#How to Sell a Haunted House

[brokehorrorfan]

Grady Hendrix (My Best Friend’s Exorcism, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires) will publish Witchcraft for Wayward Girls on January 14 via Berkley.

The 432-page horror novel is described as "Rosemary’s Baby set in a home for unwed mothers in 1970." It will be available in hardcover, large print paperback, e-book, and audio book.

Set in Florida in 1970, Grady Hendrix’s newest novel follows a group of young women in a home for unwed mothers who find a guide to witchcraft.

Pre-order Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix.

[permanent0midnight]

currently reading.

summer evenings are for horror books

[b-oredzoi]

Books I Read in 2023: How To Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

“I’ll come right out and say it,’ Mercy told them. ‘Strange noises, bad vibes, your mom and dad recently passed— Your house is haunted and I’m not selling it until you deal with that.”

[datsderbunnyblog]

queen 💅

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix.

Last read for my Haunted House Era™. I haven't read anything by Hendrix, yet, but he's been on my radar for a while--I love fucked up, funny things, so I'm hoping this'll be right up my alley!

[kkillustration]

Poppy and Pupkin. How to sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.

[wakingupnexttoyou]

I gotta live read this one... Because I'm 5% in and this shit is WILD already. Soooooo. Spoiler warning obviously.

This girl's parents died. She goes home to deal with their house..... It's FULL OF DOLLS.... And the attic hatch is boarded shut..... I would have walked right back out of that house you guys 😂😂😂😂😩😭

[esme-elora]

Happy birthday to me! My lovely wife got me a huge book haul for my birthday. I'm already done with one and am onto the second! 🥳

[danaearbg]

Reseña: Cómo vender una casa embrujada

Puntuación: 3/5 ★★★☆☆

Ficha técnica

Título del libro: Cómo vender una casa embrujada.

Autor: Grady Hendrix.

Editorial: Minotauro.

Edición: Primera edición.

Número de páginas: 430.

Género literario: Narrativo.

Subgénero: Novela de terror.

Resumen (sin destripe)

Después de la muerte de sus padres, Louise vuelve a Charleston para despedirse de ellos y arreglar los asuntos pendientes relacionados a la casa en donde ella y su hermano Mark habían crecido. Sin embargo, la mala relación con su hermano y el intento de reformar la casa para poder venderla no serán los únicos problemas que Louise atraviese para dejar todo listo y poder regresar a San Francisco con su hija; los recuerdos, los problemas familiares, los secretos y la exorbitante cantidad de títeres y muñecos que su madre coleccionaba se convertirán en un reto de vida o muerte que deberá enfrentar para conseguir regresar a la tranquilidad de su vida.

Valoración literaria

Gracias al lenguaje descriptivo utilizado por Hendrix podrás imaginar a detalle lo que ocurre en cada escena, así como el terror, confusión y dolor que los personajes experimentan a lo largo de la historia. De la misma manera, su estilo de lenguaje informal te permitirá relajarte un poco de la tensión, pues los diálogos tan naturales y espontáneos de los personajes te harán soltar una que otra risa, muy necesaria si me lo preguntas. Ahora bien, la simpatía por los personajes, además de ser causada por su buen desarrollo, se debe al estilo indirecto que el autor emplea, ya que al ser la voz narrativa quien cuenta la historia aún cuando el personaje principal se trate de Louise, permite que los demás personajes cuenten su versión y se expresen emocionalmente.

En lo que respecta a su narrativa, ésta es sencilla de comprender pues como mencioné arriba el lenguaje es informal, centrándose en aspectos del día a día, situaciones casuales (o bueno, no tan casuales ya que dudo mucho que enfrentarte a circunstancias de vida o muerte en casas embrujadas sea algo común) y palabras sencillas y cotidianas que las describen. Además, y como elogio hacia el autor, los cambios de escena que hace o el cambio de narración entre un recuerdo y el presente son bastante ingeniosos. Realmente no sientes el cambio, la lectura fluye de manera natural y sin que te des cuenta.

Debido a esta facilidad y fluidez en la narrativa la historia es enganchante. Desde la primera página te atrapa la curiosidad por saber qué pasó con los padres de Louise, lo que se va a encontrar en su viaje a Charlestone, y por supuesto, quedas atrapado por llegar a la parte en la que aparece la casa embrujada. He de decir que la forma en la que Hendrix te va llevando es bastante creativa, pues cualquier cosa que te imagines con sólo leer el título muy poco tiene que ver con lo que te encontrarás a lo largo de las páginas. Ni qué decir una vez termines de leer el libro. Los giros argumentales vaya que te toman por sorpresa, y estoy segura de que así como yo en más de una ocasión te encontrarás leyendo con la boca abierta sin poder creer lo que acabas de leer. Especialmente el final; con decirte que aún continúo impresionada por ese gran giro que Hendrix usó.

