ONTD Book Club discussion

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.

I have a copy from the library. I am going to start reading it soon.

i read this last October and really enjoyed it - it felt a little long in places but mostly it worked well and i will admit i felt tense in many places - worried about what might happen. the concept was really cool.

I just finished this last night. The subject matter was pretty difficult for me to get through but the writing skill and general plot sucked me in. I do think it dragged a little in places was over all longer than it needed to be. I'd give it 3/5 stars.

(view spoiler)[I would've rated it higher but the ending didn't give me the emotional payoff I wanted. Hill made us read so much messed up stuff through Bing's perspective and I just really wanted him to suffer more than he did.

Also, I'm okay with Vic dying- I figured as soon as Lou had a ~moment~ with Tabitha that signaled Vic wouldn't make it. But I'm really annoyed that Vic's death happened "off screen". Hill repeatedly rewrote scenes from multiple perspectives, which generally didn't give out new info, but he couldn't be bothered to let the reader complete her journey with her.

There were some questionable things he had Vic think and I'm not sure if we're supposed to take it as just a part of her that maybe isn't great- or if he thought these were good/redeeming qualities. The only one I can remember right now is Vic thinking that men were one of life's greatest comfort to women (or something like that) and it was really eye-roll worthy. (hide spoiler)]

It took me listening to the introduction to the audiobook for me to get the pronoucation of the book. Clever!!! Nosferatu :D

I'm having a hard time getting through this book. It figures, I never was a huge Stephen King fan either...