Mini Book Review: Horns

Joe Hill is, right now, writing better books than his dad. Although that's partially because his dad is 1) rewriting books he wrote 20 years ago, with minor variations and technological updates, and 2) churning out thinly veiled autobiography mixed with the weird. I strongly recommend Heart-Shaped Box and 20th Century Ghosts, and to that now add a rec for Horns. There was one thing that would have made me like this book more* was for the hot girl to have not had rationale for her action that we find out toward the end. It would have been a much more interesting book if Ig was avenging the death of the woman he loved even though [QUASI-SPOILER] she dumped him to screw other people. And of course he appears to be doing so, for much of the book. But Hill flinches at the end so we can have a less ambiguous conclusion.

I don't want to say much more, because of late I have been discovering the pleasure of reading books with little foreknowledge of their contents. But imagine Gregor Samsa crossed with Charles Bronson, plus the devil.

*Okay, one thing besides the now-recurring trope of "ne'er-do-well dude avenges murder of hot young girlfriend by hypercompetent sociopath" which, Joe, women read your books too, you know?