Title: Heart-Shaped Box
Author: Joe Hill
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 13, 2007
Genres: Horror, Paranormal
Reviewed by: Ellen Fritz
Ellen’s rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has
a thing for the macabre -- his collection includes sketches from infamous
serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a trepanned skull from the 16th century, a used
hangman's noose, Aleister Crowley's childhood chessboard, etc. -- so when his
assistant tells him about a ghost for sale on an online auction site, he
immediately puts in a bid and purchases it.
The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.
The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.
REVIEW
Being a major fan of horror, I absolutely loved Heart-Shaped Box. As rock star, Judas
Coyne, is a long time collector of unusual memorabilia, it isn't very odd when
he purchases a ghost for his collection. Soon, however, said ghost turns out to
be much more than he bargained for and Judas, his current girlfriend, Marybeth
aka Georgia, along with everybody else they come in contact with, is in mortal
danger.
I get to read a fair amount of horror, yet, it has
been a while since I last read something that isn't just blood, guts and scary
phenomena. Although this book most certainly has its ample share of bloody,
gory violence, it is also a tale filled with realistic personalities with
excellently fitting back stories.
The extremely well fleshed out characters truly come
alive through the brilliantly written dialogue. All the characters, even that
of the main character, Judas Coyne, is thoroughly and realistically flawed.
The author successfully creates atmospheres of fear,
horror, despair and, yes, even hope, through his wonderfully detailed
descriptions of anything from nature and the weather to indoor scenery and
facial expressions.
Heart-Shaped Box isn't just the
telling of a horrifying adventure, it is also a tale of revenge, remorse, and
character development, as well as relationship growth.
Perhaps not suitable for readers under sixteen or for
extremely sensitive readers, Heart-Shaped
Box is an absolute must read for all who enjoy the best that horror has to
offer.
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Joe Hill is the author of three novels, Heart-Shaped
Box, Horns, and NOS4A2, as well as a prize-winning collection
of stories, 20th Century Ghosts.
He also wrote a pair of comics: Locke & Key and Wraith (which ties into the world of NOS4A2).
Some nice people gave him an Eisner Award for his work in funny books, which is
a great honor, even if “funny” probably doesn’t do a good job of describing the
kinds of things that happen in the comics. Come to think of it, his comics
aren’t very comic either.
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