My Best Friend's Exorcism

4.25 - the ending brought the rating down but everything else was such a fun ride !! Read it if you are thinking about it

Probably the craziest book I've ever read. The amount of things that happen are insane. Also, it made me cry at the end. sometimes the narration put me off, it was very reference humor and also very judgy and sort of hateful. But I guess it was trying to come off as teenage-kid ish.

I am going to come back to this eventually but it's no longer spooky season and the book really didn't suck me in. 

Usually i love reading books set in the 80s and 90s, but as a person who wasn't alive in the 80s, there were wayyyy too many references that i don't get and there's no point in proceeding when i don't enjoy it 

Not because of the horror element ....but this book made me cry and I kept thinking can I do that for anyone.....The friendship the bonding.....The last parts made me shivering.....thanks to the author for such a gift....

This was campy and fun and I had a good time and it would have been 4 stars probably BUT.


SPOILERS BUT NEEDED SPOILERS



The dog is killed and it's cruel and it gets remembered more than once and I am weak and that's a line that messes everything up for me.

My Best Friend's Exorcism is a horror novel that leaves me with conflicting emotions. While it feels lengthy at times and the pacing isn't always on point, I can't help but admit how much I enjoyed it. Some of the symbolism feels undercooked, hinting at deeper meanings that never fully materialize. However, when the book hits its stride, it's genuinely terrifying - delivering bone-chilling moments that had me on edge. Despite its flaws, I found myself immersed in its increasingly dark world, guiltily savoring every scary development. It may not be perfect, but at its peak, it taps into primal fears with unsettling precision, and by the final paragraphs, it managed to bring tears to my eyes. What else is there to desire? I give it a shaking 5, not a solid one, but a 5 nevertheless.

Best friends forever!

Mi queja es la misma que con [b:How to Sell a Haunted House 59414094 How to Sell a Haunted House Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1650818993l/59414094.SY75.jpg 93583028]: tanta prosa y nada que me explican el evento desencadenante de la trama.

I was drawn to this book based on how much I love the cover and the premise got me so excited.

I am so sad that I was let down by this when I had such high hopes. It had such great potential.

However, I couldn't get past the offensive and disgusting moments that were in this book that had no reason to be featured apart from what I can assume shock value.

The “dearly but not queerly”, the mentioning of the slave auctions that apparently American high schools used to do (first of all why was this ever a thing?) and the main character saying someone thin and unwell looks “Ethiopian”.... None of these things added anything to the plot and could have been edited out altogether and I wish it was!

On top of that, the exorcism? I think I actually had to stop reading for a moment and just stare at a wall because while I understand they were trying to say it was their love for one another that helped Gretchen pull through, I think it was so cringy.

I am usually not a hater and it takes a lot for me to get to that place but I am too disappointed that this didn't end up the fantastic read that I thought it was going to be. I'm giving two stars purely because I think this had such great potential.

This was fun

Abby Rivers ans Gretchen Lang were best friends, on and off, for seventy-five years, and there aren't many people who can say that. They weren't perfect. They didn't always get along. They screwed up. They acted like assholes. Thay fought, they fell out, they patched things up, they drove each other crazy, and they didn't make it to Halley's Comet.
But they tried.

I think this quote end the book beautifully.

Really enjoyed the first half, like maybe 3.5-3.75 and was hoping for a better ending but didn't really get it. I'm conflicted on the climax. I get the point of the “exorcism” but it was a little too cheesy for the serious tone of the rest of the book. And, in hindsight, I didn't like the intro. I went back to it after finishing and realized it really had no bearing on the end. All in all, a really good story about growing up and friendship.

4.5

Gen-Xers and anyone interested in 1980's pop culture would probably have a blast reading this book. Maybe more so for those of us who grew up in the times since there is a certain feeling of nostalgia and irony about the setting. It was more entertaining than say, Ready Player One, because the music/movie mentions are blended in naturally with the story.

Hendrix uses horror conventions to tell stories about relationships and people. There was plenty of drama and tension; it was hard to put it down. It is similar to The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires in the sense that the main character is ostracized, and it deals with similar themes of hypocrisy, conformity, and judging others by their financial class.

