#ATBR2019 Review: Full Throttle by Joe Hill @jessmapreviews
Full Throttle
by Joe Hill
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: October 1, 2019
Hardcover
480 Pages
Genres: Short Stories, Horror
In this masterful collection of short fiction, Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in thirteen relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including “In The Tall Grass,” one of two stories co-written with Stephen King, basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.
A little door that opens to a world of fairy tale wonders becomes the blood-drenched stomping ground for a gang of hunters in “Faun.” A grief-stricken librarian climbs behind the wheel of an antique Bookmobile to deliver fresh reads to the dead in “Late Returns.” In “By the Silver Water of Lake Champlain,” two young friends stumble on the corpse of a plesiosaur at the water’s edge, a discovery that forces them to confront the inescapable truth of their own mortality . . . and other horrors that lurk in the water’s shivery depths. And tension shimmers in the sweltering heat of the Nevada desert as a faceless trucker finds himself caught in a sinister dance with a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in “Throttle,” co-written with Stephen King.
Featuring two previously unpublished stories, and a brace of shocking chillers, Full Throttle is a darkly imagined odyssey through the complexities of the human psyche. Hypnotic and disquieting, it mines our tormented secrets, hidden vulnerabilities, and basest fears, and demonstrates this exceptional talent at his very best.
My Review:
I had read Into the Tall Grass and Twittering from the Circus of the Dead ages ago when I had purchased them as singles. I did enjoy both stories. It took me 3 tries to get through the adaptation of Into the Tall Grass and overall didn't care for it too much - the story is definitely the way to go in my opinion. But that's true most of the time anyways.
Like with most short story collections, some were great, some not so great. I enjoyed the nods to other novels such as to Manx from Christmastland in Dark Carousel. These always make my reader heart happy. I've said this before, and I'll say it again - I know how difficult it is to write a short story but I just don't think it's my favorite place to be. When they work, THEY WORK, but I find that they do for me few and far between. Do I enjoy them? Sure. But I'm always a bit middle of the road. I keep trying them though - especially in the horror genre because man, when it does work, I LOVE.
What can I say? I like what I like. and I'm a big fan of Joe Hill.
Like with most short story collections, some were great, some not so great. I enjoyed the nods to other novels such as to Manx from Christmastland in Dark Carousel. These always make my reader heart happy. I've said this before, and I'll say it again - I know how difficult it is to write a short story but I just don't think it's my favorite place to be. When they work, THEY WORK, but I find that they do for me few and far between. Do I enjoy them? Sure. But I'm always a bit middle of the road. I keep trying them though - especially in the horror genre because man, when it does work, I LOVE.
What can I say? I like what I like. and I'm a big fan of Joe Hill.
Jessica's Review:
When it comes to short stories, I know it can be hit or miss for most readers. I feel you like you either love them or you aren't a fan. I definitely fall into the first category. I really enjoyed Joe Hill's STRANGE WEATHER a couple years ago, and overall I did enjoy FULL THROTTLE, but not as much. As with all short story collections, there are always the standouts and then the ones you don't really care for, I feel like there were a few more of the latter in this one.
I think I might be one of the few that hadn't read IN THE TALL GRASS prior to this short story collection. I knew I needed to read it before I watched the new adaptation on Netflix. I was not disappointed - this was a brutal one and I'm curious to see how the adaptation turns out (I've heard mixed things on this one). I was also excited to be able to read DARK CAROUSEL because I heard great things about the vinyl that had been originally released. These two were definitely front runners for me throughout this collection. Another one I really liked, LATE RETURNS, was less on the horror side and was more of a ghost story about book lovers. Who doesn't love a story about books, librarians, or book lovers?
Overall, this was a mixed bag for me. I loved a few, liked some, and didn't really care for a few others. If you're a fan of Joe Hill, I definitely recommend picking this one up. I feel like there's a few stories for everyone within this book and it's worth checking out. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next book from Hill!
3 stars
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