Book Review: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Though I've been wanting to dive into his world for years now, this is my first foray into the writing of Joe Hill. Mr. Hill (a.k.a. Joseph Hillström King), comes from one heck of a family: his father, Stephen King, is *the* bestselling horror novelist in the world; and his mother, Tabitha King, is a talented novelist/poet in her own right. As daunting as it might seem coming from these familial bona fides, Hill has built a respectable career for himself over the last two decades - with the film adaptation of The Black Phone as his biggest mainstream success. So, how does NOS4A2 stack up against the other masters of modern horror? Surprisingly well, it turns out.

Despite the somewhat-misleading title, NOS4A2 veers away from traditional "vampire" stories and archetypes and crafts a new (but equally vicious) villain: Charles Talent Manx. In the world of NOS4A2, select characters have the ability to turn the "inscape" of their minds into physical manifestations, with superpowers ranging from teleportation via bicycle (later motorcycle) to premonitions via Scrabble tiles. Yup: Scrabble. It's cooler than it sounds.

The novel's nefarious nemesis, Charles Manx, uses his supernatural powers to create "Christmasland" - a dark Neverland full of abducted "lost boys" (and girls) who become monstrous in this eternal home of holiday horror. In Manx's decades-long reign of terror, only one child has escaped from Christmasland: Victoria "Vic" McQueen. When Manx reappears after years in a coma, he abducts a member of Vic's family, setting off a chain of events that force Vic to confront the terrors of her youth.

There are some aspects of the novel that Hill nails - most notably his character development and insight into PTSD. Vic's journey from traumatized child to badass heroine feels earned and earnest, with weakness and strength presented in equal measure. Where Hill doesn't excel is in his world-building: unfortunately, the author doesn't delve deeply enough into the mythology of why some characters can manipulate the "inscape" and utilize their supernatural abilities, while most others are oblivious to these superpowers. As such, NOS4A2 requires some sizable suspension of disbelief; however, that shouldn't prevent readers from diving into the novel.

Like his father, Stephen King, Hill's strength is in his ability to conjure new and exciting worlds full of wonder and horror. Stylistically, Hill's prose mimics that of his famous father; of course, it's hard for horror novelists to escape King's shadow, and I imagine that goes tenfold for Stephen King's own flesh and blood. This might also be intentional: Joe Hill includes plenty of Easter Eggs in NOS4A2, including references to It, Different Seasons, and Doctor Sleep (amongst others). For King fans, Joe Hill's writing feels like a natural extension of his father's work. Even if Christmasland isn't quite Castle Rock or Derry, Hill's creation still haunts its readers after the final page is turned... and that chill in the air might be more than just snowflakes descending from the heavens. Because of Joe Hill, Christmas carols will never feel the same again.

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