Review: The Fireman by Joe Hill

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pub. Date: January 3rd, 2017
Pages: 768

Genres: Science Fiction / Horror / Thriller / Dystopian

Synopsis

From the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Heart-Shaped Box comes a chilling novel about a worldwide pandemic of spontaneous combustion that threatens to reduce civilization to ashes and a band of improbable heroes who battle to save it, led by one powerful and enigmatic man known as the Fireman.


The fireman is coming. Stay cool.


No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies—before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.

Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live—at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too. . . if she can live long enough to deliver the child.

Convinced that his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads—armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted . . . and as a weapon to avenge the wronged.

In the desperate season to come, as the world burns out of control, Harper must learn the Fireman’s secrets before her life—and that of her unborn child—goes up in smoke.

What Did I Think About the Story?

At this point, if you follow my blog at all, you are probably aware that I've become somewhat of a fangirl of Joe Hill. Over the last year or so I've been trying to read my way through his novels, short stories, and his comic book series (seriously, I'll say it again, listen to the audiobook of Locke and Key for the best audiobook I've still ever listened to), and if I haven't yet experienced them all I've at least purchased copies to read when I can. With all this being said I've now got pretty high hopes for any of his work I pick up, which can sometimes be a good thing and can sometimes lead to disappointment. Well, I'm happy to say that, with The Fireman, he exceeded everything I was expecting and gave me my favorite of his novels yet.

The synopsis above gives a pretty good overview of what the novel is about. What it doesn't describe is how well thought out and drawn this apocalyptic world Harper finds herself in is, with people reacting and acting just as you'd probably imagine. The world becomes a burning nightmare, full of scared people made vicious and often heartless by this fear, or simply by the fact that they are now able to let their inner monsters out without fear of reprisals. Balanced against this are a few people who stay true to at least part of their goodness, trying to survive without succumbing to the evilness around them. It's all just a completely immersive experience that is simply terrifying for how real it feels and how easily you could see something like this happening (at least the people's reactions).

All of the characters, whether you like them or not, are phenomenal as well. Harper, in particular, was a favorite. She's somehow gritty and mild-mannered at the same time...think of a Disney character as written by a horror novelist. She loves to sing and keep positive and find the light at the end of each tunnel, even when it's obscured by fire and smoke. She is determined to find a safe place for her baby at any cost, all while also retaining her humanity as much as possible. Even the spore itself becomes its own character, controlling it's hosts and making many of them display a mob-like behavior as a sort of mechanism for survival. We get to learn so much about this spore, along with all of the characters, that I couldn't help but be completely invested in how this madness could possibly end (which I found pretty realistic and somewhat sad).

The Fireman is a hefty tome of realistic terror and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. At it's core it is an epic journey of one woman's search for a safe place for her child and the remarkable people (good and bad) that she encounters along the way. It's full of hope, humor, horror, and sadness. It's a look at humanity, as well as the loss of it, and the idea that, no matter how hard life gets, it can continue with a lot of determination and a little bit of singing. Highly recommend!

What Did I Think About the Cover?

It's absolutely perfect for this story. Clearly the fire shown is prevalent and important to the overall story (I especially love the charred outlines) and I love how it is incorporated throughout the cover, including in the title and the author's name.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of The Fireman for my own library. All opinions are mine alone. To find more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, see Goodreads HERE.

 

 

Reviews of Other Books by Joe Hill

 

 

Heart-Shaped Box

Strange Weather

Locke & Key

Horns

 



Audiobook Review: Horns by Joe Hill

Publisher: HarperAudio
Pub. Date: February 16th, 2010
Length: 13 hours, 55 minutes

Genre: Fiction / Horror / Mystery / Thriller / Supernatural

Synopsis

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a pair of horns growing from his temples.

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 had been 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. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. Nothing Ig can do or 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—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. It's time for a little revenge . . . it's time the devil had his due . . .

What Did I Think About the Story?

