Picked this up on a whim at the library and couldn’t put it down!
I read My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix in just a couple of sittings because I was instantly hooked by the style and I HAD to know what happened! Some combination of the 80s setting and the teenaged main characters gave the story a colorful, whacky sensibility, even while the plot got more twisted. From the title, you obviously can imagine where this is going—A teen girl gets possessed and no one but her best friend seems to be trying to figure out what’s wrong with her. But it’s so much more than that!
What I loved most is how Hendrix built in dread. There’s no flashy, horror movie moment where we see a demon enter Gretchen. There’s just a spooky, unsettling night in their otherwise normal lives and suddenly, inexplicable, dark things start to happen. Abby doesn’t know what’s causing them, so the story is more focused on her trying to figure it out than on the paranormal itself. As weird as it may seem to say, this is more a story about girlhood and friendship than it is about the exorcism. Even the demon preys on their totally normal teenaged concerns—crushes, self-esteem, parents, and reputation. Pop culture and the satanic panic.
The result is a campy, creepy, FUN story much deeper than it appears on the surface. I was inspired by all that was implied without being straight, in-your-face horror. It made me want to get a little weirder in my own work and somehow helped me solve a big block I was having in my own campus gothic novel! It’s the highest compliment, so say, “This book made me excited to write.” Thank you @gradyhendrix for getting me out of my writing slump! I’M BACK, BITCHES!
I recommend this to fans of Stranger Things, horror (but it’s not scary!), Ghost Hunter shows, Phil Collins, Lisa Frankenstein, and absurdly strong girl power!
Also, can we talk about the format?! The yearbook signatures inside covers and about the author? chef’s kiss It’s 2024, let’s admit we’re judging the book by the cover!!! Next up: The Amazon prime movie I didn’t know existed!!!
xx, Tab
TabithaTypes 