Book Review: Horns

There's a certain segment of people that will find this book completely offensive.   Some might even say it borders on blasphemy.  Fortunately, I'm not in that segment and I loved every minute of it!

Horns, by Joe Hill is about a man who wakes up one day with a pair of horns growing out of his head.  Essentially, he slowly transforms into a demon.  Some might say a version of Satan.

It was a riot.  Well, a riot but also at the same time a pretty compelling take on love, loss, coming of age, betrayal...and sociopaths.  It was so easy to nestle in to the story line and the main character, Ig.

Joe Hill manages to create a character that readers empathize with  - regardless of all the questionable and sometimes downright malicious choices he makes.  Somehow, I never lost the feeling that he's not really such a bad guy.  Ig embodies those wrenching, sadly relatable human emotions that plague us all.

Along with the absurdity of the plot, Horns captures readers simply because you end up being insatiably curious about how it will all play out.  Between flashbacks to childhood experiences, to learning bit by bit the truth of the mystery which is the crux of the story, Horns was a chilling & entertaining pick.

Lately I've been choosing books to get me into the Halloween spirit.  My next read is The Book Thief, and I'm planning to delve into some classic horror novels I haven't read yet. 

Think Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and Dracula by Bram Stoker.  What better way to welcome fall and Halloween than with some time-honored monster novels?  And Horns was the perfect kick-off!

I forgot to mention, Joe Hill takes after his dad.  That would be Stephen King.  Yes, that Stephen King.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that family!  Both father and son have creepy, creative, and sinister mastered.
 
So, for those of you looking to try a captivating and slightly malevolent read to usher in all things Halloween, I recommend checking out Horns.  Blasphemy be damned for those puritanical types! 

Ta-ta for now.