Horns

Horns Joe Hill 3/5	First Sentence "Ignatius Martin Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things."
Publisher's Description: At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real. Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . . Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . . .
Dear Reader, I've been devouring Joe Hill's work ever since I discovered him. He fills a void that I've been missing within the horror genre. Maybe I need to take a break from him for a year because he is so distinctly like his father (Stephen King) in many regards, the main one being that it's very easy to overdose on his work. I used to do the same thing with King when I was younger and over the years as I aged, I knew that King is much better in small doses. The problem is... both him and his father pump out books like a crazed teen screams for their idol. I can't keep up, and nor should I. So which to read? I guess that might be the reason people review books right? To help others determine where to go next with their reading endeavors. If someone were to ask me about Horns, I might suggest this book... but only if they've stayed clear of Hill AND King for awhile. Getting to business, the plot follows Ig (short for Ignatius) after he wakes up from a black out drunken stupor and finds horns growing from his temple. We shortly learn that he has experienced a very recent tragedy involving his girlfriends murder and to take things to the next level, Ig is secretly blamed by almost everyone in town... including his loved ones. The great thing about Hill is his imagination and he doesn't fall short with this book. Ig starts to gain powers that seem to originate from his horns, and he utilizes these to come to terms and learn the truth over his girlfriends death. The story is quite plot driven but also very lengthy (another one of the characteristics of a King/Hill book). A few parts of the book started straying away from the interesting and went a little too far into the bizarre, and I usually LOVE bizarre. I guess sometimes if the strange isn't done well, it doesn't give the story much strength. Overall, I would say this is a solid book with a very compelling and exciting plot. Hill produces many interesting aspects to the theme of doom and death that had me thinking. He missed the mark on a few parts that had me wandering, which in the end hurt the rating. I might have liked this more if I didn't overkill the genre recently, this needs to be said for those who enjoy horror and might enjoy this more than a three star book. The last thing I want to do is dissuade someone from Horns because of my three star rating, I would actually recommend this as a good place to start with Hill. Happy Reading, AmberBug

Locke & Key, Volume 2: Head Games

Locke & Key, Volume 2: Head Games Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez 5/5	First Sentence "When you said, "Let's go study down by the creek," I didn't think you really meant "Let's go study.""
Publisher's Description: New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with the next chapter in the ongoing tale, Head Games. Following a shocking death that dredges up memories of their father's murder, Kinsey and Tyler Locke are thrown into choppy emotional waters, and turn to their new friend, Zack Wells, for support, little suspecting Zack's dark secret. Meanwhile, six-year-old Bode Locke tries to puzzle out the secret of the head key, and Uncle Duncan is jarred into the past by a disturbingly familiar face. Open your mind - the head games are just getting started
Dear Reader, After reading the first volume of Locke & Key, I wanted more! I reviewed the first one, which you can find here. I found this volume to be a little less grotesque and a little more mind games (which is probably a little noticeable by the title of this one, Head Games). The story continues with the Locke Family after the tragedy that struck them. The first volume revolves around the tragedy and the family moving into Lovecraft, into the old house that has been owned by the Locke's for centuries. It also introduces us to the keys that do unusual things, this volume in particular has a key that does something quite disturbing. I don't want to give to much away for those of you that haven't picked up the first volume yet. So if you haven't read the first volume, beware the spoilers that you might read if you continue on. In Head Games, we start where Welcome to Lovecraft left off, Zack Wells making an appearance (claiming to be related to the gym teacher). However, we know the truth, Zack was released from the well by Bode in the last volume. We also know that using special keys he can change genders and a particular key in any door which will open to wherever he desires. The story actually revolves more around this new key that Bode finds, one that can be used to open your head (literally) and look inside. The key is inserted into the back of your neck and pops the top of your skull off . The wonderful art of the comic does an excellent job showing us this and Rodriguez (the artist) does an even better job of showing us what is inside a person's head. Brains and Goo? Nope, all our hopes, dreams, fears and more. I enjoyed this volume even more than the first one. I loved the idea of being able to pluck out memories or put information into your head. Joe Hill really touched upon all the questions that you could think of, what would happen if you did take something out? What happens if you shove in a book about cooking? Would you become a master chef? It really opened up the possibilities of the story. I found this even more horrific than some of the other keys, screwing with peoples memories is no joke. I couldn't even begin to fathom why someone would willingly WANT to mess with their head. This is something Kinsey does right away, with taking out her fear and the ability to cry. We don't see too much repercussion from this yet, but I believe this will be addressed in volume 3. Speaking of, I just downloaded it... thank you Joe Hill for getting me addicted, now enjoy my money. I just know this comic series will make a huge dent in my pocket, will it do the same for you? Happy Reading, AmberBug

Locke & Key, Volume 1

Locke & Key, Vol.1: Welcome to Lovecraft Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez 4/5	First Sentence "Mendocino Valley - Before"
Publisher's Description: Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill(Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder: Locke & Key. Written by Hill and featuring astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse Locke & Key creatorHill has received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story, and the Sydney J. Bounds Best Newcomer Award-2007, among his growing collection of critical accolades. This collection of Locke & Key, in development as a major motion picture by Dimension Films, features an introduction by Robert Crais, author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels.
Dear Reader, I'm not an avid comic book reader, only ocasionally and I'm usually late to the game if I decide to pick one up. This caught my attention because the creator is Joe Hill and I've become a fan after reading "NOS4A2", which I loved. The apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, Stephen King birthed his legacy and Joe Hill has taken the cup. The imagination he has is fantastic, the story is very compelling and I can't wait to read what happens next. The comic starts tragically and the story starts to unfold backward. Each comic will reveal a little bit more of the secrets and it's really very creepy. The comic isn't for the weak of heart, it definitely has some disturbing scenes and might make an unseasoned horror reader queasy. But, for those of us who can handle the grotesque, this will be quite entertaining. I haven't been this enamored with a comic in a long time. Stay tuned for my review on volume 2... Happy Reading, AmberBug