My Best Friend's Exorcism
Ratings321
Average rating3.9
This is a very campy but self aware horror. This isn't imo very scary but more in line with a b horror film. Grady Hendrix does an awesome job at this type of novel. Where this one is set apart from other similar stories is that it's just as much a story of friendship as it is anything else. If you like shitty horror films give this one a go
4.5 / this was my first grady hendrix novel and i'm DELIGHTED to say that it did not disappoint! although i read a review where someone said “It's very very very good, but falls just short of being great and I can't say exactly why.” and they put my thoughts into words. so not exactly a 5 star for me but i still loved it! it creeped me out & made me cry, isn't that somethin.
3.5 /5. It's a good coming of age friendship story with a possession thrown in for flair. It wasn't my thing but if you're into light horror, friendship conquers all stuff it's good.
Rating: 3.3 leaves out of 5Characters: 2.3/5 Cover: 4.5/5Story: 3.33/5Writing: 3/5Genre: Horror/Supernatural/Paranormal/HumorType: BookWorth?: YesTrigger Warning: Rape(discussion of), Assault, Child abuse, Killing of an Animal, Drug/alcohol use, Body horror, Torture, Blasphemy, Eating disorders, Emesis (graphic), Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racist language, Self-harm Hated Disliked It Was Okay Liked Loved FavoritedIf you are a beginner to horror/want something light I recommend this book.I enjoyed it even with all my angry tabbing. Just because I am angry doesn't make for a bad book. The characters were suppose to, they did their part and did it well... except for Abby. I feel like she was... all over the place. One minute she was high ho for saving Gretchen and then she was just... done. And instead of actually looking at the facts she just ran with what she thought it was. I had mention above that they had to have seen The Exorcist AND THEY DID! I am going to put my money on them seeing it bc I feel like Andras wouldn't just wouldn't sat that and her not know what the hell he was talking about. So with that said... how the hell does Abby not see that? Abby just made me want to throw her out the window a good bit. With that said besides that the choice of images they put in was dumb... plain and simple. They kept showing those stupid calorie numbers like we needed to see that INSTEAD of giving us what Gretchen drew and things she wrote. I would have loved to see those pages. Also don't get me started on those random ass survey question. Wtf was that??? Personally I am rounding down to a 3. Even with the ending, a 4 just would be a lie to me.
Of course a great Grady Hendrix read! It wasn't nearly as scary as I was expecting but it still made for a great story.
I originally had it at 5 stars but after comparing it to his other works it doesn't stand out as much.
a man writing teenagers... not my favorite. also not as scary or atmospheric as i had hoped.
I liked this book way more than I expected to. It was so good! I loved the spookiness, and the amazing friendship between Abby and Gretchen.
There were a few parts that really shook me and upset me Max dying, Alex drugging and raping those girls and not facing any repercussions for it But this book was so good!! I really really enjoyed it overall! Nice to have a happy surprise of enjoying something more than I thought I would rather than being disappointed and bummed like I have experienced a lot recently
Grady Hendrix is very good at taking mundane everyday things and giving them a comical horror twist. My Best Friend's Exorcism takes a high school friendship where one of them undergoes a massive personality change, turning into a full on mean girl and trashing her relationships, after a skinny dipping incident goes wrong and she gets lost in some woods near a creepy house. The implication is that there is a possession, but there is actually still a fair amount of ambiguity in the way the story is told.
Hendrix has a lot of fun playing with the typical horror and high school friendship tropes. The result is an entertaining romp through a darkly comic high school horror. Very entertaining!
I absolutely loved this book! Who knew an exorcism story could have funny and heartfelt moments but still keep you on the edge of your seat?
I can't wait to read more Grady Hendrix!
2.5 as it was a bit boring at times. it's quite alright and not bad so I rounded it up to 3 stars.
The thing with Grady Hendrix is that he always tells you the situation in the title. What it says is 100% what is happening. There is no actual doubt about supernatural events really happening or creatures really existing.
But his genius is in the fact that through the characters you still start doubting it. The events play out through a long time and so much of it is entangled with perfectly normal, everyday events that you will doubt yourself like the characters do.
Abby and Gretchen are best friends. Sure, Abby is poor and Gretchen is rich, but they still end up at the same fancy school (Abby through a scholarship) and they bond. For a time they are at the top of the food chain with their other two friends, Margaret and Glee, being cool and pretty and just doing all the things the right way.
Then one night, while they are trying supposed LSD at Margaret's weekend house... something happens to Abby. Something they assume is a horrible and ordinarily non-supernatural thing. But then things just get too weird to be a simple case of trauma.
