Title: My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Author: Grady Hendrix
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Humor,
Publisher: Quirk Books (Penguin Random House)
Date published: July 11, 2017 (originally published on May 17, 2016)

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

A heartwarming story of friendship and demonic possession. 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? Like an unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist, My Best Friend’s Exorcism blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of ’80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller. 

– My Review –

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. Going in, all that I knew was that the story takes place in the 80s, that it’s about two best friends, and that there would be horror and humor. Having only experienced this mixture of humor and horror in the Scary Movie film series before, I wasn’t sure how this would work in a book. But rather than mull it over any more than I had to, I dove in and let myself be surprised.

Now, Grady Hendrix is one of my favourite authors! His writing is incredibly witty, and the sarcasm is far too amusing. Hendrix also knows how to build up a setting very well, to the point where I felt as if I was walking through the streets of a South Carolina town, jumping at shadows, inhaling the smells, taking in the sights. This definitely made this read a little more spooky, since I felt as if I was there with the characters, and therefore vulnerable from the forces of evil!

Don’t let that scare you off though! I scare quite easily, but managed to read this book mostly at night time without getting too spooked. The evil in this book felt almost like a parody, while also remaining quite dangerous! And having no idea what to expect from this book, or from Hendrix, I found that I did not know how this book would end…until I reached the ending. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, cursing at situations and characters, and thoroughly enjoying myself.

And speaking of characters, I just want to say that each and every one of them (including the supporting characters) were so memorable that I can still remember them an their names (trust me, this is rare for me since I’m awful at remembering names) days after reading the last page. I am not sure if I can say that I have a favourite, but I will say that I loved Abby and Gretchen together, and their friendship. I also really liked reading about their classmates as well as the adults (even though I hated most of the latter).

The paperback version of this book was released on July 11th, and the new cover for the release is just spectacular! It has all of the little details of an 80s horror flick on it, and my friends actually thought that I was reading a book from the 80s! They thought that the edges were damaged, and that there were stickers on the cover, and when I told them that the book was brand new, they all had to touch it! This book is such an ode to 80s culture and music, and I think that’s so great! Each of the chapter titles are the name of an 80s song, and there were numerous references to the time period as well, including cars, hairstyles, fashion, and language trends! Hendrix transported me to the 80s, more specifically to a small town in South Carolina in the 80s, and despite all of the things that go bump in the night, I didn’t want to leave!

I highly recommend this book to those who like the 1980s, who like to read about the power of friendship, and those who are intrigued by the prospect of a book which mixes the spooky with the hilarious!

– About the Author –

Grady Hendrix is the author of “Horrorstör” the only novel about a haunted Scandinavian furniture superstore you’ll ever need. It has been translated into 14 languages and is being made into a TV show by Gail Berman (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Charlie Kaufman (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), and Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl”). His next novel, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism,” is about demonic possession, friendship, exorcism, and the Eighties. It’s out from Quirk Books since May, 2016. His stories about UFO cults, killer Chinese parasites, Cthulhu dating your mom, and super-genius human-hating apes have appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, Strange Horizons, Pseudopod, and “The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination.” He’s co-author (along with his wife) of the award-winning “Dirt Candy: A Cookbook,” the world’s first graphic novel cookbook.

– Purchase Links –

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!