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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars. Terrific book. Terrifying. Gore components are 5 stars for sure. I had rated it 5 stars the whole time I was reading it ...it gave me goosebumps and was a book I had to read with bright lights on; up until the last page. The ending sucks, which is really a shame because it could have ended anywhere else and it would have been a full 5 star rating.
For trivia fans, Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King, so gore runs in the family. He learned from his daddy very well.
For trivia fans, Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King, so gore runs in the family. He learned from his daddy very well.
This book was super creepy! I like when a book just jumps into the action. The concept of buying a ghost is outlandish, but the writer made this work. I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
It’s rare that I don’t finish a book, but this one is going into that very small pile. I made it about half way through and gave up. It just couldn’t hold my interest.
It took me a while, but I wound up deciding to give Heart-Shaped Box an all too rare five star rating (actually, I'm not sure if I'm that stingy with my stars. Eh, I'm not gonna bother checking). This book combines everything I love about Joe Hill's work: a simplicity of premise and an elegance of execution. Also, this 10th anniversary hardcover is gorgeous but not as gorgeous as the person who gave it to me
So, what is this book about? It's about a death metal rockstar named Judas Coyne who is becoming disillusioned with life and amassing a collection of freaky occult stuff. One of the things that ends up in his possession is a heart shaped box containing a suit haunted by the stepfather of one of his ex-girlfriends. It's up to him and his current girlfriend to go on the lam as they try to figure out how to make this ghost deader than dead
Much like with Horns, this book mostly plays out the scenario of a haunted metal star and his goth girlfriend. There is a story here, but unlike Horns, this one is pretty damn good. Like the best ghost stories, it's scary and tragic and pulse pounding to read. Judas comes off as a pretty messed up character in the beginning, but his layers peel off and he undergoes plenty of character development, as does his girlfriend Georgia
I tried to find something about the book that I didn't like, and I just couldn't. My previous favorite book by Joe Hill was The Fireman, and I have to give Heart-Shaped Box the nod because The Fireman did have some boring parts (and that slice of pie/pussy line)
This is basically an 80s horror movie in book form. It's got the scares and it doesn't waste time, racing to it's trippy conclusion. It's a great place to start with Joe Hill and I recommend it
[Okay, one thing that annoyed me with the audiobook: it's normal for audiobooks to have musical interludes as transitions but what was that techno nonsense? It doesn't suit the story or the atmosphere of the book and it just put me off, though it would be a dumb reason to take a star off. But seriously, the protagonist is a death metal person, any random guitar riff on YouTube would work better!]
So, what is this book about? It's about a death metal rockstar named Judas Coyne who is becoming disillusioned with life and amassing a collection of freaky occult stuff. One of the things that ends up in his possession is a heart shaped box containing a suit haunted by the stepfather of one of his ex-girlfriends. It's up to him and his current girlfriend to go on the lam as they try to figure out how to make this ghost deader than dead
Much like with Horns, this book mostly plays out the scenario of a haunted metal star and his goth girlfriend. There is a story here, but unlike Horns, this one is pretty damn good. Like the best ghost stories, it's scary and tragic and pulse pounding to read. Judas comes off as a pretty messed up character in the beginning, but his layers peel off and he undergoes plenty of character development, as does his girlfriend Georgia
I tried to find something about the book that I didn't like, and I just couldn't. My previous favorite book by Joe Hill was The Fireman, and I have to give Heart-Shaped Box the nod because The Fireman did have some boring parts (and that slice of pie/pussy line)
This is basically an 80s horror movie in book form. It's got the scares and it doesn't waste time, racing to it's trippy conclusion. It's a great place to start with Joe Hill and I recommend it
[Okay, one thing that annoyed me with the audiobook: it's normal for audiobooks to have musical interludes as transitions but what was that techno nonsense? It doesn't suit the story or the atmosphere of the book and it just put me off, though it would be a dumb reason to take a star off. But seriously, the protagonist is a death metal person, any random guitar riff on YouTube would work better!]
I really tried to get through this one but over a 4 month span I could only get through 100 pages.... this was a let down
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoy Joe's work, but this would probably be my least favorite. The plot is a little convoluted. I really liked the concept though - an aging rockstar bites off more than he can chew buying haunted paraphilia? YES. The end....ehhh, not great.
An amazing new take on the typical old ghost story. Imagine buying a ghost on the internet, as a fluke. Something fun to add the ol' occult collection in your house. Some fun little trinket to start off a good story with. It's not like you'd receive an actual ghost. Right? This is the conundrum that rock singer Jude Coyne finds himself. Middle aged and living with a hot young goth girl, his best days are behind him. He has his dogs, his personal assistant downstairs handling the odd reunion requests and fan mail, and a hot roadie warming his bed. Life is good. Until the little heart shaped box containing a ghost shows up in the mail. Suddenly it isn't so funny anymore. This ghost is out for blood. Jude's blood. Any anyone dumb enough to try and help him. Genuinely creepy, and engaging. This ghost story kept me hooked until the very end. Jo's father must be proud. He's one hell of a horror writer.
I'm having too many feelings to write a proper review right now. I can barely see beyond all the HEARTS IN MY EYES. Joe Hill is a perfect author. This is a perfect book. It's no NOS4A2 but it's damn good all the same.
