Un-freaking-believable.

That’s the first word that comes to mind as I sit down to write this review. It has been a long time since I’ve read a book in a single sitting. Joe Hill’s HORNS is simply incredible and just goes to prove that he has the talent to stand on his own rather than ride the shirt-tails of his father. In short: Joe Hill rocks!

HORNS, tells the story of a broken man who wakes one day to find devilish horns have sprung from his head. At first he’s shocked and believes he’s dying, but he soon discovers that these horns have a great power—albeit an unpleasant one. Throughout the story he reminds us of what it means to be human, to love, to err, to hate and to kill. He shows us the darker side of human nature as well as the lighter side of forgiveness and love. In the end Joe has us questioning ourselves, our motives, and rightly so, the choices we make and the reasons (or lack thereof) for making them.

Joe took me on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride—an awesome one at that. I felt what Ig felt, I hated as Ig hated, I wanted revenge as Ig did and in the end, had I acted on my initial impulses, I would have learned how very wrong I could’ve been for doing so. In HORNS, Joe reminds us how impulsive we are as a people, how open we are to suggestion and how we tend to react without all the facts. Several times I learned that if I had been Ig and had reacted immediately (as sometimes I do), I would have committed unspeakable acts for all the wrong reasons and hated myself as a result. Whether he intended to or not, Joe teaches a valuable lesson in not jumping to conclusions, patience, truth and forgiveness. How many times I have stood in line, silently cursing the slow person in front of me, only to discover after that this person had a handicap and a simple thing like reaching for a wallet or signing a check was a major accomplishment for them. I’ve done it and I’ve felt horrible afterwards. HORNS will have you thinking twice next time you start to get irritated with someone or something.

My verdict:

I absolutely loved HORNS and you will too. Look for it on February 16, 2010 and make sure to add this to your must reads for 2010. You won’t be disappointed; I promise.

Keep reading!

- Dan.