Ig Perrish’s life is like hell on earth already, and that was before a pair of horns started jutting out of his forehead.
“Horns,” the sophomore effort from promising horror scribe Joe Hill, follows a man whose life is shattered by the rape and murder of his longtime love, Merrin.
It’s familiar territory for Hill, who burst on the scene with the well-received thriller “Heart Shaped Box” three years ago. He also brings some impressive DNA to the genre. His father is Stephen King, a fact Hill plays down by not using his last name in professional circles.
Hill’s work hardly needs the sort of booster shot being a King might invite. He brings a fresh, confident approach to the genre. After “Horns,” Hill has little to prove to potential naysayers.
“Horns” does reveal a raw talent that could use some seasoning before any inter-family rivalries bloom.
Ig hasn’t been the same since his beloved Merrin was found dead roughly a year early. The police in Gideon, N.H., initially saw him as the prime suspect, but even though they never pinned the crime on him, the presumption of guilt continues to haunt him.
So when he wakes up one morning to find a stubby pair of horns poking out of his forehead it feels like one more tragedy in his awful life.
Could he finally be going crazy, or can others see his new horns?
“Horns” keeps that answer temporarily vague, but Ig soon discovers an unsettling side effect brought on by his demonic appearance. People around him can’t help confessing their darkest deeds whenever he’s around.
His sense of isolation only intensifies as even family members share their horrible impulses and wicked thoughts about him. But those accursed horns also help him unravel the mystery behind Merrin’s murder and may just give him the tools to avenge her death.
All he has to do is let the devil inside come out and play.
Hill relies heavily on flashbacks to tell Ig’s story, filling in the blanks of his close circle of friends, as well as how he first met the lovely Merrin. Had Hill blurred the lines between good and evil more effectively, it might have enhanced the book’s saggy middle chapters.
“Horns” doesn’t attempt to build a sense of mystery regarding Merrin’s murderer. Ig solves the case before readers can start lining up suspects.
Hill reins in the impulse to outshock his famous father, showing a maturity that should serve him well in future novels. Yes, Ig’s powers are supernatural in nature, but Hill doesn’t give in to their surreal potential.
The author similarly keeps the blood and guts to a minimum, letting his sharp descriptions paint enough of a picture to let the reader fill in the gaps.
Hill abandons that self-discipline when it comes to fleshing out Ig’s state of mind. Complete chapters are set aside to explain a particular mood or consequence, leaving little to the imagination. That’s a bigger problem when it comes to Merrin. The author puts her on an impossibly high pedestal, one that deifies her while robbing her of her humanity.
Even when Merrin’s actions seem detestable, there’s always an explanation later.
Hill reverses gears when portraying Merrin’s killer. He’s a special brand of evil, something alluded to early on but hardly in line with the monster who dominates the final 100 pages.
“Horns” moves at a halting pace, the narrative crumbling whenever Hill tries to explain too much too soon. But there are enough uneasy moments, and vibrant scenarios, scattered throughout the novel to reinforce Hill’s budding reputation with horror devotees.
Christian Toto is a freelance writer in Denver.
