Review: Horns by Joe Hill

Ig Parrish wakes up one morning with a huge hangover…and horns growing out of the top of his head. The horns also give Ig special powers: once people are in his presense & see the horns they are unable to lie & suddenly reveal deep dark secrets long kept. 

It is with these “powers” that Ig learns to the true murderer of his young love, Merrin.  It’s been a year since her murder & the citizens of his town are certain he is the murderer.  Ig learns to embrace the power he weilds & uses it to seek revenge for Merrin’s death, and the destruction of his life afterward. 

Told in chapters alternating from past to present, Horns is a classic Joe Hill novel. His wit & dark humor are ever-apparent in Ig’s character. Ig’s “transformation” into a devil is done in such an outstanding way, allowing this book to be appreciated by not only fans of horror but of dark suspense as well. It’s hard not to feel sympathy for the devil, in this case. Merrin was his first and only true love, taken away from him in such a harsh and cruel manner.

While the true murderer is revealed early in the book, Hill builds upon the character, starting at adolescense, so the reader can witness his journey into madness.

Bottom line,Horns is not only a story of murder & revenge, but also of human turmoil and pain. The circumstances of Ig’s life are heart-wrenching, full of turmoil and tragedy.  While Hill may often appear as a dark writer at times, Horns really shows his soft, human side.

I’ve been a fan of Hill’s writing for some time, before I knew of his “lineage.” For those unaware, Hill is the son of my favorite horror author, Stephen King.  While there are similarities in writing style,  Hill really does stand apart from his father.  He takes a deeper, darker look at the human condition, human emotions.  Like Jennifer, the Literate Housewife so eloquently stated ” I kind of think of Joe Hill as another gift to us from his father.” Well stated!

Bottom line: if you haven’t checked out Joe Hill’s writing yet & perhaps are reluctant to because he is a horror author, I think Horns is the perfect first step. It’s a little bit of horror & supernatural, but really a story about one young man’s love for a young woman and his attempt to seek justice for her death.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to showcase my love of one of the best horror authors out there!  Be sure to check out the other stops on this tour:

Tuesday, March 8th: Raging Bibliomania
Wednesday, March 9th: I’m Booking It
Thursday, March 10th: Luxury Reading
Thursday, March 17th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Monday, March 21st: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Wednesday, March 23rd: Booksie’s Blog
Thursday, March 24th: The Ranting Dragon
Monday, March 28th: Debbie’s Book Bag
Tuesday, March 29th: My Life in Not So Many Words
Wednesday, March 30th: My Reading Room
Thursday, March 31st: MariReads

Also, I highly recommend you follow Joe on Twiter (@joe_hill).  You’ll get a real glimpse into his writing, his dark sense of humor, and his love of books and reading! Joe is a big supporter of one of my favorite twitter events, Friday Reads.

Since I already have a copy of HORNS in nearly every format available (hardback, paperback & ebook) I thought I’d pass on my extra paperback copy to one lucky follower. Since I am hosting this giveaway, it is open internationally. The winner will be contacted via email on Monday, April 4th. To enter, please fill out the form below.