The thing about Grady Hendrix is that so far, all of the books I have read by him were based around nostalgia and retro, but he approaches those things so great. Many times I feel those books try too hard and they also over-explain; they point out the references and why those things matter. Here we just get told about those things like they are natural. If you know, you know. I think that's the right way to do it, so it's not boring for the people who know, but the rest can still google those things, right? It just flows better.
His friendships are interesting as well. He never seems to pretend that friendships are always going great and they are perfect. In that way, he is much more realistic about human relationships, even if all his books seem to be about supernatural things. People aren't always kind.
Now, I will say, I don't think this is his best book, mostly because I prefer adult characters, but as far as teen ones go, they are pretty solid.
4.5 stars - Originally posted to dragonsandwhimsy.co.uk
Over the past few years, I have been delving more and more into the horror genre. At one time I couldn???t get enough of it but I was too young to watch or read most things. Then I developed an anxiety disorder and found myself too easily frightened. However, my love of the genre never really went away. There is something about a dark, creepy story that gets under your skin. I still don???t know what it is, but I started keeping an eye out for horror novels when I checking the Kindle sales and that is how I came across My Best Friend???s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.
That Cover Art, Though
Of course, the first thing you notice about this book is the cover. I suppose you can say the same for any book but this one, in particular, grabbed my eye. I???ve been finding myself enamoured with the 80???s retro vibe a lot of shows have been embracing the past few years, from Stranger Things to GLOW.
I just love the colourful nature of 80???s fashion, the big curly hair and the amazing pop music, the rise of some truly great horror and alternative music and fashion??? yes, the ???80s was a terrible decade in many ways, but there???s something to be said for it. And the cover art for My Best Friend???s Exorcism screams ???the 80???s does horror, and here???s the VHS from the back of your dad???s cupboard???. So of course my first thought was: ???oh hey, I wonder if this will scratch that Stranger Things itch,??? and the short answer is: no. It won???t. But it does many other things really, really well.
A Friendship Like No Other?
The shining jewel of this novel is the friendship between Abby and Gretchen. They met as kids at Abby???s E.T. themed roller-skating party when Gretchen was the only other kid from class who showed up. They???ve been thick as thieves ever since. Gretchen is there for Abby when her dad loses his job and they fall into poverty, and Abby is there for Gretchen when her parents??? discipline turns violent. Beautifully, what divides them only seeks to make them stronger. Then comes high school when they have more friends, but they are still each other???s BFF. Until something changes and Gretchen starts acting really weird and then withdrawn until Abby loses hope of ever calling Gretchen her friend again.
Gretchen raised her head and looked at her bedroom door. ???I???m going to kill her,??? she whispered. Then she wiped her nose and looked up at Abby. ???Don???t ever tell I said that.???
The Midway Slog
The Horror is There
Who Should Read My Best Friend???s Exorcism?
Abby and Gretchen have been best friends ever since Gretchen was the only one to show up at Abby's birthday party in the 4th grade. Now in high school, they are still inseparable, but have slightly different priorities now. Going into their 10th grade year everything begins as usual. Until one night after a botched acid trip Gretchen starts acting different. She's not bathing, she's wearing the same clothes, her sweet demeanor is switched to a more aggressive one, and she seems to be pulling away and ignoring all of her friends. As Abby starts to really worry Gretchen shows up to school better than ever. Except, something is still not right. From there, Abby fights to get back her best friend, because it's clear to her that's not Gretchen.
I enjoyed this read so much. It was very entertaining and scary. I am a fan of anything scary, creepy, weird, or unexplained. So this was in my wheel house. I was born in the 90's but I have a LOVE for 80's movies (especially horror movies) and this was the best book for some 80's nostalgia (especially for music). I don't know how but Hendrix captured the angst and antics of a teenage girl quite well. There were moments when I thought “man, these kids are mean” but then remembered what it was like being in high school and how every little comment could be blown up into something bigger and worse than it is. In a book that is anything but sweet the love and friendship between Abby and Gretchen is hear warming. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator did a great job. All around, a very entertaining and creepy read. Highly recommend to those that love horror AND to those that love a good 80's teen drama.
Read for Summerween 2021 - Read a paranormal book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD0XJfa0dAU
While I don't think this in no way a bad book, I just found it a bit boring at times and I wanted even more 80s vibes. I really didn't connect to the friendship themes in this which is why it probably didn't get a high rating from me, but I do think they were written well so I understand why others connect to it. I did enjoy this book but it just wasn't necessarily for me.