Opinión personal

Como he comentado en otras reseñas, el género terror es uno de mis favoritos, por lo que este libro lo he disfrutado bastante. Desde las primeras páginas quedé interesada por continuar la historia y conocer más sobre la vida de Louise. Aunque en esencia, la historia no sólo se centra en ella sino en la relación con su hermano y los problemas familiares que los acompañan, además por su puesto, de la casa embrujada con la que deben lidiar y lograr vender. Pese a que la narrativa me gustó mucho, hubo cierto personaje con frases muy infantiles que me parecieron absurdas y pesadas de leer. Eso fue algo que me complicó un poco la fluidez de lectura, así como minimizó lo aterrador que pudo haber sido la experiencia de la historia. Sin embargo, toda esa pesadez que sentía al leer los diálogos de dicho personaje y su aparente sinsentido tuvo todo el sentido del mundo una vez llegué a los capítulos finales. La experiencia cambió totalmente y se convirtió en un “¡Aaaaaaah, por eso hablaba así!”. Después de todo, ese fastidio que sentí a lo largo de la novela se transformó en un mar de lágrimas y un apachurro en mi corazón. Ahora sólo puedo decir: ¡Qué maravilloso final! ¡Vaya giro!

Por otra parte, y con el objetivo de hacer un bonito contraste con el desahogo de arriba, he de decir que admiro mucho el estilo de escritura del autor, pues siendo una historia con tantos giros en ningún momento pierde sentido o llega a presentar incoherencia alguna. Sin embargo, entre tantas “tías” en la familia me perdí un poco en el desenlace de la historia, pues no eran personajes que salieran o se mencionaran con frecuencia, y ya no sabía la relación familiar que tenían entre sí ni con los personajes principales. Por lo que si a ti también se te va un poquito la cosa en esto, te recomiendo que pongas atención o anotes el árbol genealógico para no perderte como yo.

"El trabajo con títeres y con máscaras es básicamente lo mismo y cuesta explicar lo que es llevar una máscara a alguien que no se la ha puesto nunca, pero, en cuanto lo haces, dejas de ser tú para siempre. Con los títeres pasa lo mismo. Te enfundas uno y te cambia la postura, se te altera la voz y percibes lo que quiere, lo que le asusta, sabes lo que necesita. No llevas tú el títere; el títere te lleva a ti" (p. 241).

En conclusión, Hendrix ha hecho un trabajo maravilloso con Cómo vender una casa embrujada. Los personajes están muy bien construidos, y a lo largo de la novela se empeña en mostrarte sus personalidades y descripciones físicas. Todo fluye armónicamente. Es notable, además, el valor e importancia que le da a los lazos familiares, así como la facilidad de resolución a los problemas cuando tienes el apoyo de tu familia; y todo esto a través de una muy bien formada atmósfera de terror. Con todo lo anterior, y tomando muy en cuenta las risas y lágrimas que experimenté a lo largo de la historia, puedo concluir que he disfrutado mucho del libro, a pesar de que la mayor parte me la llevé “odiando” los diálogos infantiles del personaje que te mencioné, pero al final, incluso esto terminó teniendo todo el sentido y cambiando mi perspectiva por completo. Así pues, he de decir que para mí fue una historia que sí o sí debes terminar de leer para que decidas si es un buen libro o no. Y bueno, tal vez la valoración no llegó a las 5 o 4 estrellas, pero esto fue porque no logró sumar los puntos necesarios en mi rúbrica de valoración. Así que te invito a leer el libro para que experimentes por ti mismo todos estos puntos que te he mencionado en la reseña. Estoy segura que disfrutarás la historia, y tal vez, así como a mí, cambie totalmente tu forma de ver a los títeres y muñecos.

[rattlinbog]

i wasn't going to cry reading a grady hendrix book, but after everything went down when louise found her four stuffed animals hiding underneath the bed because they loved her and couldn't hurt her, that was it

[dreamsbookblr]

I don’t think people understand how true How To Sell A Haunted House is in the sense that Grady Hendrix didn’t make up anything when it comes to the Charleston setting or facts…like the Stuhr’s funeral home is real, the streets where Louise’s parents had their car accident are real and do intersect, Wando (the high school Louise went to) is real and I knew people who went there! Piggly Wiggly had AMAZING Mrs. Mac’s friend chicken that people still mourn! Being a Charleston native while reading this is completely wild.

[daphneblakess]

books i read in 2023: how to sell a haunted house by grady hendrix

They would have a lifetime to adjust to each other’s new roles - a daughter becoming a mother, a mother becoming a grandmother. They would have years.

As it turned out, they got five.

[quotian]

“You always made fun of her art,” he said. “I never made fun of her art,” she said. “I work in design because of her.” “You glued googly eyes to the toilet and said it was her masterpiece. You even put a little museum placard next to it.” “I was thirteen.” “You know she locked herself in her room and cried when you did that.” “I've got a lot of work to do,” she said. “I don't have time for this.” how to sell a haunted house - grady hendrix

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: October Wrap-Up.

Gr8 news: I am no longer very far behind on my NaNo prep reading!! I had to drop JUST LIKE HOME (reread) and HOUSE OF LEAVES, but I got through the rest of my Haunted House and/or Aliens and/or Parasite/Fungus TBR. Here they all are!

