Heart-Shaped Box

By Joe Hill

“Wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty….A Valentine from hell.”
 —Janet Maslin, New York Times

The publication of Joe Hill’s beautifully textured, deliciously scary debut novel Heart-Shaped Box was greeted with the sort of overwhelming critical acclaim that is rare for a work of skin-crawling supernatural terror. It was cited as a Best Book of the Year by Atlanta magazine, the Tampa Tribune, the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the Village Voice, to name but a few. Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling Neil Gaiman of The Sandman, The Graveyard Book, and Anansi Boys fame calls Joe Hill’s story of a jaded rock star haunted by a ghost he purchased on the internet, “relentless, gripping, powerful.” Open this Heart-Shaped Box from two-time Bram Stoker Award-winner Hill if you dare and see what all the well-deserved hoopla is about.

Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals...a used hangman's noose...a snuff film. But nothing he possesses is as unique or as dreadful as his latest purchase in this chilling gothic horror novel: a one-of-a-kind curiosity bought off the Internet that arrives at his door in a black heart-shaped box...a musty dead man's suit still inhabited by the spirit of its late owner. And now everywhere Judas Coyne goes, the old man is there—watching, waiting, dangling a razor blade on a chain from his bony hand.

BUY THE BOOK

Published Dec 22, 2009

400 pages

Average rating: 6.89

157 RATINGS

|

Join a book club that is reading Heart-Shaped Box!

The Midnight Chapter

The Midnight Chapter is a small, laidback book club. We dive into Mystery, Thriller, Horror. (18+)

Community Reviews

Happy_Nat
Happy_Nat (No Clue Mystery Book Club and more)
9/10 stars
My first Joe Hill’s novel and didn’t disappoint. If you have a great imagination, that book can be scary at times. I really enjoyed it, easy read and very interesting storyline. The author clearly inherited his father’s writing skills. The only negative I have is that story is lacking refined details and ending was a bit flat for me. Otherwise, it’s a must-read story 👍
The.readrose
The.readrose
2/10 stars
DNF
I was so hyped to read this book, I mean come on, Joe Hill is the son of legendary Stephen King AND it was blurbed by Neil Gaiman! I'm just not sure if I didn't enjoy this book because I can't relate to the emo rocker façade, or what. I might give this book other shot, but i the meantime I'm selling my copy back to Half-Priced Books. If I have the desire to pick it up then I'll check it out from the library. Until then, toodle-oo.
ColtsFanJQ
ColtsFanJQ
1/10 star
This book did not work for me on any level.
Lb0013
Lb0013
3/10 stars
Liked it more towards the middle/end than right from the beginning, but even still the plot felt short for me. There was a lot of material I felt that could have been cut out (snuff film included) to make it 50-100 pages shorter.
LiziB
LiziB
8/10 stars
Solid ghost story from Stephen King's son... some gore but mainly just nice and scary.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.