BOOK REVIEW: Horns by Joe Hill – By Achira Samaratunga
Source : Dæhæna – Monthly e-Newsletter October 2022
Horns is a dark fantasy novel written by Joe Hill, the son of awardwinning author Stephen King. It is his second published work of fiction and explores the story of Ignatius Perrish, a young man who wakes up one morning with horns growing out of his head.
A year after his girlfriend Merrin dies in terrible circumstances, Ignatius develops horns and some terrifying powers to go with them. He uses his newfound abilities to try and find out what exactly happened on the night she died. It takes him on a crazy journey that forces him to reflect on his childhood, his beliefs, and his relationships with his family & friends. The story follows a non-linear timeline, meaning the narrative isn’t told in chronological order. It allows key details of the plot to be revealed at a perfect pace and with ideal timing – it’s obvious to see that the structure of the story has been well thought out. Even though the main characters are written to be flawed, imperfect people, they still have a degree of relatability to them. Their motivations and feelings to the events of the story is well explained by each character’s past, and values, which are either laid out or alluded to during the story. The novel encompasses several dark and sometimes morbid themes but overall, it delivers a message good vs evil – not in a
“superhero crime-fighter” sense but more regarding the internal battle that individual humans go through all the time. The story especially highlights how one’s upbringing and life experiences can influence your perception of this battle and what side you might ultimately embrace.
There are a few reasons why I consider this as one of my favourite books. Firstly, even though, overall, the story is a gothic piece of liter ature, it has sci-fi, romantic, and comedic elements included. I enjoyed how all these genres combined to deliver the story’s message in a subtle way, but not so subtle that you end the story wondering what the point of the book was. Secondly, I found the story itself to be enjoyable. It isn’t necessarily unique but the way the story was used to convey its themes elevated itself and made it more interesting. Lastly, Hill’s writing style is simple and fast-paced, so the plot never lingers in one spot and each page is important in driving the story – whether it’s recounting events from Ignatius’ childhood or describing the effect of his new powers. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of thriller and suspense and isn’t put off by dark themes. Ultimately, the basic plot is a love story so fans of romance may also enjoy this book. However, readers should be over the age of 18 as there are mature themes including violence and gore. I hope anyone who reads this book will include it as one of their favourites like I did.
Achira Samaratunga
Achira is a 24 year old pharmacist who has enjoyed reading books
since he was very young. Achira contributed to the very first issue of
this newsletter in September 2006 when he was a 9 year old.
