NOS4A2 by Joe Hill -- Restarting October 2nd 2025

[Jayme]

Highway 322 & The Road to Christmasland:
(view spoiler)[Okay, now Manx is creeping me out more. There's something eerie about the way he is nice in a sickly sweet way. It reminds me of someone who is abusive and starts out over-the-top nice. And Bing is very child-like.
Manx's plan almost sounds reasonable, but I know that there has to be some kind of catch.
How is it that I'm simultaneously enchanted by Christmasland and freaked out by it???
Also, that is really interesting that the German version is called "Christmasland". I think that fits very well as a title also, and prepares the reader for a Christmas themed horror novel. NOS4A2 makes sense, but it's a bit more of an obscure name. (hide spoiler)]
I'm going to try to not fall behind anymore starting tomorrow haha :D

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Highway 322 & The Road to Christmasland:"

(view spoiler)[Bing seems very naive. It also sounds like he was abused by his father as a child, which would make sense why he'd let Manx drug him and such. I think he's easy to manipulate and that's why Manx likes him :/
And I agree! Those statues and the cemetery were so creepy!! The statues reminded me of the weeping angels from Doctor Who :o (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

I've actually never watched Doctor Who!

(view spoiler)[I think you're right about Bing acting the way he does because he was abused. But I don't understand how he's not in jail or therapy after what he did to his parents...
I don't think Manx's plan is reasonable at all. I actually think those children are not really being abused by their parents. The conversation between the girl and her mother seemed perfectly normal for a parent who is impatient because their child won't get ready on time... I don't see signs of abuse here at all.
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "I've actually never watched Doctor Who!"
It's a pretty good show! I actually only started watching it because it's my friend's favorite show :) I haven't watched it in a while though because it got a little repetitive/boring in the ninth season, in my opinion.

(view spoiler)[I'm not sure why he isn't in jail or therapy either. Maybe because it's been a long time and he already did some time and/or therapy? The US justice system isn't exactly the greatest :/
Maybe reasonable was the wrong word, but I guess I just meant that I could see how someone easily fooled like Bing could fall for it. I think you're right about the children not actually being abused. Manx seems to have a lot of misogyny and I think he just enjoys taking kids from their parents and killing the mothers. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

The Pennsylvania Countryside & Haverhill, Massachusetts:
(view spoiler)[I love that Vic is an artist! :)
I can't believe that her mom said that her drawing was a "shitty junior high painting". That's such a hurtful thing to say. It was made with love and Vic was so proud of it :(
It's so interesting that other people can see the bridge too. And that Mr. Eugley knew it was Vic's bridge...
I just love Joe Hill's prose! "A bone-deep ache of foreboding rode all the way back with her." (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

The McQueen House & Here, Iowa:
(view spoiler)[That was so weird how the bats in Vic's bridge each had her face!
I'm not sure who this girl is, but I like her already! Her sense of fashion seems cool and she is a librarian! (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

The Pennsylvania Countryside & Haverhill, Massachusetts and The McQueen House & Here, Iowa:

I forgot to write an update after the first two, so I'l just combine it here:

(view spoiler)[
I feel really bad for Mr. Eugley. I kind of blame Vic for what happened although I know it's not really fair...
Also, I really don't like both of Vic's parents... They seem like horrible people...
I'm also very curious about that girl in Here and what they'll find out in the library!
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "The Pennsylvania Countryside & Haverhill, Massachusetts and The McQueen House & Here, Iowa:"

(view spoiler)[Poor Mr. Eugley :(
They really do! I can't believe some of the stuff her mom says to her! And her dad is no better. He always seems to try to make himself the "good guy" parent while being really cruel to his wife.
Me too! I'm interested in what she knows... (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