Man, I have become somewhat obsessed with Joe Hill since I read his novel, Heart-Shaped Box, a few months ago. I had previously listened to the audiobook version of his graphic novel series, Locke and Key, which was exceptional, but it wasn't until I read his full-length novel that I knew I wanted to read, listen, absorb...whatever you want to call it!...all of his stories. I can't seem to get enough! I've purchased all of his books, including his newest collection of short novels, Strange Weather, which I read as soon as it came out (review to come soon!). I decided to check out the audiobook version of Horns from my library, just to see how it might compare to the audiobook version of Locke and Key and to change up the way I'm experiencing Hill's novels, and I'm so glad I did because the narrator took this already intriguing and unique story and made it even better!

I am continually amazed at how interesting and unusual Joe Hill's novels are, and just how much heart is infused into the horrifying elements of his stories. There are so many layers to what unfolds as the stories progress. In the case of Horns, it starts off with this intriguing concept of our main character, Ig Perrish, waking up with small horns growing out of his head. Right away he learns that when he comes into contact with people they don't seem concerned by his appearance and, stranger than that, they can't seem to keep themselves from telling him their deepest, darkest secrets, the kind of depraved things that people don't like to admit to themselves, let alone say out loud to someone else. If he touches someone Ig can actually see the person's memories, usually something pretty bad that they've done or hidden from others. On top of all this, he can manipulate people, get them to do stuff they would never willingly do normally. It's all quite twisted and Ig, grief-stricken and angry as he is, gets more upset as he finds out what really happened to Merrin, who was involved, and how much has remained hidden while everyone assumed he was the killer. And as his knowledge and anger grows so do the horns and Ig's revenge....

Layered beneath this main situation is a tender first-love story, one that had a tragic ending but is quite beautiful when you discover all the pieces. Ig really is an exceptional character, kind and giving to a fault before Merrin's death and, funny enough, easy to manipulate by those that he cares about (which the worst characters, we discover, use to their advantage). There's also the fact that Ig's father and brother are both famous musicians (who play the HORN!) but Ig has never been able to play successfully because of his asthma. However, he does have a huge love of music and that musicality weaves throughout the story.

The narrator of Horns was phenomenal! He kept the tension thick - even screaming when a character was described as doing so! - and did an exceptional job of appropriately balancing the depravity and beauty interlaced within the overall story. He altered the voices between characters as I always appreciate and kept me wanting to listen to more even when I knew I had to stop. I can't think of anything else I would want in an audiobook narrator.

While I didn't love this audiobook as much as Hill's Locke and Key series (that would be really hard to do as it was the best audiobook I have ever listened to), Horns came in not far behind. It is an exceptional story with so many elements - the supernatural, horror, mystery, thriller, romance - and I can't really think of anything I would have wanted changed. It's just a really interesting and unusual story! 

What Did I Think About the Cover?

The cover doesn't really do anything for me. It's okay and obviously fits the story well, but it doesn't really draw the eye.


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

I borrowed a copy of Horns from my library's Overdrive account. All opinions are mine alone. To find more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, see Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Review: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Pub. Date: October 24th, 2017
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 448

Genres: Fiction / Mystery / Thriller / Suspense / Paranormal / Horror / Short Stories

Synopsis

A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Joe Hill


“Snapshot” is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap.

A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in “Aloft.”

On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. “Rain” explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world.

In “Loaded,” a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning. 


Masterfully exploring classic literary themes through the prism of the supernatural, Strange Weather is a stellar collection from an artist who is "quite simply the best horror writer of our generation" (Michael Koryta).

What Did I Think About the Story?

I'm not afraid to admit that I've become something of a super fan of Joe Hill's stories. The audiobook version of his graphic novel series, Locke & Key, is still the best audiobook I've listened to to date and this year alone I've either read or listened to three more, including this newest short novel collection, Strange Weather (don't worry, I've purchased all of the rest, save 20th Century Ghosts, so I'm sure I'll be all caught up by the end of next year). My review of the audiobook version of Horns will post next week in fact.  With each new read/listen my love of the way he can spin a story and awe at his uncanny ability to make something quite horrific feel very down-to-earth and relatable through his complex characterizations grows exponentially. He draws me into these fantastical worlds each and every time and not only entertains me but makes me think about the deeper underlying messages as well. These abilities are all too evident in Strange Weather, four unique and intriguing stories bunched loosely together by the unpredictability and power of weather.

