My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The first Joe Hill book I read was Nos4r2. That book was just fantastic and worthy of 5 stars. I was then really, really excited to get my hands on Heart-Shaped Box based on reviews I've read and the recommendation of the bookshop owner I got it from.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, this book didn't quite add up to the hype. It wasn't really that scary, although there were parts of the book that made me gasp, which is what I wanted. The problem with horror books is that the 'horror' scene is sometimes built up over a few paragraphs, which takes away from the shock. There are no "jumpy bits", as my fiance likes to say. Scary scenes should be as sudden as possible to make the reader open their eyes wide and say "f@@k!" when they've read it. I've read action books that achieve that feat. Heart-Shaped Box doesn't have many of those moments, I'm afraid.
Having said all that, this is a great attempt at a first novel, and still worth the read for any horror fans. Joe Hill, Stephen King's son, as most people might know by now, has a good sense of how to write. Of course, he was most likely taught by the best in the master himself. The problem is, in this attempt, he has stuck a little too closely to the typical horror formula.
Not a bad rating - a good pass mark with 3 stars.
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