Heart-Shaped Box

“Wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty….A Valentine from hell.”
 â€”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 off the Internet: a one-of-a-kind curiosity 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.

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Published Dec 22, 2009

400 pages

Average rating: 7.11

111 RATINGS

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Books & Brews

Books & Brews is an evening adult book club from the Trussville Public Library where you can share your thoughts about this month's book while enjoying delicious food and drinks at Ferus Artisan Ales. It meets on the second Monday of every month at 7:15 PM in the event room at Ferus. 

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A bookclub for fans of all things spooky. We meet monthly and read anything from thrillers to true crime + more.
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The Dark Resonance Book Club

The Dark Resonance Book Club meets monthly to discuss horror, suspense, and paranormal novels from masters like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Thomas Harris, as well as newer voices in these genres. The Dark Resonance Book Club is led by award-winning horror and suspense author, Derik Cavignano. This is a newly-established club that is open to the public.

Community Reviews

Happy_Nat
Aug 19, 2024
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 👍
ColtsFanJQ
Aug 19, 2024
1/10 star
This book did not work for me on any level.
Lb0013
Aug 18, 2024
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.
KBenoit
May 17, 2024
6/10 stars
3.5 stars
ans
Feb 01, 2024
6/10 stars
3/5 It started strong in the horror department but I don't think it stayed as unsettling throughout. I enjoyed the writing just not my ideal horror book.

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