It has been a while since I have posted anything, mostly because it's been a while since I've read a book that has made me want to review it. Since I finished The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, I've been having a hard time finding a book that could hook me just as easily. But alas! I have found Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill to be a gripping and intense ride (on the nightroad ;]).
This is a story about a retired famous rock star, Judas Coyne, who is obsessed with all things macabre. He is ultimately tricked into buying a ghost on the internet, and said ghost haunts Coyne and those who are close to him with a vengeance.
Normally this type of book is not my cup of tea. I prefer wizards and magic and mythical creatures and tend to shy away from modern ghost stories or thrillers. However, once glance at the back of this book and I knew I had to read it. Why, you might ask?
Because this dude is obviously related to Stephen King! I have been an avid Stephen King reader since I was 12 years old and I had to see what Mr. Hill was made of after I found out that he is indeed Stephen's Kings son. I compared his three novels back when they were sitting on Border's book shelves, and decided to read Horns first.
Horns tells the story of Ignatius Perrish, a man who wakes up on the morning after the anniversary of his girlfriend's death with a terrible headache and a lovely set of horns protruding from his head. Iggy soon realizes that a great power accompanies the appearance of these horns, and he uses said power to solve the mystery of his girlfriend's untimely death.
I loved this book because it contained the macabre humor of King's books, but was refreshingly original and terrifying all at the same time.
This is also the reason I loved Heart-Shaped Box so much. This book made me laugh. This book made me cry. This book made me hide under the covers and leave the light on all night. It has been a long time since a book has made me check behind the shower curtain when I go into the bathroom or make sure my closet doors are firmly shut. The ghost, Craddock, is one of the most deliciously terrifying antagonists I've read in a long time. I guess it's because ghosts don't have to follow any rules and I felt Jude's helplessness while trying to find a solution to his ghost problem. This story is also filled with innumerable twist and turns. This left me in a pickle because I wanted to read it every night before I went to bed, but I knew that I would just end up paranoid with my heart beating loud enough to wake my whole house up. Therefore, I had to confine my reading to the daylit hours only, but I still devoured this book within a few days.
So if you are a Stephen King fan, a fan of thrillers, ghost stories, the occult, or if you're just looking for something new and fast-paced, this is the book for you. If you enjoy it I strongly encourage you to pick up Horns as well. Hill also has a collection of short stories called 20th Century Ghosts that I can't wait to sink my brain into.
Also, just a little tidbit for any King fans out there: King revised the ending of his latest novel, 11/22/63, after discussing it with his son first. So you know he's good.
Until next time,
rachelyons
1 comment:
yay! a thriller book i might actually like :) i haven't read any since i finished under the dome.
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