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Title: Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel
ISBN: 0061147931
Author:
Joe Hill
Publicate Date: 2007-02-01
Publish: 2007-02-01
List Price: $24.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $4.85
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.75
Amazon Merchant Price: $16.47
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A trip on the nightroad that's not for the faint of heart
I got this book on a whim, since I'd read several glowing reviews of it, including one by Neil Gaiman that got me really curious, and I'm glad I listened to that whim.
The Dickensianly-named Judas Coyne, an aging death metal rock star, gets more than he bargained for when he buys a suit that once belonged to a recently deceased hypnotist and spiritualist, to add to his collection of macabre curios. The unwelcome and unwholesome attachment to it sends him and his Goth girlfriend Georgia on a road trip through the Deep South, on which he is forced to confront many ghosts from his path before they can shake off the intruder. Joe Hill delicately balances the gruesome moments with psychological depth and flashes of black humor. It's the kind of book you'll want to bring along to read during a long summer trip, but make sure it's a plenty-long one: You'll find it hard to set it aside before you reach your destination...
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2: Heart-shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box is worth the time. The book's idea of the box's contents extremely fun. The book takes a few steps from reality in spots, but the overall story is well placed. It's great to see Joe Hill's voice in horror writing. I'll read his stuff in the future based on this book.
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3: Page-turning ghost story
Heart Shaped Box tells the story of aging rocker, Judas Coyne, after he buys a ghost online. It seems that Coyne has a taste for the bizarre, so he bids on an auction that nets him a haunted suit. While he does it as on a lark, he soon learns that the ghost he receives is much more than he bargained for. Thanks to his impulsive purchase, Judas ends up locked in a struggle for his life against a force that seems to be unstoppable and implacable.
This book is a true page-turner and had me hooked within the first few pages. The ghost is creepy and the haunting scenes intense. At the same time, the real backbone of the novel comes from its exploration of family themes. Of course, this is a horror novel so don't expect to find any Norman Rockwell families... there are some dark and powerful experiences revealed as Judas searches for a way out of this haunting.
I'm a sucker for ghost stories but rarely find one scary enough to truly satisfy. Heart Shaped Box was a pleasant surprise in this regard, and doubly so since I had never read any of Joe Hill's other stories. Departing from the standard conventions, this book ratchets up the scare factor early and often. Indeed, if the book has a flaw it's that the first third is so intense that it's hard for the remainder of the story to live up to it. This is a strong first novel for Mr. Hill and I look forward to reading more of his work.
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4: A fun and entertaining page-turner of a ghost story!
For a debut author, Joe Hill received an inordinate amount of press coverage accompanying his new novel, "Heart-Shaped Box". No, it wasn't for the nod to the classic Nirvana song of the same name. The reason--Joe just happens to have some famous genetics working for him. In this case, his father is the legendary horror master Stephen King. This fact which was conveniently leaked to the media on the novel's release appeared well designed to sell tons of copies of the book whether it was good or not. So the question becomes, does the book stand on its own merits, or is this a case where celebrity is being marketed over merit?
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a rather simple, straightforward ghost story that accelerates into a supernatural road novel. Judas Coyne, an aging rock star, collects macabre oddities like a cookbook for cannibals and a snuff film among other things. One day on an internet auction site, he stumbles across someone trying to sell their stepfather's ghost. Unable to resist, Judas immediately buys the spirit. Soon after, a package arrives with the dead man's suit inside, supposedly haunted by the ghost.
Almost immediately, the ghost appears and begins tormenting Jude, aiming for his death and all those that are close to him. Soon the malicious ghost chases Jude and his girlfriend, Georgia, out of their house and out on the road, pushing them deeper into the heart of the mystery. What is the ghost's motivation for vengeance, and why is it focused on Jude?
Hill displays a understanding of pacing and building anticipation that are top-notch. I found myself pulled through the novel, always wanting to read one more page and not wishing to put it down. The ending, while satisfying, loses some steam as it goes slightly over the top compared with the more realistic vibe established earlier in the novel. The main characters of Jude and Georgia are well-conceived and executed, the dead man's ghost is a perfect foil, a seemingly unstoppable and horrific force of nature the couple can't escape. Hill masterfully builds tension during the calm moments in between the ghost's appearances, displaying an overall strong sense of storytelling.
Last Word:
"Heart-Shaped Box" is an immensely entertaining debut novel that grabs hold of the reader, scares the hell out them and then scares the hell out of them again. The novel immediately catapults Hill into the top echelon of horror writers currently working. Oozing promise like this, Joe Hill establishes a strong name for himself completely separate from his legendary genetics. A very fun, fast, hell of a read for those who like spooky stories.
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5: The son of a great writer
All I can say is the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If you love Stephen King you'll love his son, Joe Hill. Their writing styles are different, but different is good! Time to start collecting Joe Hill!
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