Heart Shaped Box Review

Review of “Heart Shaped Box”

By: Joe Hill, Narrated by: Stephen Lang

Judas Coyne was an aging rock star who loved to collect macabre items such as a used hangman’s noose or a cannibal’s cookbook. He found a heart shaped box on eBay containing a Deadman’s suit inside and it was haunted by the ghost of the owner of the suit. Buying this was a mistake, because the ghost was a real, and he blamed Judas for his stepdaughter committing suicide.  Judas was determined to get rid of the ghost before he and the few people in his life end up dead himself.

I’m glad I gave this book another chance, because my first attempt didn’t work out, but listening to it on audio book helped.  This story was dark with it discussing suicide, depression, abuse, and alcoholism. There’s also some kinky sex and a lot of swearing.  I’m not a prude but I have to admit it was a lot.  I’m well aware that the main character is rockstar and that comes with the territory.

Though, the antagonist was a ghost his hatred felt real and added to the terror because people who think like him do exist in the real world, minus the supernatural powers. The supernatural powers and what he was capable of as a ghost made things intense and surprising in a scary way.

Judas, despite his selfishness and his lack of awareness for other people’s feelings at times, was sympathetic.  He was learning from this experience and had realized he cared about the people in his life. There lives were in danger, and he knew it was his fault, proving he had a conscious.  Due to his profession, he had a hard life, and it made him cynical about the world and humanity. Though, you could make the argue that he chose to make his life hard, but that’s also me speculating.  He had self-sacrificing nature in present, and it had given me the impression he was punishing himself for his past mistakes.

I liked his current girlfriend and appreciated her loyalty to him even though he was an asshole She saw the good in him and everyone deserved forgiveness for their past mistakes.  She was also good for Jude.  She challenged him to be better and taught him to be selfless.

The plot was intense and I was often anxious to see if Jude and his girlfriend were going to escape the ghost.  I also wanted to know why the ghost was after him in the first place. We learned that the original owner of the box and the ghost had a connection to an Ex of Jude’s, whom he might of have hurt making her want to kill herself. Jude wasn’t there for her and dismissed her. You could almost justify the original owner’s anger at Jude and wanting to punish him, but you learn the truth and it changed my feelings on the situation.

It was great “read” but I warn you it was a dark story, so be prepared.  NOS4A2 was still my favorite, but I had a good time.