Alright, horror fans and thrill-seekers, buckle up because Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is ready to take you on a haunted road trip you won’t soon forget. Imagine a rock star with a history of questionable life choices ordering a ghost off the internet. Sounds like a bad idea, right? Well, it’s way worse than you think—and let’s just say you’re in for a ride that’ll have you triple-checking your eBay purchases.

Overall Rating: 4.0
Storyline: 4.2
Writing Style: 3.8
Spook Factor: 4.5

Synopsis
Our main guy, Judas Coyne, is a middle-aged, retired rock musician who collects macabre, weird stuff, the way most people collect regrets. One day, he stumbles upon an online auction where he buys a dead man’s suit, supposedly haunted by the man’s ghost. Almost immediately, the ghost—an old, vengeful man named Craddock—shows up and proves the suit is far from just some dusty collectible. Things go from bad to nightmare fuel in seconds, and what started as a messed-up curiosity quickly becomes a relentless chase for survival.

My Thoughts
Let’s talk about Judas (our main man) for a sec. At first, he’s your typical anti-hero: selfish, washed-up, more ego than empathy. But as he spirals deeper into this hellish ghost story, we see glimpses of a dude who’s maybe more complex than he appears. Hill manages to drag us through Judas’s inner darkness, not just the supernatural kind, but his human failings, regrets, and lost connections. And the ghost, Craddock? He’s creepy in that quiet, persistent way. Think less “jump scare” and more “I’m-just-gonna-stand-here-watching-you-sleep” kind of terror.

This book is quick and doesn’t waste any time getting to the point. As a first book, Joe Hill builds this eerie atmosphere around Judas’s home and life, where every creak or shadow seems alive, but then throws you out of the frying pan and into full-blown horror. It’s chilling but weirdly intimate, making you feel like you’re trapped alongside Judas in this deadly game with no easy way out. Not a bad start for a debut novel.

The Verdict
If you’re in the mood for a ghost story that’s dark, gritty, and totally unpredictable, Heart-Shaped Box is worth every minute. Joe Hill takes a classic ghost story and amps it up with intense psychological tension and enough horror to keep you checking over your shoulder. It’s creepy, it’s haunting, and it’ll leave you thinking twice about buying any “haunted” memorabilia online.

Until next time, keep your ghosts locked in the closet and your internet purchases sensible!