainly borders on that characterization. I do believe Mr. Hill has lived up to his famous parents’ (Tabitha and Stephen King) story telling legacy.