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Heart-Shaped Box

by Joe Hill



      Jude is an aging heavy metal icon who has matured a bit since his hard rock days, living in a farmhouse with his Goth stripper girlfriend, Georgia, and his fanny-kissing publicist, Danny. However, he still maintains an eye for collecting odd, darkish relics. So when Danny discovers that someone has placed their stepfather's ghost on an internet auction it's too intriguing for Jude to pass up. Jude pays a large sum for the eBay poltergeist and what follows is a "more than he bargained for" tale of horror.

Soon strange things begin to happen around the house. It isn't long before Danny runs away and Jude begins having homicidal and suicidal urges that get more and more difficult to resist. After contacting the seller, Jude learns that he has crossed paths with this ghost before and finds himself confronted with scary skeletons in old closets. This may not have been a chance purchase after all. The haunting of Jude is revealed to be part of a curse rather than reckless meddling with the spirit world. Hoping to rid himself of the ghost, Jude and Georgia begin an investigation into his troubled past and soon they learn that the ghost has a few skeletons as well. The story culminates in a showdown as Jude does battle with the vengeful spirit as well as the selfish mistakes of a rock and roll youth.

What I like about this book is it's not a typical slash and gash horror story, complete with the double-digit body count that seems to permeate today's culture. No, this story has depth. This story is multi-talented. There's the fear factor, of course, and it's hard to beat a murderous ghost when it comes to scary. Read this book in a quiet, late night room and you may find yourself jumping at the slightest outside wind gust or nearby clock chime. There's also a touch of mystery as Jude seeks to learn the truth behind his haunting. Then there's the love story, and it's not the typical hokey, corny love story that most horror writers obligatorily add to their tales of terror. No, this is actually quite good. It expresses the depth of the author's talent and adds a nice touch to an already great book. This one was great from the first page and left no disappointment at the turn of the last.

The Book

William Morrow
February 13, 2007
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0061147931
ISBN-13: 978-0061147937
Horror
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

John Washburn
Reviewed 2007
NOTE: Reviewer John Washburn is the author of When Evil Prospers.
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