It is not fair judging a child in their parents merits, nor can it be easy growing up in the shadow of one of the most prolific and popular horror writers today, but Hill's NOS4R2 really shows the anxiety of influence. The first part of the novel reads very much like a King setup, with detailed life stories and the terror children face in a strange world, complete with scatological humor. The second part gets better, the pace picks up and Hill's influences become more diverse and surprising. The final battle even reveals some unexpected Clive Barker.

All in all, however, the novel does not succeed in its own, nor as an imitation of King.