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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
We have a winning author if you like terrifying stories. Really liked this book, and it freaked me out. I think just maybe Joe Hill, you might be giving your dad a run for his money. Well done.
Can't decide if I should give it 3 or 4 stars.
It was pretty entertaining, honestly. Sure, it read more like a thriller than horror to me? I mean, I found absolutely nothing scary about this book. But it was fun to follow their struggle. Well, it was fun after a few chapters. The beginning was kind of hard to swallow.
Jude, the main character, pissed the hell out of me. I was almost rooting for the ghost to get him.
Also, dogs suffering. That's a huge, MASSIVE NO for me.
So yes, entertaining but with a lot of buts. I'll leave it at 3 stars.
It was pretty entertaining, honestly. Sure, it read more like a thriller than horror to me? I mean, I found absolutely nothing scary about this book. But it was fun to follow their struggle. Well, it was fun after a few chapters. The beginning was kind of hard to swallow.
Jude, the main character, pissed the hell out of me. I was almost rooting for the ghost to get him.
Also, dogs suffering. That's a huge, MASSIVE NO for me.
So yes, entertaining but with a lot of buts. I'll leave it at 3 stars.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First book of the year, and it's so good! A bit gory, but I expect that from Stephen King's son. I loved, loved, loved this novel! So glad I got it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After Day 1 I came home to Scott raving about how delightfully creepy everything was, with this ghost just sitting in a chair looking out a window or with the narrator always quietly suggesting a hint of bad things to come. But then on Day 2, it seems we don't really care about the quietly spooky aspect of the story and now we're more interested in the loud, "I'ma GET YOU, Rock Star!" aspect instead.
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Judas Coyne is an aging rock singer with an usual hobby. He collects macabre items related to death. He even has a snuff film. So one day when his business manager tells him somebody is selling a ghost in an online auction he just can’t resist. Little does he know he is getting exactly what he paid for. Once the suit containing the ghost arrives in a heart shaped box the wild action begins as Coyne and his girlfriend, MaryBeth (who he calls Georgia), are in a fight for their lives. It turns out the ghost, Craddock, has a grudge against Judas Coyne and he’s come back to seek revenge.
Heart-Shaped Box is definitely a fast paced, action packed ghost story. Hill does an excellent job in characterization. He is really masterful at making the characters and their personalities come alive as we empathize with both Coyne and MaryBeth as the tale unravels and Coyne slowly begins to understand why Craddock has come back from the dead to seek his revenge. In fact, Hill does and excellent job in conveying the personality and character of the ghost as the reader learns more about Mr. Craddock and his past. As the story develops, with wild harrowing scenes, Coyne begins to learn how he might just be able to survive this haunting. For its fast pace and excellent character development Hill definitely should be commended.
But there is a dark side. Frankly as the novel moves along it starts to read, at times, like a B grade horror movie, which for this reader was a bit of a turnoff. The later scenes get more and more sappy where Craddock started reminding me of Freddy Krueger from the movie Nightmare on Elm Street and the story really started getting rather campy. As a result, I found the novel entertaining enough, but rather average on the whole.
Heart-Shaped Box is definitely a fast paced, action packed ghost story. Hill does an excellent job in characterization. He is really masterful at making the characters and their personalities come alive as we empathize with both Coyne and MaryBeth as the tale unravels and Coyne slowly begins to understand why Craddock has come back from the dead to seek his revenge. In fact, Hill does and excellent job in conveying the personality and character of the ghost as the reader learns more about Mr. Craddock and his past. As the story develops, with wild harrowing scenes, Coyne begins to learn how he might just be able to survive this haunting. For its fast pace and excellent character development Hill definitely should be commended.
But there is a dark side. Frankly as the novel moves along it starts to read, at times, like a B grade horror movie, which for this reader was a bit of a turnoff. The later scenes get more and more sappy where Craddock started reminding me of Freddy Krueger from the movie Nightmare on Elm Street and the story really started getting rather campy. As a result, I found the novel entertaining enough, but rather average on the whole.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced