Cover Image: Full Throttle

Full Throttle

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Member Reviews

Joe Hill has really got a knack for telling punchy, short stories. This collection is no exception. Personally, I loved Dark Carousel. There is something mysterious and creepy about carnival atmospheres, and he was able to capture that so well.

I had a little trouble with Twittering from the Circus of the Dead. Me personally, I struggle with long term reading in something that's not in paragraph form. In this case, a string of tweets. The story was there, but I just kind of stumble on that.

Great book, well written, and highly recommend!

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This is a superb collection and the layout/flow of the stories was well planned.

Standouts for me in no particular order:
Mums - whoa
Faun - would love to see this adapted for TV/Film
Dark Carousel. - wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiild horses
All I Care About is You - you did it, you shocked me


Really though there were no stinkers in here which is rare for a short story collection. Let's face it there is usually one big massive pile of poo in a short story collection.

Was pleasantly surprised to find a small micro story at the end of the book as well, it was a highly enjoyable tiny tale.

To be honest I used to consider myself not a fan of Joe Hill based on his novels (don't judge me) but he really has a way with short stories and I would now proudly proclaim that yes I am a fan of Joe Hill's writing. Sure but some of these stories could have cleanly been worked into full length novels but may have lost some of their creepy charm along the way.

Perfect fall read.

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I'm not the biggest fan of short stories but I am a fan of Joe Hill and he was able to draw me in with this collection of short stories. I had previously read the two short stories in this collection which he co-wrote with his father - Full Throttle and In the Tall Grass. There are quite a few short stories in this book with my favorites being Late Returns and Dark Carousal and my least favorite being Faun. But in all honesty, I have to admit my very and I mean very favorite part of this book was the Introduction by Hill titled "Who's your Daddy" where he talked about his parents, his father reading to him every night and their combined experiences on the set of Creepshow. Be sure to read this part as well. Be sure to read the end of the book as well. There Hill talks about his inspiration for each short story and tells how this collection was written over the course of ten years. He also has another tiny little short story at the very end titled "A little sorrow" If you missed it, you haven't read far enough.

All in all, a very enjoyable, creepy, entertaining, and thrilling ride.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers - William Morrow and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Book 22: Full Throttle by Joe Hill
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Y’all. I finally finished this. It’s not this book- it’s the format. E-books on my phone aren’t my jam .
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Full Throttle is a collection of short stories, some of which have been previously published. I liked the variety of form Hill uses- prose, free verse, tweets. I wish there had been a distinct theme, but overall, a decent collection .
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Favorites: “Dark Carousel” “Late Returns” “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead” “You are Released”

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As usual, Joe Hill's stories disturb and scare me every time I read one, and this little collection is no different. Don't read right before bedtime!

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Throttle: 2 Stars - These characters were extremely unlikable which isn't a deal breaker necessarily. It just made it much less suspenseful once the danger kicked in. The over all concept was scary, but since I didn't care about the characters it lacked impact. Also CW for use of the R word.

Dark Carousel: 4 Stars - I really liked this story. I'm a sucker for creepy carnival stuff. The atmosphere in this one was very good, very spooky.

Wolverton Station: 5 Stars - Cheeky and whimsical with a dash of gore.

By The Silver Water of Lake Champlain: 3.5 Stars - Gail and Joel where super cute kids

Faun: 4 Stars - Really loved this concept and the ending of this one

Late Returns: 5 Stars - So beautiful and bitter sweet. Late Returns made my cry like a big ole baby

All I Care About Is You: 4 Stars - The world building in this was so immersive

Thumbprint: 2.5 Stars- This maybe great to someone, but I'm just not a fan of war stories. CW: N word, xenophobia

The Devil on the Staircase: DNF - I couldn't read this story. I'm not sure if the formatting was off because I was using an e review copy from net galley or if it was a style choice. The staggered lines was giving me a massive headache though.

Twittering from the Circus of the Dead: 3 Stars - A fun little romp. The tweet format was a nice change of pace. CW Trans Slur

Mums: 4 stars - Creepy plants and terrible dads make for a pretty great story.

In The Tall Grass: 2.5 Stars - I had a hard time getting invested in this story. CW Sexual Assault, Pregnancy Complications

You Are Released: 4 Stars - Really poignant and a nice closer for the collection. Cw: Asian Slur

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To say I was thrilled to get this ARC of Joe Hill’s Full Throttle - packed with short stories from him (and a few he collaborated with the King on) is an understatement (que- jumping up and down for 10 mins straight).

I am a horror short story junkie and this gave me my fix! I loved them all. Some more than others and some I have read previously - but ALL were great reads!

Perfect Timing for Halloween spooks!
A few of my favorites were-
Late Returns - best ever! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All I Care About Is You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Tall Grass ( coming soon as a NetFlix movie) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dark Carousel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The rest were mostly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 star reads for me but I enjoyed this entire collection immensely and plan to buy a hard cover finished copy!

If you are a Hill (and/or King fan this is for you!
The forward/introduction was super fun and interesting too! Thanks for the chance to read this gem early in exchange for an honest review! 🖤

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Thank you to NETGALLEY for providing me with an eARC. Full Throttle is the new and upcoming short story collection by Joe Hill, to be released on October 1st, and one of my most anticipated releases of the year.

I've read everything Joe Hill has published and I consider him one of my favorite horrir authors. I picked up my first Joe Hill novel (The Fireman) based on a recommendation from Vanessa Nadel (Lin Manuel Miranda's wife) and was hooked. I had no idea who his father was until after I finished and I had to google him. Joe Hill really excels in this short story collection consisting of thirteen stories—two are collaborations with his father (the second one, In the Tall Grass, kept me awake all night just replaying it over and over), and two are previously unpublished.

This is the prefect short story collection for Halloween!

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Great collection. Some were a tad too predictable, but overall a great collection for any horror enthusiast.

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I’m mostly into novels and short stories are not my first choice to read but when it comes to evil genius thriller writers, like MY ALL TIME KING that I take a bow and THE PRINCE HILL create something new, I jump up and down to perform my happy dance, grabbing the book, turning off my phone, gathering my munchies and soft drinks, locking myself into my bedroom and starting to flip the pages nonstop!

Don’t get me wrong! After saying some many highly things and expressing my dedication to those writers, I still gave FOUR SHINY, THRILLING, SHORTY STARS but this is average point for the stories I’ve read.

But if it’s only for LATE RETURNS story, I’ll give ten gazillion stars! I honestly say this is one of the best stories I’ve read in my whole life. It’s about grief, time paradox, unfinished business of the people trapped in limbo and it’s about books. It’s about real good books and their importance for the people who need their own closures. I love books and I know how to deal with compelling grief so this is my dream mash-up story!

My other favorite stories which deserve more than five stars with their fantastic plots, great characterizations and mouth widening parts:

“All I Care about is you”, taken place at the 22th century, Iris who celebrates her 16th birthday with Clockwork boy named Chip she’d rented for an hour. But things are getting nastier, twisty eventually. Murdergame is a masterful invention and story’s sucker punching memorable ending is a blast!

“In the Tall Grass”: Father- son collaboration to write this eerie, nerve-bending, ominous story that already has sold to Netflix as a movie! Something is hiding in Kansas grass. Aliens? Monsters? Cannibals? I highly suggest you not to stop your car as you hear a child’s scream for help and please do not dare to walk into the grass if you ever want to find your way out!

“You are released”: You’re cruising at 37.000 feet as the Third World War begins! What? With memorable characters and their fears, their perceptions, their urge to find against the common enemy even they have racial, national, political differences. This is the final story and I couldn’t choose a better one to end our whole journey!

Still good ones:

“Twittering from the circus of the dead”: Your family from hell (real and hot one!) held you captive in a road trip and you write tweets about them. Interesting concept!

“Dark Carousel”: This story reminded me of “Body”( It adapted as “Stand By Me”, I still remember little River Phoenix’s memorable performance with eyes filled in tears) and “It”, a group of boys’ adventurous spirit to discover the enchanted( I think “cursed” is the better definition) carousel at the Cape Maggie Pier. We get vibes of Goonies and Stranger Things (In my opinion they’re all same story’s different versions, tomato, tomahto…)

Not enjoyed so much and made me give lower stars:
“Throttle” ( King and prince collaboration but this one didn’t work for me! I hope they don’t expel me from kingdom or send me to the dungeon for writing these words! Hail for my king and prince!)
“Wolverton Station” ( I’m not into wolves stories, thanks!)

“By the Silver Water of Lake Chamberlain” – (another version of Body but this one is not my favorite)

“Faun” – Hunting game for fantastical creatures! Pass!

“Thumbprint”: Scary stalker stories normally work fine with me but this is too disturbing and I couldn’t connect with the characters.

“Devil on the staircase”: Sorry but I prefer Zeppelin’s Stairs to Heaven or Ac/Dc’s Highway to hell!

“Mums”: Resurrection of a mom with seeds by turning into mummy! It’s too nerve-binding, disturbing one.
Ending part is also not quite satisfying.

As a summary: I enjoyed my full throttle thrilling crazy ride! And I really loved the intimate prologue of the author who told us about his relationship with his father, meeting with George A. Romero, struggling years of his writing experience till he found his way what he really wanted to write about were fantastic beginning of our journey. They’re natural, honest, emotional, genuine words which warmed my heart!

I love my KING, my PRINCE! And I loved this book so much!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishers William Marrow for giving me early Christmas present and lighting my day by sharing this amazing ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

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If you are a fan of short stories and horror sci/fi this collection is for you. Joe Hill is skilled at writing short stories and keeping you interested. They are not all stellar, but the collection as a whole is great.

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I have always loved Joe Hill short stories the best. By the silver water of lake Champlain is my favorite in this collection and in the tall grass actually gave me a few chills. I never read introductions because they are usually long and boring but Hill made it engaging and it was fun to know a little of how he grew up. I can't wait to see what's next.

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Joe Hill is fully aware of the comparisons to his father and in the intro to this collection of short stories he takes them head on. Having followed him since 2006 I still get excited when he puts out new things. While I think his last two novels have gotten a little too long winded, Strange Weather his novella collection was great.

When it comes to the shorts here I had read all but three of them; the two previously unpublished and All I Care About is You (from a 2017 collection I somehow missed). These and the three other newer stories Dark Carousel, Faun and You Are Released are my favorites. Perhaps having his Locke & Key comics concluded allowed him more time on these stories.

The rest of the material from the 2007 to 2012 time period was more hit or miss for me. His collaborations with his father feel more like his dad's stories. Using Throttle as the "title track" here seems odd. I never liked the Richard Matheson story that served as the inspiration. If you didn't like these older tales (many released as digital standalones) don't pass this one by. Having gotten comfortable in his father's shadow his newer works are more heartfelt and adventurous. I think it would have been better served to have split this collection using 2012 as the end point of the first collection.

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I have been a Joe Hill fan ever since I read Heart Shaped Box though I believe it was The Fireman that earned his place on my must read authors list. I had been meaning to read "In The Tall Grass" for years so I was especially happy to see it included in this collection just in time for me to read it before the made for Netflix movie comes out next month. It was definitely worth the wait and one of my favorites in this collection. It had everything I could want in a horror story, the spine tingling fear of the unknown, coupled with the sheer terror of being suddenly separated from your loved ones. It was a fine example of how no good deed goes unpunished. In fact all of these stories were more than they appeared to be on the surface. They each have a weight and depth that is often lacking in short stories. I can't say that I loved every single one of them, but they all surprised me in their own way. As a horror fan, I most enjoyed the stories that had supernatural elements, including Late Returns, and Dark Carousel. It won't surprise me if someone is smart enough to make movies out of both of them. If thrillers are more your thing Thumbprint, and Throttle are both action packed suspenseful reads. Another of my favorites was Mums, which kind of left me guessing whether delusions or the supernatural were at work after a woman tries to take her child and flee from her survivalist/separatist husband. Those were the 5 star reads for me in this collection.

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I am not a big fan of short stories, but I make an exception for Joe Hill or for his father, Stephen King. In this collection, one of the stories is co-authored by the two of them. It is an interesting homage to the Steven Spielberg classic movie DUEL. The author explains his connection to that movie, as well as his feelings towards his parents, horror movies, books, and other topics in an introduction that is as entertaining as the stories in his collection. He also provides notes about each story at the end of the book that offer helpful background information. My favorite story is “Late Returns,” an intriguing tale about a bookmobile driver who encounters some unique library users during his travels. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a preprint copy.

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Joe Hill has once again shown that he can create stories of the macabre, stories that thrill, and stories that cut to the emotional quick. This collection compiles multiple genres and voices to create a smorgasbord of horror, thriller, and fantasy stories that fit together and complement each other. From lake monsters, to creepy carnivals, to librarians dealing with grief, "Full Throttle" is a well rounded and emotional collection of short stories that will delight fans of Hill, and those who are yet to become fans.

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This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a fan of Joe Hill and the concepts he constructs for all of his novels and this one by far was the most extravagant that from beginning to end kept us on the edge of our seats and I immediately fell in love with the book for the obvious choice of one of the main characters in one of the stories is a librarian of the dead. I am also a fan of Loch Ness Monster and creatures of the sea and this book had a story is where chaos breaks when two kids discover a plesiosaur and that is where all breaks loose. Now on the thrill ride of their lives, they do whatever it takes to discover the hidden secrets of the dead and gather as much info as they can to plan to their greatest escape. I also love any book where Joe Hill and Steven King collaborate on a story and even a book and the first one they had to share right away because it was the best. So as Joe Hill says "bring on the bad guys."

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

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Full Throttle is my second Joe Hill experience. My first was Strange Weather which I enjoyed listening to on a long drive. Full Throttle was a nice sit down, read and get lost in each story kind of book. Many of the stories I'd start before work and find myself glancing up at the clock with dismay when I realize I won't finish the story before I had to leave. Joe Hill is a talent to be sure. I highly recommend Full Throttle to fellow readers.
#FullThrottle #Netgalley #reviewathon

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What can be said about Joe Hill except each writing gets better, more nuanced, and more mature! Worth the read

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Joe Hill writes an introduction to these short stories where he tells you exactly what you are going to get in this collection. He reminisces about his younger days where he loved to read Fangoria and got to watch horror movie makeup put on and fake prosthetics being made.

Each individual story delivers and leaves you wanting to know a bit more, but not much. This is a sweet spot in the short story world.

At the end there is a section where the author discusses inspirations and motivations for each of the stories. It's nice to get a bit of insight to his process.

If you enjoy other works by Joe Hill, you'll enjoy this title.

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