The Library & Haverhill, Massachusetts:
(view spoiler)[Ah, here it is. This is one of my favorite literary quotes of all time!
"She breathed deeply of the scent of decaying fiction, disintegrating history, and forgotten verse, and she observed for the first time that a room full of books smelled like dessert: a sweet snack made of figs, vanilla, glue, and cleverness."
The whole "strong creatives" idea and being able to cut a hole in reality is so interesting and different. I'm wondering if the reason why Vic's left eye keeps hurting is because the left eye is connected to the right side of the brain, which is associated with creativity.
So Maggie's stammer is from using her Scrabble tiles. And we now know that Manx bringing children to his inscape makes him look younger, but I wonder what it takes from him?
There's something disturbing about some of Vic's bats leaving the bridge and being out in the real world. It's like Vic's lost pieces of herself on that trip. I feel a sort of loss for the Raleigh bike and Vic's bridge adventures. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

The Library & Haverhill, Massachusetts:

(view spoiler)[Oh, so Manx is the same as Vic and the Librarian (shame on me, I already forgot her name, even though I loved her personality!) In being able to do some weird things.... I'm not surprised that they are of the same kind.
I feel very bad for Vic for losing her bike, but I'm sure she'll find it again some time in the future... I was already looking forward to her finding Manx and kicking his butt, but I feel we'll have to wait a little bit longer for that! (hide spoiler)]

Sorry, I'm in a weird reading slump, but I'll try to get my reading done regularly from now on. I might even try to read a little bit more each day, because reading only a few pages might be the cause of my slump...

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "The Library & Haverhill, Massachusetts:

(view spoiler)[Ah, I like when other people notice great quotes like this o e. I never notice great writing like that, other people need to point it out to me 😂
I feel like Manx skill doesn't take from him, but from his helpers like Bing... That would explain why he needs new ones regularly.... (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Various Locales & Haverhill & Various Locales & Haverhill:

(view spoiler)[I like grown up Vic! She seems like a really cool girl.
We also found out why Manx is called "Wraith" - because that's the car he's driving. I'm also surprised about the amount of abductions that have taken place. Didn't Manx say something about one every two years? There were a lot more abductions than that! (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Outside in the cold, at home, ... , pantry & laundry chute:

(view spoiler)[I understand that Vic ran away from home. Her mom treated her awfully and her dad was really not better. And the fact that they hid her bike from her makes me so upset!
I knew it was a really bad idea to try and help that little boy. Vic should have just gone back and called the police.... But on the other hand who would have believed her? I hope she gets away safely from that house, but I doubt it...
(hide spoiler)]

Sorry for skipping updates on so many chapters, but writing an update after a two-page-chapter just really interrupts my reading flow.... Feel free to write an update whenever you feel like it, don't feel pressured to use the same intervals I did :)

[GridGirl]

Outside & Gunbarrel, Colorado & Sam's Gas and Sundries:

(view spoiler)[
I'm glad that Vic made it onto the highway. I expected that Manx would wait somewhere out there... I actually wonder where Bing went. We haven't heard from him in a while...
What happened at the gas station was horrible.. I feel so bad for the soldier's family....
I hope that the police arrived in time and locked up Manx! But there are so many pages left in the book that I doubt it's actually over already...
Also, I think it's neat that we get a little outlook on the future from time to time. Vic will be pregnant in 3 years!
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "The Library & Haverhill, Massachusetts:"
(view spoiler)[Maggie! :) And I absolutely love her personality too!
Me too! She seemed so ready to fight Manx straight away, but I guess almost dying put a hold on her plans... I hope she gets the bike back too!
Haha :D I'm glad I could point it out then!
That actually makes a lot of sense about Bing and Manx's other helpers! I honestly can't remember, so I guess I'll just have to read and find out :) (hide spoiler)]

No problem. I even feel like I'm in a reading slump too! I'll try to read more regularly too, and hopefully catch up with you soon :)

[Jayme]

Various Locales & Haverhill & Various Locales & Haverhill:
(view spoiler)[Oh no :( I feel so much for Vic. You can just tell what an impact her parent's dysfunctional marriage had on her. She resents her mother so much, but still doesn't get how terrible of a husband and father her dad was too. Don't get me wrong though, her mother seems like a terrible person as well :/
That was interesting/sad reading about all of those missing children that Manx kidnapped. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Various Locales & Haverhill & Various Locales & Haverhill:"

