Horns by Joe Hill

Title:  Horns 
Author:  Joe Hill
Genre: Horror
Publisher:  Gollancz (an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group)
Publication Date: January 2010
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Book Length: 435

Favourite Quote:  'He lurched in surprise, and for the second time in twelve hours he p***ed on his feet.'

Synopsis 

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. . . .


My Thoughts

Joe Hill has done it again with Horns.  His style is out there, in your face, and I like it.  I'll admit though there were parts where I thought... oh.. I dunno about that, but it goes part in parcel with this terrible new gift that Ig now possesses.

Ignatius Perrish is quite a likable character, and I genuinely felt sorry for him being in his predicament.  I won't say anything more on the other characters as I don't want to ruin it for those who plan on reading.

Horns is complex and fast paced novel, that doesn't let you stop to catch your breath, instead shoving you deeper into Ig's world.  Be prepared to read with an open mind and not judge until you reach the end.

For a sneak peak of Horns you can find it here.  If you liked The Heart-shaped Box, you will enjoy reading this.