'My Best Friend's Exorcism' by Grady Hendrix is a horror novel set in the 1980s that follows the story of two best friends, Abby and Gretchen. The book combines elements of friendship, coming of age, and demonic possession. When Gretchen becomes possessed by a demon, Abby must navigate through the challenges of high school drama, toxic friendships, and the supernatural to save her best friend with the power of their unbreakable bond. The writing style is a mix of horror, comedy, and nostalgia, with seamless incorporation of 80s references, creating a fast-paced and entertaining read that keeps readers engaged till the end.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic depictions of violence, animal death, substance abuse, bullying, and emotional trauma.
From The Publisher:
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, this unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist blends teen angst and unspeakable horrors into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller.
The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries-and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?
Ratings (110)
Incredible (15) | |
Loved It (48) | |
Liked It (22) | |
It Was OK (18) | |
Did Not Like (7) |
Reader Stats (216):
Read It (110) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (67) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (33) |
10 comment(s)
I decided to put the book down and finish it some other time as I feel I'm not in the right head space fornit now. While I enjoyed the story somethings just hit harder then it should. But I will count it as readvas I read a lot of it.
4.5 rounded up because I love Grady Hendrix style of writing. A fun story that was creepy, funny, and 'spooky'.
Awesome book! 10/10 would recommend to anyone. Witty, pulse pounding and surprisingly heartfelt
I enjoyed this but honestly, I’m not sure if it was entirely the book or the nostalgic itch it scratched.
Love a Gen X themed story. Brought back some memories. This was a fun read.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism was kind of meh, if I’m being honest. The book begins with the tone and themes being similar to
PEN15, then the book seems like it is going to transform into a
teenage girls who are hot, popular, and rich but also a mess type book, but quickly abandons that tone for a much darker tone. I was confused for most of the book as to whether Gretchen
actually was possessed by a demon or 1) if the demon possession was actually a metaphor for sexual violence or 2) the demon possession was a metaphor for girls and women not acting in accordance with traditional feminine standards.
There is a bright spot in the exorcism itself.
I like that Abby was only able to complete Gretchen’s exorcism when she committed to the things that were real—their friendship and Abby’s love for Gretchen.
However, the ending does seem quite glib in comparison to all the topics the book touched on.
Overall,
My Best Friend’s Exorcism failed to do much for me, but the book might be more suited for people who actually lived in/grew up in the eighties.
Too campy
This book hits all the good spots. It's one of my favorites: friendships between high school girls that are realistic, supernatural horror, actually scary.
Love the interplay between the two main characters, the aching tension and suspense around the horror scenes, and how Grady blends the tropes of the two distinct genres together.
Yes! Of course it was the front cover that grabbed me. The amazing artwork transported me from a book store to a video store from the 1980s. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the novel itself, had a feeling that it was going to be a little basic and shallow—but no! Far from it, underneath the gloss of Hollywood horror is a superb story that cuts deep into the anxiety of friendship and growing up.
What can you read after
My Best Friend's Exorcism?
About the Author:
Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter living in New York City. He is the author of Horrorstör, My Best Friend's Exorcism, We Sold Our Souls, and the New York Times bestselling The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which is being adapted into a…
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