Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is a dark horror with a twisted mystery. The basic plot is a aging rock star buys occult items for a story and to keep him relevant. He finds an ad for a ghost and buys it. The ghost is real and has an issue with the rock star that will only be satisfied at his death. The horror elements of the story work very well. The mystery of why Jude, the rock star, was chosen? It works incredibly well and there are layers to uncover until you get to the real story. The theme of objectification is really strong. Jude collects objects of the occult. He also treats the women in his life like objects. Jude never calls them by their names, only by their location for example Florida and Georgia. The story does a good job of showing Jude’s growth throughout this ordeal. The novel is brutal to its characters who end up beaten up and bloody. The pace of the story is decent, but there are times when it has some slow points. This is the first full-length novel for Joe Hill and I can say his pace has gotten better over time. The ending of the novel is very brutal with a lot of reveals. The ending is very exciting and shows the full power of the ghost. I did listen to half of this novel as an audiobook that is narrated by Stephen Lang from Avatar. Stephen Lang is a great film actor but his narration was one of the worst I have ever listened to. His character work is lazy. Heart-Shaped Box is a reread for me. It has been 15 years since I read it for the first time. My rating remains the same. I liked and appreciated some things more. However, I was very aware of the sometimes slow pace. Heart-Shaped Box was published on February 13, 2007.

Plot Summary: Jude is an aging rock star. Most members of his band are dead. But he’s keeping the dream alive. Jude lives with a woman he calls Georgia because she came from Georgia. His heavy metal band leaned into the satanic side. He began collecting occult items that sometimes made headlines. He owns a snuff film that ruined his marriage. His assistant gets sent an ad of someone selling a ghost. Jude thinks this could at the least get him some headlines. He pays the full amount to stop others from bidding on the ghost. A suit of the deceased is delivered in a heart-shaped box. Jude can instantly feel that something is off as the suit smells like death and a presence is felt. Then he starts to see the ghost. The ghost wants Jude dead and anybody who helps him. Jude tries to return the suit only to find the website is fake and he is only a bidder. That the ghost is revenge for a former flame, Florida, dying. Can Jude escape the ghost that wants him dead?

What I Liked: The character development of Jude was great. He starts off very unlikable and by the end, I liked the changed man. I liked that the novel plays with familiar concepts about ghosts. It shows them appearing in public places and during daylight hours. What happens to Jude’s assistant after he saw the ghost? The backstory of the ghost was horrible, but that made him a good villain. I liked the mystery within the story. The twists and turns change the way the reader feels about both Jude and the ghost. I liked that the characters do not come out of this ordeal unscathed.

What I Disliked: Jude is an asshole and it takes a while for him to start redeeming himself. In the end, I came around when he started not treating the women in his life like objects. The plot includes a moment that will frustrate readers. You will question a road trip and all the stops, as a ghost is killing everyone who helps.

Recommendation: Heart-Shaped Box is a good dark horror with a mystery. There are a couple of trigger warnings about harm to animals. Other warnings involve sex, but I can’t be more specific due to spoilers. I recommend Heart-Shaped Box if you can handle a dark horror. Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King. If you can handle most of his dark stories, you can handle Heart-Shaped Box.

Rating: I rated Heart-Shaped Box 3.9 out of 5 stars.