Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

1 review

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book really isn't what I thought it'd be. I didn't find it scary but I did find it reasonably stressful. It's essentially about a man who becomes haunted by a ghost and sets out to uncover the truth about the haunting and find a way to free himself of it. There's some really excellent character development and I do like the story unfolded in a way I didn't expect. The story had a medium pace. I think it would have been better if it was either a fast paced thriller or if it was more of a slow burn horror that built a sense of dread. The second half of the book is better than the first!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Incest

There are two graphic dog deaths in which injuries are fairly detailed. The antagonist in the book tries many times to make the protagonists kill themselves or eachother via hypnosis. It's also revealed later that he used hypnosis on his stepdaughter so she wouldn't remember him sexually assaulting her. Sexual assault of minors is another theme throughout the book although it's not described in detail.