All four of these stories, described accurately as short novels as they really are well developed for such short lengths, had something to keep my attention drawn to the page. Joe Hill leaves no room for fluff and each line is clearly well thought out and developed so you jump into the story and stay along for the ride, nearly breathless, until it's over. They each have satisfying conclusions as well, so I never felt like I was only getting part of a story but was witnessing the progression, from beginning to end, of the odd and horrifying situations each of the characters were going through. I can't really ask for anything else in a story collection and was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed each story as I've never been a huge fan of collections before and typically enjoy one or two stories out of a bunch.

Even having enjoyed all of the stories, my favorite (because there always has to be a favorite, right?) and the one that really got me thinking the most was Loaded. This might be because I've always lived in Florida and so have seen first hand the often backwards way people look at guns and the gun laws here. It could also be because this story in particular seemed relevant and realistic to the often twisting and scary world we currently live in. I won't say too much in case I give anything away, but I will say that it deals with gun ownership and violence, mental illness and the effect military service might have on the psyche of a person returned from active duty, and the immense influence and reach of the media. Like I'm sure you would expect, things get quite out of hand and it really makes you question who should have access to guns and whether guns are needed to protect you from the exact people who maybe shouldn't have guns but do. The last line actually gave me chills!

My next favorite story was Rain, which, while not actually grounded in our current reality (it hasn't started raining crystal nails yet that I know of) there is enough of the realistic to make it seem like something that could happen, which is terrifying. What I enjoyed most about this story was the evolution of the mystery surrounding what - and who - caused the crystalized rain as well as seeing how our current modern world could devolve if this sort of chaos happened. The very worst and the very best would come out of people and it was really interesting seeing just what side of the coin the various characters ended up falling on.

The other two stories - Snapshot and Aloft - were wonderful as well, leaning much more to the fantastical side of things than the realistic. Snapshot is a sort of ode to the 80s, which I loved, showing an overweight, shy adolescent stand up to his fears and grow up a little as he tries to stop a very unusual and sinister man. Aloft was a really interesting way of looking at overcoming fear and learning to move on, both from situations that might not be emotionally good for you and from situations that might actually kill you. I really enjoyed disappearing into these strange worlds and seeing the moralistic sorts of messages within the fantastical.

Strange Weather was my first foray into Joe Hill's short story collections and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.    As I said above I've never been a huge fan of short stories before as they often feel like only part of the story, however this has changed my thinking somewhat and I'm now kind of excited to see what other collections I might find. It seems that Hill's writing translates well whether it's a story under 100 pages, one over 400, or an audiobook to listen to on your commute. He seems to be able to do it all!     

What Did I Think About the Cover?

I actually picked this cover for a Cover Crush post not long ago and like it as much now as I did when I first saw it. I especially love all of the images embedded within the silhouette of the falling man. This is such a captivating cover for me and really highlights the many strange and unexpected elements of the stories you'll find within.


My Rating: 4.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of Strange Weather for my own library. All opinions are mine alone. For more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase your own copy, see Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Review: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pub. Date: December 22nd, 2009
Pages: 384

Genre: Fiction / Thriller / Paranormal Suspense / Horror

Synopsis

Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has a thing for the macabre -- his collection includes sketches from infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a trepanned skull from the 16th century, a used hangman's noose, Aleister Crowley's childhood chessboard, etc. -- so when his assistant tells him about a ghost for sale on an online auction site, he immediately puts in a bid and purchases it.

The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.


“Wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty….A Valentine from hell.”—Janet Maslin, New York Times

What Did I Think About the Story?

After listening to the audiobook version of Joe Hill's graphic novel Locke and Key - which I still consider the best audiobook I've ever listened to (see my review) - I went out and bought all of his novels. At that point they all sat on either my Kindle or my physical shelves waiting to be read, like so many others. Every time I mentioned wanting to read a scary story my boss raved about Heart-Shaped Box. She brought it up every...single...time! Finally, I decided it was time to give it a shot. I was in the mood for something scary and this fit the bill after all. I am now kicking myself for waiting so long! Not only is this story terrifying, especially in the beginning, but it ended up being so much deeper than I expected.