Photos and/or reviews linked:

SHRIEK - ★★★★ I think SHRIEK Is my favorite volume of the Ambergris trilogy, taken as a whole--the one-way conversation Duncan was having with Janice was a really neat narrative choice, and then the reveal in the Afterword's Afterword was, in true VanderMeer fashion, mind-blowing.

FINCH - ★★★★ I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one. It helped me figure out a LOT about what kinds of power dynamics I enjoy in borderline-dystopian fiction, and what intrigues me most about limited agency. It wrapped the story up almost too neatly, for a VanderMeer, but I did still have a good time and blitzed through it quickly. Given this one and SHRIEK, I'm counting the Whole Series as a Four-Star read--I'd like to reread it someday, now that I know what's going on.

LEECH - ★★★★★ (reread) STILL ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVES, OFFICIALLY!! It's very gothic and heavy and fucked up, but it does FASCINATING things with POV, and worldbuilding, and storytelling frameworks. PLEASE check the content warnings, but if none of those are hard no's for you, definitely pick this one up. I suspect anyone for whom Animorphs was a Formative Influence will adore this (but so far my sample size is really only 1)--please prove me right.

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES - ★★★½ This was fun! Not my favorite Kingfisher (that award still goes to HOLLOW PLACES), but I had a good time--I laughed, I squealed over vultures, I blasted through pages to get to the end.

STARLING HOUSE - ★★★★ Alix E. Harrow always manages to write exactly my catnip, somehow. Maybe it's the ADHD, but I'm constantly finding connections to my own writing projects in her work, and STARLING HOUSE was no exception! I liked that this one was more modern, and the sibling dynamic was precious, and I love weird sentient houses where space is more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule. I'll probably reread this one for Driscoll purposes!

WOODWORM - ★★★½ So much rage in such a tiny volume, and I was Absolutely Here For It. I don't tend to read much lit fic, but I do try to read a lot in translation, and I thought this one did very cool stuff with Spanish--the prose felt natural in English, but I loved the linguistic details the translators left in Spanish and how much depth that added. I feel like this one might be a good fit for Carmen Maria Machado fans, too.

HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE - ★★★ Call this a low 3, from me. It was Fine, I guess. I liked what he did with the act structure (labeling parts as stages of grief was very cool), and I liked the family dynamics and history, but a lot of the humor didn't land for me (I got a few sensible chuckles, but a bunch of it wasn't funny), and the "oh this author is A Man, huh" moments made me roll my eyes (seriously: Who thinks about their ~breasts~ when an angry taxidermied squirrel is clawing down your shirt?? No One With Breasts, Mr. Dude). This book did at least teach me that I'm not really interested in gore (it's just boring, unlike body horror, my beloved). I might still pick up HORRORSTOR, but I probably won't look into most of his other stuff, if this one is indicative of his general style. Meh.

THE ART OF EXCESS - No rating (didn't read the whole thing). At the end of ALWAYS COMING HOME, Richard Powers mentioned this book as the reason he finally committed to ALWAYS, so I was curious what this Tom Leclair dude had to say about it back in 1989. I had a heck of a time tracking down a copy (it's very out of print, and my local library had to source it from the Library of Congress for me), but I didn't want to buy it to read just the preface/intro/epilogue, because I haven't read any of the other texts he analyzes. Leclair's style was very readable, and I was intrigued by his framework, but I found some of his conclusions eye-rolly, given his sample size. I posted this one because I think Library of Congress books are fun, but I didn't add it to my Goodreads.

BLACK TIDE - ★★★½ This one had me rolling my eyes in the first couple chapters, and I was afraid I wasn't going to like it, but once Fucked Up Shit Started Happening, the momentum really picked up and didn't stop--I blitzed through it way past my bedtime on a school night. It was fucked up and weird and tense and bloody pull-no-punches horror, but it ALSO made me laugh, and I loved our two fuck-ups surviving the apocalypse together. NOTE: Dogs (and Gulls) Are Not Safe, and the cast is small enough that it matters a lot :( if you can't stomach animal harm/death, skip this.

A HALF-BUILT GARDEN - 81/338 pages read; will report back. Enjoying it so far! Glad I put it on my NaNo prep reading list, though not quite for the reasons I planned--the reflections on motherhood as well as parenting outside the binary have been interesting, so far (and that's relevant for my own haunted house endeavors!). A much gentler ride than BLACK TIDE, and the immersive tech reminds me of Murderbot's world, just Earthbound.

Overall! Fabulous month for reading! Anytime I think "wow I need A Break™ from writing or life," this is the type of reading I mean--where I can spend a couple weeks annihilating books within a day to Refill the Words Reservoir.

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of last month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[fearsomeandwretchedandwrong]

Mark was cleaner but he looked like exactly the type of guy who'd go to a Waffle House at three in the morning after shooting a haunted puppet.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

[leer-reading-lire]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge || December || 25 || Book Haul

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix