It's 1986 and Victoria McQueen is your average eight-year-old girl who likes to ride her beloved Raleigh Tuff Burner bike every day. But once she discovers the Shorter Way Bridge and crosses it, she can magically find things that have been misplaced and go anywhere in the country. Enter one Charles Talent Manx. He's a creepy older fella that has an affinity for children. Specifically, he likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith, complete with NOS4A2 on the tag.

These aren't innocent rides; he transports them to another land, a place all his own that he lovingly calls Christmasland. One day Vic runs into Manx and she becomes the only kid who's ever escaped Manx's clutches. But Charlie never forgot her, and now that she's grown with a child of her own, he's out for revenge.

It's amazing that NOS4A2 is only Joe Hill's third novel. His skills have refined quickly, and he brings to the table a complex and delicately spun tale that spans years and locations, and even time. Part fantasy, part horror, and lots of supernatural, Hill pleases the masses. His ability to bring a character to life on the page is outstanding with real, almost palpable, emotion. Even though I knew Manx was the bad guy I found myself, at times, liking him. He is a vampire, but not of the sparkly kind. His motivations and actions are horrifying, and his visage is chilling. And don't get me started on his kickass car. Cooler than a Cullens' any day. We see Victoria grow, both in terms of age and maturity. Her life is sometimes pitiful, sometimes joyous, but never bland. Christmasland is worthy of a character on its own. The setting, the atmosphere, the tension that centers around this horrible place doesn't leave you when you put down NOSA42.

Another wonderful treat is the beautiful artwork included by Gabriel Rodriguez, who teamed up with Hill on the successful Locke & Key comic series. Keep an eye open to find the little references to Hill's dad's (Mr. King) various works. Hill's imagination knows no boundaries.

NOS4A2 easily made my top ten list for the year. I eagerly await any new releases from Joe. Comics, short stories, novels...anything, please.

Book Summary

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.