From the very beginning there is a "bump in the night" kind of creepiness that sets in, making this reader feel incredibly unsettled (which is great when reading a scary story!). As the synopsis states, Judas Coyne receives a ghost attached to an old man's suit that he purchased online, a ghost that it turns out has a personal vendetta against Judas. And boy oh boy does he start terrorizing Judas and his girlfriend, Georgia (real name Marybeth), from the moment that box arrives. As Craddock, the ghost, starts popping up around Judas's house he doesn't just stand around spooking people, no. He starts taking over their minds (turns out Craddock was a sadistic hypnotist when he was alive), herky-jerky moving around the house, whispering in ears and trying to get Judas and the people around him to either kill themselves or kill Judas. This in particular I found terrifying because how do you stop a ghost, who has this particular ability, from taking over your mind? And when Judas starts hearing horrible things - including dead people! - on the phone and through the radio I nearly jumped out of my skin!

Once Judas determines he is going to go on a road trip to confront the woman who sold him the ghost the scope and depth of the story builds. The actual race to find a way to stop this ghost before death literally catches up to them allows the tension to get tighter and tighter. Beyond that, Judas's reevaluation of his life and what he has done in his past makes this become a redemption story, one about a  man facing all the bad things he's done in his past and forgiving himself for these past mistakes (figuratively putting his ghosts to rest) in order to try and move on and have a better life....if he can survive, that is. On top of this there's even a love story component - if an unusual one - and I was really happy to see a true building and acknowledgement of affection between Judas and Marybeth. I'm not going to give anything away about the ending, but I will say I would never have thought of the story ending that way.

Heart-Shaped Box has just about every component I can think of wrapped up in one thrilling package, something I didn't expect at all and which I absolutely loved! There's definitely scares and grit and gore, but there's so  much more than that. I am now a forever fan of Joe Hill and cannot wait to read his other novels! 

What Did I Think About the Cover?

It's not a favorite cover but, after reading the story, it does fit what is going on. Craddock talks throughout the story about taking Judas down a road that would clearly lead to hell and, in one insanely creepy part, someone - who happens to be dead, mind you - calls Judas to say he's stuck on the side of the road and could he come and help him. Judas also physically goes on a road trip to try and stop Craddock and, metaphorically, he also has to travel down the road of self awareness and forgiveness before the story ends. So lots of roads this could represent!


My Rating: 4.5/5.0

I purchased a copy of Heart-Shaped Box for my own library. All opinions are mine alone. You can find more information about the book, including other reviews and links to where you can purchase a copy, on Goodreads HERE.

 

 



Cover Crush: Strange Weather by Joe Hill

Hello, my name is Colleen and I am a cover slut. I know, I know....you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover. I just can't help myself! A beautiful cover draws my eye every single time and I can't help but pick up the book it's dressing and see if the inside seems as intriguing as the outside. Sometimes it does, and sometimes a pretty cover is just a pretty cover. Either way, I love getting an eyeful!

One of my favorite bloggers, Erin at Flashlight Commentary, created a weekly blog post called Cover Crush and she and some other blogger friends are sharing their favorite covers each Thursday. I've decided to join in this year and will link to their posts down below.

So, without further ado, my Cover Crush this week is.....

 

 

 

 

I've only listened to the audiobook version of one novel by Joe Hill - his graphic novel Locke and Key - but loved it so much I've gone out and bought all of his other books in anticipation of some free time to devour them. I mention this to explain how excited I was when I heard he had a new book coming out. Then I saw this cover and....wow! There is just so much to look at! First off it's all taking place in that strange looking sky, which fits the title, but then the longer you look at the images the more you see. Just look at all the things encapsulated within the falling man - skulls, horns, some sort of branches, a dragon, crows - I'm sure there is more that I'm missing! And maybe it's just me but it looks like a face on the right hand side of the clouds. I just can't get enough of this provocative and uber creepy image!

 

Read what kind of deliciousness we have to look forward to behind this cover....

A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Joe Hill

“Snapshot” is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by “The Phoenician,” a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap.

A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in “Aloft.”

On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. “Rain” explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world.

In “Loaded,” a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning.

Don't forget to check out what covers my blogger buddies are drooling over this week (updated as they become available):


Magdalena at A Bookaholic Swede
Meghan at Of Quills & Vellum
Erin at Flashlight Commentary
Heather at The Maiden's Court
Stephanie at Layered Pages
Holly at 2 Kids and Tired



Created by Magdalena of A Bookaholic Swede

 

 

 

Audiobook Review: Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Publisher: Audible Studios
Pub. Date: October 5th, 2015
Length: 13 hours, 26 minutes

Synopsis

Audie Award Finalist, Original Work, 2016 

Based on the best-selling, award-winning graphic novel series Locke & Key - written by acclaimed suspense novelist Joe Hill (NOS4A2, Horns) and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez - this multicast, fully dramatized audio production brings the images and words to life.



A brutal and tragic event drives the Locke family from their home in California to the relative safety of their ancestral estate in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, an old house with powerful keys and fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. As siblings Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke discover the secrets of the old house, they also find that it's home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all....


Featuring performances by Haley Joel Osment (Entourage, The Sixth Sense), Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek: Voyager), Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Stephen King (The Stand, 11-22-63), as well as a cast of more than 50 voice actors, this audio production preserves the heart-stopping impact of the graphic novel's astounding artwork through the use of richly imagined sound design and a powerful original score.


*Locke & Key contains explicit language and adult situations.

What Did I Think About the Story?

This is hands down the best audiobook I have ever listened to! There is so much to praise about it that I'm sure I'm going to leave something out, but I'll do my best to fully express just how wonderful it was.


The audiobook version of Locke and Key is a wholly immersive experience, with a large cast of talented narrators that give distinction and gravitas to each character, orchestrated music tailored to the particular vibes of each scene, background noises of every kind - gravel scratching underfoot, squeaky doors, conversations and whispers, bangs, bumps and shrieks - so you feel you are experiencing the story, not just listening to it. Beyond the actual story, this kind of production value was something I've never experienced in an audiobook before and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be disappointed by just about anything I listened to next.


Now, to the story. It should be noted that there is quite a lot of violence and explicit language (which is noted above), but, for me, this wasn't a deterrent as it fit the characters and the often horrific situations they experienced. We have a lot of teenagers and troubled people dealing with murderous spirits....what else would you expect?!


I was completely fascinated by the magical keys and doors of  the Locke House...they did everything from turning people into ghosts, animals, and other sexes/races,  they made people bigger, gave them the ability to control shadows, manipulated memories, fixed things that were broken....and so much more! I am absolutely enamored by authors that can create and wrap the reader in such intricate and involved worlds and Joe Hill has mastered this ability in Locke and Key.


The other aspect of the story I really enjoyed was that, along with the ultra-cool yet sinister house and all its magical properties, it is also the story of a regular and, in many ways, relatable family. After the "brutal and tragic event" mentioned in the synopsis occurs, the grieving family moves back to the family home. The mother soothes her grief with alcohol and the two older teenage siblings are forced to care for their younger brother. The older siblings experience teen angst and struggle to find love and friendship among a new set of friends while the younger sibling struggles to be heard and valued by those that think he's too young to do much of anything. Now, who can't relate to at least some of that?


The scenes are broken up in short segments, divided up with foreboding music and a deep-voiced narrator that explains background information and sets up the next scene, which was very different from any other audiobook I've listened to before. I believe this was done to maintain the graphic novel formatting and, in the beginning, did take some getting used to, but once I did I really enjoyed this aspect as it made it easier to find natural stopping places whenever I had to (unwillingly) stop listening to get back to real life. There's also a steady thread of humor that runs through the heavier story, which did do something to break up the horror and sadness that was more prevalent.


The Locke and Key audiobook is so much more than just a story you can listen to - it's a fully immersive production that could rival any play or movie and unlike anything I've experienced before. I'm not sure if there are other audiobooks like this out there, but I really hope there are. If you're not easily offended or too squeamish this is a wonderful way to experience a story. I recommend it to anyone looking to become completely lost.

What Did I Think About the Cover?

Given how much goes on within the story, it's somewhat simplistic. I can't really wrap my head around what I would prefer as so many elements would work, but I probably would prefer something dealing with the house, the kids battling the many magical things they encounter, or the keys. However I believe this is meant to be the main demon they encounter, so it definitely fits the story. The way the title is constructed is perfect and the fact that it looks like a drawing from a graphic novel also fits the feel and structure of the story very well.


My Rating: 5.0/5.0

I purchased a copy of the Audible audiobook version of Locke and Key for my own collection.  You can read more about it, other reviews, and find links to purchase on Goodreads HERE.