Edgar Allan Poe may be a hundred and fifty years beyond this world, but the themes of his beloved works have much in common with modern young adult fiction. Whether the stories are familiar to readers or discovered for the first time, readers will revel in Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tales, and how they’ve been brought to life in 13 unique and unforgettable ways.

His Hideous Heart is a compilation of 13 tales by Edgar Allen Poe’s tales re-imagined by current authors that takes most of the tales and puts them into a modernized setting for the readers of today’s age.

I’ve only ever read a few of Edgar Allen Poe’s works so I appreciated that the book include the original tales at the end.  It was a great way to remind myself of the original tales as well as read the ones I hadn’t gotten around to.

Overall, I enjoyed most of the stories, however, I did find that it was hard to get immersed in some others.  The stories I was able to really get into I enjoyed thoroughly and found it interesting to see a tale by Poe written into a more modern setting.  The tale that I enjoyed the most were:

• She Rode a Horse of Fire – inspired by Metzengerstein
• It’s Carnival! – inspired by The Cask of Manontillado
• The Glittering Death – inspired by The Pit and the Pendulum
• A Drop of Stolen Ink – inspired by The Purloined Letter
• The Oval Filter – inspired by The Oval Portrait
• Happy Days, Sweetheart – inspired by The Tell-Tale Heart

These ones above I enjoyed thoroughly.  My favorite of the bunch was A Drop of Stolen Ink because it had a more futuristic feel to it.  I really found it interesting to see these tales written into a more modern setting, and I think this will be a great way to introduce younger generations to Poe’s work.  Just as well, I definitely think that original Poe fans will find an appreciation for the re-tellings.

Rating: 3.5 stars