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Apr 21, 2013 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: _own-home-library, fiction, read-in-2013, _own-ebook

I suspect that Joe Hill is going to soon be joining that list of authors that I consider 'go-to' authors, the writers that time and time again exceed my expectations. Because I have to tell you that he is really fantastic ... his stories are unique and compelling, his writing is fantastic and his characters are so real that they practically walk off of the page.

I want to say upfront that the primary reason that I'm not giving this novel 5 stars is that I think it could have used some editing. T I suspect that Joe Hill is going to soon be joining that list of authors that I consider 'go-to' authors, the writers that time and time again exceed my expectations. Because I have to tell you that he is really fantastic ... his stories are unique and compelling, his writing is fantastic and his characters are so real that they practically walk off of the page.

I want to say upfront that the primary reason that I'm not giving this novel 5 stars is that I think it could have used some editing. There were some sections that I felt could have been condensed in order to make this novel even better! The only other flaw that I found in the novel is that I'd like to have gotten a bit more information about the history of a few of the characters/items and how they came to be how they came to be (specifically, Charlie and the car). With that said, however, this is a fantastic read and is truly unlike ANYTHING that I've ever read.

Joe Hill appears to see the world in a very unique aqnd interesting way, coming up with some ideas and concepts for this novel that I thought were frankly just outstanding. He could have gone predictable in a number of places in the novel but instead came up with some really interesting and even 'out of the box' things. The story itself is unique and not predictable in any way. The basic horror tropes are here but he takes them to new and unusual places. Great places. Places that made me squirm. Places that made me feel a little sick to my stomach yet unable to stop reading because I had to know more!

This is a book that I find difficult to explain in a way that really makes sense - it's almost like reading it is the only way to truly understand what's happening. Every description that I've read is fine but none really capture the essence of this novel for me. All I can say is READ IT. If you can handle horror and darkness, pick this one up. It's immensely readable and will keep you fascinated for six hundred pages.

It's a vampire book that is like no other vampire book out there because it's really not a vampire book ... it's something more than a vampire book, something better. Don't expect the usual vampire stuff you can read anywhere - expect Hill to take the vampire thing and re-make it into something unrecognizable and yet completely familiar. It's got the stuff you expect from horror - some gore, lots of action, great pacing, complex characters ... and yet, it's so much more than horror. It's even got some humor and some irony rolled into it.

Anyway, I highly recommend this novel, particularly to fans of horror, good writing and good storytelling. I suspect that Joe Hill is going to just get better and better over time! I can't wait to see what he brings to us next! ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Carol rated it really liked it

Holy heck. I still like Christmas but...
This was a perfect book to read over Christmas break, that I just happened to grab from the library before we closed. That was quite a ride. Do not get on the naughty list.

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Apr 08, 2013 Steven rated it it was amazing

A great read but why am I surprised after Heart Shaped Box and Horns. A really creepy story that imagines a world where certain people have gifts. Victoria can find objects using her bike and a bridge she can conjur. Another lady Maggie can observe far away events using scrabble piecs and the villian Manx can create a whole world with his car as a conduit. This gift takes something away from each of them in return. This is Joe Hill's The Stand moving along from his first two novels that were com ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Alison rated it really liked it

Brilliantly Creepy!

A character-driven thriller that will suck you in within the first few pages, and keep you sleeping with one eye open until you've finished. Supernatural elements enhance the chilling plotline, leaving readers flying through this hefty novel.

Dark and twisted in all the right ways, Joe Hill delivers another utterly original, engrossing, spine-tingling novel that is dripping with with his very own brand of horror. He gives his father, Stephen King, a run for his money - and that ...more

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Jul 06, 2013 Betsy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, on-audio, horror, 2015, own-audio

This is wonderfully creepy with a great storyline and characters. I highly recommend it on audio. Kate Mulgrew read the book and gave a magnificent performance. The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars was I felt it dragged a bit about 2/3 through. Even so, it is well worth sticking it out to the end.

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Jul 27, 2013 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. The last hundred fifty pages had my heart pounding and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what would happen to Vic, Wayne and the creepy Charlie Manx. I'm a fan of Stephen King and I'm now a fan of his son Joe Hill. Bravo Joe Hill! ...more

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