After a night of heavy drinking Ignatius Perrish wakes up with no clear memory of what he did. But one glance in the bathroom mirror shows that something must have happened because he now has a pair of horns slowly piercing through the skin of his forehead. Terrified, he goes to see if his "girlfriend" Glenna can see the change. But she barely notices, simply sits on the couch and eats store bought Donuts, one after the other, admitting that she just wants to eat the whole box and not even chew.
Sickened by her behavior and realizing that she will be of no help, Ig goes to the Doctor to see what can be done. In the waiting room there is a child, screaming and crying and as Ig fills out paperwork, the Receptionist casually tells him that she wishes she could go over and slap the child into silence. Not sure what to make of this, Ig sits down, right next to the child's Mother. As her child continues to scream and wail, the Mother strikes up a casual conversation with Ig where she explains how much she hates her daughter because she's always throwing fits and interrupting the Mother while she sleeps with her golf instructor. Things become even more unsettling when Ig sees the Doctor and the old man asks Ig if he could crush up a couple of OCs and get high. But no, he knows it's not right to get stoned at work, he'll wait until he gets home and then zone out and watch his daughter's best friend run around in her bikini, though she's no older than 14.
Needing to escape the insanity that's surrounding him, Ig goes home to see his family but finds no peace there. A year ago Ig was the main suspect in the rape and murder of his then girlfriend, Merrin. He is innocent but no one has ever really believed him. And when he comes home, everyone, his Mother, Father and Grandmother admit to him how sick he makes them, how horrible he is for what he did to Merrin. But it isn't until Ig finds his brother Terry in the Kitchen that the real truth comes out. Terry apologizes, elaborates and Ig runs from the house, screaming.
After that the story gets deeper and deeper into the characters pasts and how everything is interconnected. Ig realizes that the Horns growing out of his head give him power. He can control people, make them admit their sins and all their secret desires. His transformation into a demon, or even the Devil himself, fire, pitchfork and all, only help him grow in power. But as the story progresses the reader starts to realize that Ig, this half man, half Devil is not the bad guy and the real villain is more manipulative, sinister and terrifying than Ig could ever be.
Just as intense and gripping as his other novel, Heart Shaped Box, Joe Hill is truly a master of terror and suspense. Far more talented than his Father Stephen King (in my opinion) Horns was a book that terrified me but also intrigued me. I didn't want to put it down but was almost too creeped out to continue reading. A truly imaginative and unique story, surprisingly emotional at parts and delightfully dark in others. The transformation of a man into the Devil but set out on a mission of vengeance for the woman he loves may sound absurd, but Hill makes it anything but. It is a work of absolute brilliance.
