Heart-Shaped Box

Yesterday I finished reading “Heart-Shaped Box” by Joe Hill. It’s a fun terrifying ghost story that will take you on a ride. A fifty four year old rock star Judas Coyne spends his time collecting macabre objects which include but not limited to, a cookbook for cannibals, a used hangman’s noose, a snuff film and a witches confession before she was hanged. Though the next object that will come into Judas’s possession will be the worst one yet, Judas purchases a haunted object which is a suit that is haunted by the previous owner who wants Judas to join him on the other side…

Pros

The writing is very descriptive. I could see everything as if I were watching a scary movie. The ghost character was creepy and I loved seeing his backstory of when he was alive and that he was evil even back then. Judas starts out unlikeable at first but then changes his ways. His girlfriend Marybeth who he nicknamed Georgia is spunky and has a sense of humor. The last parts of the book, especially the climax were the most exciting parts of the book.

Cons

There wasn’t much I disliked. I felt the book could have been a little bit shorter because it dragged in places. The dragging though wasn’t so bad that I had to skip to the end so that is a huge plus. Anymore I don’t have too much patience if a book drags too much.

Overall

Overall I enjoyed the book a lot. Even if it dragged at times, I was still invested in the story and rooting for Judas and Marybeth to banish the evil spirit. Joe Hill proved he can make it on his own merit as an author instead of riding on the success of his famous father Stephen King. I actually like Joe’s books better than his fathers and I can’t wait to read more from him. I hope “Heart Shaped Box,” gets the movie or mini-series treatment soon. Hollywood did get the rights to “Heart-Shaped Box,” after it was published but it has been in development hell for quite a while. Hollywood this is your cue to do this book since you’ve been running out of ideas.