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crisscrossedshelves 's review for:
Heart-Shaped Box
by Joe Hill
I don’t know what I was expecting when I started this book, but my expectations were blown out of the water. Maybe I was planning on a nice ghost story with some mystery solving in the back pocket. What I got was psychological and body horror with a little slasher thrown in for flavor and plenty of different spices of paranormal dashed in as well. Such a well-rounded story that managed to have moments of sheer repulsion without ever deterring you to close the book.
Character development in Jude and Georgia is subtle and steadily increasing throughout. Granted, it’s never very deep, not changing them intrinsically, but it’s more of a step in the right direction of dealing with their past traumas in light of the current traumas they’re dealing with. Their relationship had all the groundwork, they just needed the reason to quit their bullshit and really apply themselves to it. To stop walking themselves off due to everything else that has happened.
In the last 50 or so pages, I was so unsettled and thoroughly disturbed that I wanted to close the book, but was afraid I would have nightmares or something, so I had to stay up until 2:30 am and finish it to have some closure.
You can definitely see where Joe Hill took cues and inspiration from his father, building on a very ample supply of groundwork. But he has his individual voice and tone that makes him distinct. He’s better at leaving space for you to fill, and the book was overall less dense. It made for a quick and intense read. This is my second Joe Hill novel, and I think it set me on a path to pick up even more of his work.
Character development in Jude and Georgia is subtle and steadily increasing throughout. Granted, it’s never very deep, not changing them intrinsically, but it’s more of a step in the right direction of dealing with their past traumas in light of the current traumas they’re dealing with. Their relationship had all the groundwork, they just needed the reason to quit their bullshit and really apply themselves to it. To stop walking themselves off due to everything else that has happened.
In the last 50 or so pages, I was so unsettled and thoroughly disturbed that I wanted to close the book, but was afraid I would have nightmares or something, so I had to stay up until 2:30 am and finish it to have some closure.
You can definitely see where Joe Hill took cues and inspiration from his father, building on a very ample supply of groundwork. But he has his individual voice and tone that makes him distinct. He’s better at leaving space for you to fill, and the book was overall less dense. It made for a quick and intense read. This is my second Joe Hill novel, and I think it set me on a path to pick up even more of his work.