(view spoiler)[I was also surprised when I found out why the Wraith was called that! I thought maybe it was just a cool nickname Manx had given the car haha :)
That's true! (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Out in the Cold-Basement:
(view spoiler)[My heart breaks for Vic and what she's going through. I'm so happy that she found her old bike though! I can't believe (well, maybe I actually can) that her parents hid away the bike from her. I just don't understand why they would buy her another bike if they thought her riding it was dangerous?
I'm nervous for Vic right now. It said she thought of finding trouble and that never leads to anything good :o (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Haverhill-Laundry Chute:
(view spoiler)[Wow, that was an intense few chapters.
Well, Vic did go looking for trouble and she certainly found it.
The kid that Manx had was so so creepy! The veiny face and hook teeth make my skin crawl.
I hope Vic is okay. She definitely sustained quite a few injuries, and her lungs have to be at least a little messed up. I'm also concerned about her bike. If the bridge collapsed in on itself with the bike in it, does that mean her bike and bridge are gone forever? :o (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Outside in the cold, at home, ... , pantry & laundry chute:"

(view spoiler)[I know right? That scene with the kid in the car was like one of those scenes you see in movies where you just want to yell at them to run away. Vic had a horrible feeling, but she persisted anyway to try and save the child. I guess that's gotta count for something? (hide spoiler)]

I completely understand :) And thank you!

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "GridGirl wrote: "Outside in the cold, at home, ... , pantry & laundry chute:"

[spoilers removed]

I completely understand :) And thank you!"

(view spoiler)[Yes, you're so right. It was exactly the way it would happen in a movie!
Vic is a good person, but her choice wasn't the smartest..-
(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Out-Sam's Gas and Sundries:
(view spoiler)[ I'm so sad about the soldier! I really didn't think he was going to die horribly like that in front of his wife and child :(
I really like Lou so far though. He seems really sweet.
I like that we get little glimpses into Vic's future, like that her future son is Bruce and that she has him when she's 20 (I think). (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Outside & Gunbarrel, Colorado & Sam's Gas and Sundries:"

(view spoiler)[That's true that we haven't heard from Bing in a while... I wonder if he has been busy getting rid of the little boy's mom.
I feel so bad for the soldier's family too :( I wasn't expecting that.
Also, I think it's funny that I mentioned some of the same things you did about the insight into Vic's future :) (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Gunbarrel, Colorado:
(view spoiler)[Aww! Vic is dating Lou and they have a kid together! A kid named Bruce Wayne! How cute :)
I wish Vic's parents had a better relationship with her though :( I think they really messed up her idea of a healthy relationship. Vic thinking she's going to leave him someday and that they deserve better makes me sad :(
Another favorite quote of mine from this book:
"She'd thought love had something to do with happiness, but it turned out they were not even vaguely related. Love was closer to a need, no different from the need to eat, to breathe."
So I think Manx was captured by the police in the last section and stayed in the hospital until he escaped in the prologue. That would make sense why the kids in Christmasland are saying they're starving, because Manx hasn't been able to feed them. (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Gunbarrel, Colorado:


(view spoiler)[I love Vic and Lou together, I think they have a great energy and I hate that Vic is somehow already planning to break up with him...
I just checked the prologue to be sure, but Manx didn't actually escape in the Prologue just yet. The section is about to come soon after the Gunbarrel chapter, though, I've already read it, so no spoiler here for me. Also, it was pretty obvious that he would escape given all these pages that are still left.. ;)
You are completely right about the kids saying they're starving! I just thought they were talking nonsense, but they probably actually need to be fed!
(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Lake Winnipesaukee:

(view spoiler)[
These last few chapters made me so uncomfortable, because it was just so obvious that Vic needed help with what she was experiencing, but I had no idea how someone could help her... I really wanted the librarian (Was it Maggie?) to come back and help her! Going into psychiatry was probably very good for Vic's mental health, but it's not solving the underlying issue!
Also, I'm sad that Vic and Lou are now split up :(

(hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

GridGirl wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Gunbarrel, Colorado:"

(view spoiler)[Oh no! I thought he had, but I was getting some stuff mixed up I guess. Sorry about that! :/
That's true haha :) I'll need to be more careful next time. (hide spoiler)]

[Jayme]

Sugarcreek, Pennsylvania-St. Luke's Medical Center, Denver:
(view spoiler)[Aww, I love that Vic created a children's book series! They actually sound really fun and I kinda want one :)
It's so sad to see Vic's mental health declining though :( I think Lou was right to leave for Wayne's sake and for Vic's. From Lou's perspective, Vic is losing her mind but we know that she's being haunted by the children of Christmasland. I feel so bad for everyone in this situation.
Bing is so creepy and gross. I felt so uncomfortable reading what he did to all those "mommies". He deserved having a bird shit in his mouth.
Also poor Nathan, who just wanted to fix up an old car :( (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Jayme wrote: "Sugarcreek, Pennsylvania-St. Luke's Medical Center, Denver:
"

(Might include a spoiler for a later chapter, but for you, Jayme, it should be fine)
(view spoiler)[You're so right about Bing and Nathan! I think it's actually the two of them who save Manx. I don't think he just woke up from the dead all by himself, but that he had help. Then it would have been Nathan and Bing who that security guy (also a very likable if you ask me....) heard. And I have a feeling that Manx is now wearing that guy's pants...? (hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

Route 3 (the first one of the two chapters):

(view spoiler)[I already anticipated that the motor cycle would do the same as Vic's bike used to do and I feel bad that Vic thinks she's imagining things.
I love how Vic told Lou everything about the bike and her powers, even though both of them thought it was just a fantasy. I still think Vic and Lou make a great couple and I would love if they'd end up together again eventually.
This book is really good at creeping me out, because I feel like Manx and Bing could be around the next corner any time and do something horrible....

(hide spoiler)]

[GridGirl]

The lake:

(view spoiler)[I don't think the police will be able to help here... Especially when they find out that Manx is supposed to be dead and Vic was in the nuthouse for some time.. And poor Lou won't be able to tell them soon that his son actually was abducted... I just hope he's fine and will recover soon from his heart attack... :(

(hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting October 2nd 2025. Happy Reading ☺

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[Courtney]

Hoping to start this soon. All my library books came in at the same time and they have holds on them so I had to get to them first.

[Gohnar23]

21%

(view spoiler)["Alvin and the Chipmunks singing their infernal Christmas song."

I don't know why but this one made me laugh so hard because i didn't expect this to be a part of a horrorish book? I mean this is like EXTREEMELY well written, my favorite characters so far is the gas mask man BINGGGGGG (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

27%

(view spoiler)[yeah i know both of them (+ Manx) are like pedophiles but like — they're well written, what can i say 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️, i love well written characters. (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

50%

(view spoiler)[ok wow this is extremely going to be so dark 😭😭, much misery is happening at the moment ✌️ poor Wayne, poor Vic, poor everyone 🙆‍♂️🙆‍♂️ (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

60something

(view spoiler)[My baby boi Bing is a trauma boi 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭, he's pretty easily manipulated by Manx & he has a codependent relationship with Manx, he'd do everything for Manx's approval even to like cut off his ears, shoot himself, all to please and have a second chance with Manx (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠) (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

75%

(view spoiler)[my baby boi bing is ded — f u vic (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

82%

(view spoiler)[oh no Wayne became just like Manx now 😭, he now insane (hide spoiler)]

[Gohnar23]

100%

(view spoiler)["Can we skip Christmas this year?"

I LOVEDDDDDDDDDD this book! Especially that ending scene with Wayne's family finally being together and being normal, it's such a great conclusion. The climax scene with Manx and his army of hypnotized children on christmas is so horrific and terrifying too! AHHHHH THIS BOOK IS JUST SO GOOD (hide spoiler)]

[Courtney]

Finally starting this!