Book Review: Heart-Shaped Box

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

[5 stars]

Heart-Shaped Box Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Joe Hill
Class/Genre: Fiction Mystery Fantasy Horror Thriller
William Morrow, 2007, 376 pps.

A heart-shaped box provokes thoughts of love and well being. Something usually given as a gift to someone you care about. At least that is what I thought until I read Joe Hill’s version. I will never again have the same feeling when I look at a heart-shaped box.

Judas Coyne is a semi-retired musician living on a farm with his dogs, his girl friend Georgia and his assistant. Georgia’s real name is Marybeth. The girl before Marybeth was Florida. Judas always just calls his girl’s by the name of whatever state they are from. Judas collects weird items and when he sees an ad for a ghost he can’t resist. He pays $1,000.00 for the ghost on the internet and when the ghost arrives he comes in a black heart- shaped box. You wonder how you can put a ghost inside a box. Read the book and find out.

Judas’ purchase of a ghost to add to his collection opened a door to evil such as Judas had never imagined. The ghost has a vendetta to settle with Judas and plans destroying everything good in Judas life.

The ghost gets a pretty deep hold on Judas but with the help of Georgia the two manage to hold him off but it isn’t easy and they will both have plenty of scars to show for their efforts. The fight takes them back to places not visited for years. The race is on to keep the ghost at bay and it is hard to guess which one will win out – Judas or the ghost.

Heart-Shaped box draws you into the story immediately. I didn’t want to quit reading until I reached the end. The characters seemed alive to me. Judas appeared to me to be a spoiled rich man willing to pay anything to acquire what he wanted but I ended up feeling that he was really a compassionate person with a big heart. I didn’t quit looking over my shoulder for a couple of days though.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM

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