Heart-Shaped Box

By Joe Hill

            For my second book written by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill, I decided on Heart-Shaped Box.  Like his father, it is clear that Joe Hill appreciates music, and there is an obvious connection to music throughout the book.  One obvious connection is the fact that the main character is fictional rocker Judas Coyne.

            Judas Coyne is a hardcore rock star like Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper or Rob Zombie.  Six feet tall, large and with a bushy black beard; Jude lives with his girlfriend “Georgia” and his two dogs: Bon and Angus.  Jude discovers an online auction where a woman is selling her stepfather’s suit, and his soul.  He decides this would be perfect for his collection of macabre tokens, and he immediately buys the suit.  When the suit arrives, however, he realizes that he has purchased more than he has bargained for.  Georgia pricks herself on a pin in the suit, and Jude soon begins seeing the ghost of the former owner inside his home.  His worries about seeing the ghost of Craddock (the old man), persuades Jude to call the seller.  Jude discovers that Craddock was the stepfather of his former girlfriend, Florida.  Her sister, the seller of the suit, laughs at his misfortune.  While Georgia’s hand becomes more infected, and Jude sees Craddock more and more often, the two also start behaving strangely.  After several malicious attacks on himself and Georgia, Jude realizes how much control Craddock has over him.  Georgia and Jude hit the road with their animal protectors, Bon and Angus, and try to escape the danger presented by Craddock.  Jude is forced to deal with his past, and discovers that Craddock’s motivation is based on revenge for his dead stepdaughter.  The story unfolds to detail Jude’s relationship with “Florida” and their relationship which ended in her suicide.  Jude is also forced to reconcile with details from his childhood, including the relationship with his father.  Craddock pursues them relentlessly and the reader is held at the edge of their seat wondering who is going to make it out alive.  The tension is profound, as we wonder if Craddock is right.  Will the “dead bring down the dead?”

            It’s hard not to compare Joe Hill to his father.  Being a huge fan, I think this is a good thing.  Hill’s suspenseful writing, and his descriptions of pain and or violence are palpable.  He pulls you into the story with relatable characters, and creates terrifying scenarios that makes you wonder how they are going to get out of it.  Aside from the supernatural elements, Hill also creates a compelling and believable story for the motivation of all characters involved.  The story progresses to reveal important details about Jude’s childhood and delves further into Florida’s psyche, which only strengthens the narrative.  I look forward to the opportunity to continue to read more by Joe Hill, and would recommend you do the same.  As a side note:  Joe Hill’s writing obviously continues to improve, as I enjoyed NOS4A2 much more than this book.  I am eager to see what he will write in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Haunted or Damned by Chuck Palahniuk, Xenocide by Orson Scott Card, Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, or Dr. Sleep by Stephen King.