Technically a 4.5, but emotionally a 5 if that makes sense? There are some technical aspects of the plot and the story that fell short, but the emotional ride that this book took me on (coupled with the fact that I stayed up until 2am to finish it) made it a 5 star read.
I loved this book. This is my third Grady Hendrix book and my favorite so far. I couldn't put it down.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix is a nostalgic trip to hell and back with best friends, walkmans, and New Coke. It is as fun as the title suggests.
“She could decide how she was going to be. She had a choice. Life could be an endless series of joyless chores, or she could get totally pumped and make it fun. There were bad things, and there were good things, but she got to choose which things to focus on. Her mom focused only on the bad things. Abby didn't have to.”
― Grady Hendrix, My Best Friend's Exorcism
I remember the 1980s. I remember E.T., legwarmers, tall gravity-defying hair, and the mall. I have a picture from 5th grade that is spectacular. All that feels very far away now, as it is 2021. But, just for a moment, Grady Hendrix transported me back to my childhood for a wild ride.
My Best Friends Exorcism follows two best friends Abigail and Gretchen, from the inception of their friendship, during the 4th grade when Gretchen gave Abigail a bible for her birthday at an E.T. themed roller rink party, through High School when their friendship gets much hazier and is tested by literal demonic influence. Abigail, the book's protagonist, sees life as a before and after. Before Gretchen, and after. The two of them are inseparable. But, after a wild night in a forest with tabs of LSD, Gretchen comes back... different. At first, Abigail can't figure it out and blames benign things. But there is something dark in the heart of her best friend, and she is the only one who can save her.
“Corn dogs,” the exorcist said, “are all the proof I need that there is a God.”
― Grady Hendrix, My Best Friend's Exorcism
I have an almost identical set of friendships with a couple of girls I grew up with. We did many of the things that Abigail and Gretchen did. I remember one of my best friends doing the entire dance from Thriller in a parking lot, seriously. She is amazingly talented. But, I know that people who go through school have friends like this. At any era. The details might be different, but at heart, the feelings are the same. Some people come into your life and help shape you. They help make you into the person you are going to be. Sometimes they stay for a while, and sometimes they last for a lifetime. But they remain in your heart. These connections are the strings that Grady Hendrix plucks when you read this novel.
What I am saying here is that although this book spoke to me on a very, very specific level. It will resonate with just about anyone who reads it. Because, while the era is different, the relationship is the same. Abigail and Gretchen love each other, a particular kind of love made of pinky swears and lifetime promise. Promises that will probably fall away as age and responsibilities change the nature of their lives. But, promises and intention none-the-less. And Abigail is going to save Gretchen, even when she doubts her sanity and even if she dies trying.
Also, this is a horror novel. It has exorcism in the title, so very graphic and horrifying things happen. But it is told in a Grady Hendrix-type way that balances the narrative and horrific elements with fun and comedic things. He balances light and dark moments, so much so that, at times, you let your guard down as a reader. Then kaboom, something scary that reminds you that there is something seriously wrong with Gretchen.
The characters are very well developed. I enjoyed learning about all of them, even the supporting characters. If this were an 80s horror movie, many of them would have probably been sliced and diced by Jason Voorhees by now. Instead, Grady gives them a different sort of treatment. We get to know them and watch how Grady twists the proverbial knife in their lives. It is very well done.
My Best Friend's Exorcism is a stand-out book with dark and twisted moments of humor that will appeal to almost any reader. Think Stranger Things mixed with The Exorcism all to the soundtrack of 1980s Madonna. It is entertaining as hell, especially if you enjoy a sprinkling of pop-culture references. I am finding Hendrix's entire catalog entertaining thus far. My Best Friend's Exorcism is the third Hendrix book I have read, the first being Horrostor followed by We Sold Our Souls. I have plans to read two more in 2021. You really can't go wrong with his books.
Loved all the 80s music and culture references and was very impressed with the way the author nailed how middle and high school friendships can be so toxic while feeling so good.
i liked this more than a lot of people seemed to but the end really lost it for me. i had a good time with it but it was very predictable and not that special
Everyone loves this. But I just did not fall into that camp unfortunately. I liked it well enough that I'd easily grab another Hendrix book but I do not like reading about parents or authority (like cops, or teachers) gaslighting and/or straight up ignoring the problems of their own kids or within their communities. I know it to be true experiences when kids can't rely on their parents or adults in their lives for help but it's too blech for me to read about.
I do hope to read more from Hendrix in the future and hopefully find a novel that I enjoy more from him :)