I read a lot of horror and thriller when I was younger, but I seemed to have forgone them in recent times for more light-hearted stuff. So when I first saw that Stephen King’s son was the author of our newest read, I was a little scared.
And I had a right to be so.
Joe Hill has a knack of lulling you into a false sense of security, making you think everything’s OK (despite the fact that the protagonist has newly developed horns growing from his head), and then bam! You’re suddenly sympathising with people exhibiting the darkest elements of human nature.
The interesting thing about this book was that as events unfolded, it became harder and harder to tell who the ‘bad guy’ was. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, so I’ll just say that not everything is as it seems, and it does make you question traditional religion in a way you might not have considered previously.
I felt like there was a bit of a Devil’s Advocate vibe throughout. Also Fallen – with its Rolling Stones’ references. Joe Hill’s descriptions were perfect at creating a grungy, small town feeling and a sense of bleakness to the environment. There was also just the right amount of confusion and dream-like quality to keep you from being pulled out of the story, even as things got as unbelievable as it’s possible to get.
I was really impressed with this book, and binge-read the last 40% in one morning.
Anyone who is a fan of Stephen King should really appreciate this book.