Nothing like a little horror to make the day pass quickly. And this is one of the best horror books I have read in a while.
Joe Hill's novel, Heart Shaped Box, concerns a middle aged rocker, Judas "Jude" Coyne, who has an interesting collection of the macabre: A noose used to hang a man, John Wayne Gacy artwork, a 300 year-old confessional from a witch, and more. A lot of this stuff was sent to him by his fans, other items he has personally collected. But when his assistant finds a ghost on a eBay-like site, he doesn't hesitate, he purchases it. Actually, what he is buying is a suit of clothes that are supposed to be haunted. A few weeks pass, and the UPS driver delivers a parcel that immediately start Judas' dogs howling. But he doesn't think anything of it. Inside the parcel is a heart shaped box with the suit of clothes.
Nothing is the same after that package is opened.
Jude's life takes a turn for the worse as he discovers more about the suit, the ghost, and his past (and the pasts of people around him). I don't think that I will spoil anything for you by telling you that this was no fluke purchase. Jude was setup. But will he, and those around him, live long enough to see this to the end? A vengeful ghost only wants one ending - Jude's death.
The creepiness factor is on high through the first part of the book. Then, it turns into a detective/road novel, as Jude works to figure out the why's and how's of everything that is happening to him and those that are around him. Don't think that Hill has let up in the second part of the novel, it moves quickly, and the twists and turns are well worth the climax. I didn't anticipate the ending, and it was excellent.
If you are looking for a little scare in your summer reading, I don't think that you can do better than Heart Shaped Box. I could hardly put it down; it was fast paced, well written, and very enjoyable. And creepy.
Technorati tag: book review Heart Shaped Box Joe Hill
Comment posted by Chris Toohey08/14/2007 10:14:12 AM
Homepage: http://www.dominoguru.com
"Joe Hill" has only gone by that name since 1997 - his full/real name is Joseph Hillstrom King - son of Tabitha and Stephen King. I've heard about this book and was very interested in picking it up (curious to see just how far the apple fell from the tree).
I'll pick it up now, based on your say that it's worth it!
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred08/14/2007 01:34:26 PM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
@Chris: I found out about his real parentage while reading the book. Several people made that comment about Hill. It didn't change my mind at all about the novel, it stands on its own quite well.
I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to your comments on it.
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