I really didn't know if I would like this one or not, but when the audiobook was on sale for $7.99 for the CDs, I thought I'd give it a try. I liked Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box, I liked some of his short stories in 20th Century Ghosts, and a friend at work said that this one was really good, so yeah...I picked it up. Well I wasn't disappointed! Wasn't the best book I've ever read. Wasn't the most um...shall we say "P-C" book I've ever read...it had it's problems. But it was a damn entertaining book. And perfect for the upcoming RIP Challenge!
As the title suggests, Horns is about a guy named Ig, short for Iggy, short for Ignacius, who wakes up one morning with horns coming out of his head. This is after a night of getting drunk and urinating on the tree that his girlfriend was found in after she was brutally murdered. He quickly learns that the horns give him power over people. People tell him their deepest darkest secrets and when he touches them, he sees all of the worst things in their lives.
What I loved about this book is that it went so much deeper than Hill's first book, Heart Shaped Box, did. Hill could've told the story at that surface level, the plot summary I just gave you. But instead he took it a level further. He went into Iggy's relationship with his now dead girlfriend, how they came to meet, and his relationship with everyone else around their relationship and how it all eventually ties together.
There were problems, yes. Words like "fairy" and "bitch" that I just hate seeing used all the time when they're used just for the sake of being used. I will say that they were said as attributes of a certain character though, not as Hill's thoughts. He made that clear. And I guess it was an effective tool in making me dislike said character even more.
Overall, this was a great story with a plotline that was indeed horrific, perfect for the upcoming spooky reading season! I'm kind of excited to continue to follow Hill's career and see what he puts out next. Hope he keeps going forward and growing as he did with this book.
4 comments:
hmmm. well I got his ghost stories for the same reason you bought this one.. it was on sale cheap. But knowing how I am not good at short stories it remains on my shelf.
I have never listened to an audio book...maybe one day I will
I read Heart Shaped Box and thought it was fine -- not great, not bad, entertaining but not excellent. However, I saw things in it that made me think he'd get better. I will definitely read this one!
I have never tried Joe Hill before. Maybe one day...
Deslily, His short stories are pretty good! Though there were a couple I really didn't like. You should try audiobooks! The right ones can be REALLY good!
Daphne, I felt the same about Heart Shaped Box...thought it was so so..this one is definitely better!
Kelly, You should definitely give him a try!
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