Heart-Shaped Box
by Joe Hill
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Book Reviews of Heart-Shaped Box
Book Review: Fun weekend read...... not great.
Summary: 3 Stars
"Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill is a suspensefull thriller/horror that will keep you on the edge of your seat (or wherever you read)throughout the novel.
Judas Coyle is an aging divorced rocker (think AC/DC) who has a knack for collecting weird, freaky stuff most normal people would cringe at (Snuff films and the like). While online he buys something marked as "my stepfathers ghost" from a shady seller in the south. When he gets this "ghost", the terror starts and unwinds creepy twists and plot turns that will leave you guessing and actually tug at the old heart strings on a couple of occassions, but there are some parts that will purely scare the hell out of you.
All this praise aside, this novel is a really fun weekend read and that's it. It's nothing you should jump up and buy but if you wanna have some fun with a cool read for a couple of days then pick it up and enjoy.
Book Review: The writer makes the book
Summary: 5 Stars
Probably, like you, I wasn't impressed with the description of this book. Aging rock star gets suit from dead guy he wronged. Yeah okay. Click on to the next book. However, after I read and loved his short-story collection "20th Century Ghosts" I figured I'd give this a try because, let's face it, outside of Noel Hynd's "Ghosts", King's early work, and the scattered novel here and there, there just aren't that many well-written compelling horror novels. Boy, was I glad I did! This book transcends its description the same way "Salem's Lot" transcends the description of "vampires take over town". It's a terrific novel, easily as good as his father's early work.
A shame that he's not as prolific as his dad. If you read his first two books, I'd bet you'll understand why I say that.
It's a great read. Joe Hill's a terrific writer. Give it a chance.
Book Review: I guess I'm not a fan
Summary: 2 Stars
The book is difficult to put down, it's engaging, but it's pretty shallow and doesn't leave a lot behind after you read it. The characters (of the living as well as the dead) are implausible and the plot devices feel forced and not very well researched*.
I read this right after The Kite Runner and a collection of stories by Jose Saramago. What struck me was the poverty of the narrative compared to the former and a literary aesthetic that's "teenager-at-the multiplex" compared to Saramago...
Hill's New York is *much* less horrific than Hosseini's Afganistan... Or I'm just not a big fan of this kind of horror novels.
*[SPOILER] The emergence of animal familiars is very "Deus ex Machina".
Book Review: Entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
I haven't read a horror story in many years, and only read this one because it was chosen by my book club. It was entertaining, the story kept my interest, and I was eager to keep reading. After about a third of the way through the book, I couldn't imagine that there was enough to write about to keep the story interesting for the remaining two-thirds. However, the author told a creative and engaging story, and one where you really get to know the characters, and care about them, in spite of their faults. For the most part, the story was an "edge of your seat thriller," but there were times when it was well beyond believable. However, in spite of the occasional truly outrageous moments, it was interesting and engaging.Book Review: A Dissapointment
Summary: 1 Stars
I was very excited to read Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill - between the advertising, summary and title it sounded downright cool.
I bought and finished the book, and personally I was quite dissapointed.
The characters were shallow - they didn't seem real, I felt no connection to them or liking for them.
The story was ridiculously farfetched (I know it was a ghost story, but still - it doesn't have that creppy edge that lets you imagine for just a moment that its real. It's too ridiculous to be scary, moving or even enjoyable.)
There were some scenes of ridiculous violence that came off as a lame attempts to seem dark and goth-y, sort of like a cheap shiny vinyl trench coat from Hot Topic.