Horns (Book)

Horns by Joe Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sum it up in a sentence (or two): When Iggy wakes up with horns, he is sure something is wrong with him. Then people start telling him their worst secrets - and he questions all his beliefs.

First thoughts: There were parts of Horns that were difficult to stay focused on. I appreciated the flashbacks, but it took me a while to orient myself when they happened. Once I got to know the characters better, it helped, but they weren't easy to get to know. They didn't seem like real people and I didn't really like any of them. Some details bogged down the narration.

And yet: I was intrigued by the story and the concept. I wanted to know how it would play out, and what really happened the year before Ig got his horns. Even if I didn't really like him, I was invested in his story.

Hellish references: They're all over the place. Snakes, smoke/fire, darkness, heat, a pitchfork, bad smells, 666, the word play with horns...

About Lee: Spoilers - He gave me some pretty gross feelings. His manipulation of other people's thoughts and actions is disturbing.

Suggestions for Improvement: I wish we got Merrin's point of view during a flashback. I missed having her side of the story.

Favorite quotes:
"Her face was framed by two wings of lank black hair that curled under her long, pointed chin, so she looked like the female version of the wizard who was always giving Harry Potter such a hard time in the movies. Professor Snail or something. Ig had been waiting to read the books with the children he and Merrin planned to have together." p 148 (Funny because Daniel Radcliffe plays Ig in the movie version of Horns. And there were several similarities between Ig and Harry Potter: attraction to red heads, ability to speak to snakes, noticeable scar/body modification...)

"Maybe all the schemes of the devil were nothing compared to what men could think up." p 338

Final thoughts: SO WEIRD. Not bad. Strange. Not sure what to think of the actual ending. Was this book a dark comedy? It reads like a chilling thriller/drama. 3.5 stars.


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