Joe Hill has officially shed the label of “son of you know who” with HORNS a couple of years ago. Now, with the cryptically named NOS4A2, he has stepped into uncharted territory. The book may remind some readers of Clive Barker, others of Peter Straub, and yet some will recall early work of some guy named King.
The story begins with Victoria McQueen, Vic, or The Brat, depending on who she is dealing with, in Haverhill, Massachusetts (a town which has its own odd history and sometimes even odder residents). She is always finding lost things somehow. She can’t explain it and finds herself not afraid by the notion. She only knows that it is a skill that works for her, often helping people. The process sounds a bit urban fairytale-like: she riders her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike across a covered bridge which exists in a town park and somehow, somewhere, life shifts a bit and when she exits it, she is somewhere else. First, she winds up in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (yes, the state does have a beach, albeit the shortest in the country) where she locates her mother’s bracelet.
The “gift” comes with a price, however, as all good talents do. She returns with migraines, ones that become more severe with each journey. Yet she doesn’t stop traveling. She knows what she experiences is both fun and unusual, sometimes helpful to others in need.
Enter Mr. Charles Manx, owner of the car with the plate which gives the book its eponymous title. Read it slowly and you’ll figure out what it means. It’s no secret and not even close to a spoiler but possibly a nod to SALEM’S LOT. This odd, horrid old man drives around the country in a 1938 silver Rolls Royce Wraith collecting children for his special place named “Christmasland.” What is Christmasland? Read on and discover the depth of Manx’ depravity and uniqueness of his character. Hill sidestepped the trappings of a clichéd villain nicely here and builds a man who might be much more who has become who he has by way of his car. Another nod? Regardless, the man reads as one of the more intriguing bad guys in many years of horror novels.
On one of her journeys, Vic is taken prisoner by Manx and the story twists into the Barker/Straub-like contortions which examines much of the human condition and all of its frailties. Vic is no angel and definitely not made of stone, either. As the reader follows her from youth to adulthood, a natural compassion unfolds for her, and those close to her.
She learns what “Christmasland” truly is and knows that she must stop it, not because of any gallant motive, but out of perseveration for herself and hers son.
The secondary characters truly bring this book to life. Bing Partridge, Manx’s accomplice, is so deeply drawn that one might find him even more compelling than Manx himself. Maggie, another woman with a talent, this time with Scrabble tiles (an odd twist on Ouija boards) and Vic’s husband, deepen the humanity of the journey while keeping everything grounded.
So while the supernatural elements of NOS4A2 may reach into far-reaching territories of believability, Hill keeps the story tethered to earth with his strong relationships between the characters and the empathy they evoke. This, in turn, truly brings out a horror not found in many novels in the past several years.
Many will call this an “old school” horror novel. It may be but if it’s because it is well-written, frightening, and all about the characters reacting rather than jumping from plot point A to Z, go for it.
Easily recommended for the first great horror novel of 2013
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