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Heart Shaped Box

I’ll admit that when I picked this book up I had no idea that Joe Hill was the son of someone famous, and to be honest it matters not one jot. It makes no difference whatsoever and I feel that some reviews have unfairly cast a shadow over this novel because of the size of Hill’s father’s shoes.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I’m aware that I tend to give books everything - if I like them I tend to really like them, but in this case this book really is great. Sure it has its flaws, but I don’t think I’ve read a perfect debut. But neither, and this is the important bit, have I picked up a debut novel before and stayed awake all night to read it all in one go.

This book has a little too much fat in places which slightly stifled the sense of urgency but despite this the book is still well paced and you get the feeling that nothing is included by accident. Towards the end of the book all sorts of seemingly random facts and anecdotes are pulled together to not only paint a picture of a tormented man, but to help explain his behaviour and his fears.

A novel that is cunningly disguised as a ghost story, the pages deftly share the cycle of abuse from the abused’s transformation to abuser and the fear of facing our own demons, until a climax that ticks all the boxes without seeming forced or rushed.

Filed by Kieran at July 25th, 2008 under Books