The story contains the usual teenage angst and adolescent struggles, as well as a heart-warming (though highly idealized) take on friendship.

This book delivers a spine-tingling blend of friendship and horror that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

SO GOOD oh my gosh not only was the pacing of the story perfect and the horror actually scared me and was actually scary and I just love Grady Hendrix's writting style and the comedic horror and how the book had an 80's song as the title and the 80's setting was perfect definitely done perfectly and I had 0 issues with it and I enjoyed it A LOT

3.5 stars. The story had good pacing and an interesting plot. The references to the satanic panic were well placed. But the writing didn't stand out, and Hendrix continues to disappoint me with the depictions of people of color.

Abby and Gretchen are best friends, and no matter what they stick together. Even if one of them becomes possessed. During an experimental party with friends Gretchen goes missing, and when she’s found something isn’t quite right. Little by little the girl Abby’s best friend dissolves into a nervous unkempt person. And when people start being hurt around her, Abby knows something has to give. But no one is listening. Friends, teachers, parents, even priests push aside the strange behavior. It’s up to Abby to free Gretchen from the demon possessing her body.

Grady Hendrix knows exactly how to set a scene. There is no denying My Best Friend’s Exorcism takes place in the 80s. From the pop culture references to the conservative ideals the adults are teaching the children. When Abby does her best to help Gretchen, no adults want to believe her. Each excuse they come up with is a stark reminder of the timeframe the story takes place in. Readers will be taken aback by what now seems like strange ideas adults had about their children. Throughout the novel there are also old school flyers and newspaper articles that cement the behaviors readers are witnessing.

But despite the opposition Abby faces, she does her best to help Gretchen. And Grady Hendrix keeps Abby’s actions age appropriate. He paints a solid picture of a kid who just wants to help her friend and has no idea how to do so. She turns to the adults for help, knowing they should be the best chance at helping Gretchen. Each new excuse the adults craft becomes one more step away from hope for Abby. An overwhelming sense of dread and panic develops for both Abby and the reader as events continue to escalate.

With each turn of the page, the tone of the story grows in intensity. When the tipping point finally comes for Abby, her salvation occurs in a rather odd character. One who’s actions and attitude don’t mesh well with the tones of the story. While it may have been a way to lighten the burden on reader’s emotions, the Exorcist breaks up the tension a bit too much. With long monologuing dialogue and ditzy behavior, the moment seems to shatter and stumble a bit before regaining traction.

However, Abby’s quest to save Gretchen is filled with unsettling and creepy imagery. My Best Friend's Exorcism is perfect for those who enjoy 80s horror novels. And while there may have been moments that interrupted the story pacing, once it got back on track it really took off. If you're a reader who enjoys possession based horror, this is the story for you.

It's a supernatural horror story, and the third act drives that home without mercy, but at its core, this is a story about friendship, and I'm glad I read it. I loved all the 80s references throughout the book. So many fun and exciting spooks! While being entirely wholesome at the same time.

As much a coming of age story as it was an exorcism one, the former actually being the most compelling part of the book. Come for the exorcism, stay for the friendship!

7.5/10 Very easy and fast read. You don't get a lot of depth to the characters as I'd like but the emotional parts do hit. I think the biggest struggle for me is the tone of this book. It's very light but has darker elements but they don't feel as creepy or the tension isn't as high due to the conflicting tones. I did find the ending satisfying overall and it is a good read.

This was really cute. It's a very fast read, and the writing style is very fun, if a bit basic. Not very scary at all, which didn't bother me as horror isn't something I've read a lot of, but don't go into this expecting a masterpiece of horror writing that will have you sleeping with the lights on. It was downright silly in some parts. But I enjoyed it enough I'll be checking out the authors other works.

Also, A+ on the cover design, it's brilliant. All the 80's references were great; if you lived through the 80's (I was born in 88, but I still got all the references) you'll enjoy it. It's quite well done.

yeah the weird comment about looking ethiopian stuck more than some plot points

Brilliant ridiculous fun with a good heart