#My Best Friend's Exorcism

[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.

[horror-dykes-blog]

List of Books I Read While Working Nights At an Acute Mental Health Hospital That Weirded Out My Coworkers When I Explained the Plot

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson- lesbians and cannibalism

The Entire Locked Tomb Series by Tamsy Muir: lesbian necromancers in space with no reliable narrators

Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix- not really weird but explaining the meta final girls plot was hard and I fumbled it I think

Starling House by Alex E. Harrow: it's family trauma and cycles The Book

Blackwater by Michael McDowell: Evil Mermaid Except You're Definitely Rooting For Her

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix: it's what it sounds like except even cooler imo

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix (I was on a kick, okay?): what it sounds like except they should have been lesbianing it up at the end and they weren't and that was disappointing but the rest of the book 10/10

Swamplandia! by Karen Russel: wow these siblings tore my heart out i love them but also WOOF look at a TW/CW list before you read it

The Whitehall Manor Books by L.V. Pires: First book, LOVED. Cursed family? LOVED. The other two books? Eh. Honestly, don't bother

[acotars]

Read in 2023:

“By the power of Phil Collins, I rebuke you!” she said. “By the power of Phil Collins, who knows that you coming back to me is against all odds, in his name I command you to leave this servant of Genesis alone!” x

MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix ★★★★

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[thereadingmoon]

youre telling me that the person who wrote a book about the horrors of rape culture, misogyny, and puritanism in the 80s through a story about a young girl being possessed by a demon is a MAN?

a story that's centered on female friendships and pop culture and "girly girl" interests? that talks about the anxieties of conforming to societal standards and letting "boys be boys" in all its most gut-wrenching and terrifying glory?? that lets girls be girls and enjoy music and movies and makeup?????

that book??

[carriagelamp]

Found some excellent horror-related and horror-adjacent books to read this month! Not a common genre for me, so this was fun. Really can't recommend Grady Hendrix as an author enough, Horrorstör was definitely my favourite novel from this month

Eric

I hate saying it because I love the Discworld and Terry Pratchett is easily my favourite author, but man Eric did not do it for me. You could see some good bones in it, but as far as I’m concerned all the interesting bits that appeared were done significantly better in later books. It had some humour moments, but the only bits that I really enjoyed were when the Luggage was around.

This story followed a young, teenaged, would-be demon summoner who, instead of summoning a demon, accidentally winds up with the incompetent and fearful wizzard Rincewind. Obligated to answer this kid’s wishes, they end up bouncing through time and space while attempting to survive what each wish had to throw at them. 

Fantastic Mr Fox / Esio Trot / George’s Marvellous Medicine / The Enormous Crocodile

I went on a Dahl kick this month, I wanted to work through some of his shorter works that I’ve never bothered to read before. All of them were honestly delightful, I had a blast. Esio Trot was probably the weakest of the lot, but the other three were so much fun. The Fantastic Mr Fox may be my favourite just by virtue of being the most fleshed out, but listening to The Enormous Crocodile be read by Stephen Fry is an unparalleled experience.

Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy

A story I enjoyed more than I expected. I have a strange soft spot for hockey narratives, but that might just be the Canadian in me. Alix’s one true love is hockey, it’s the one place she feels competent and happy, but her team captain is making the space increasingly hostile until, unable to take the bullying, she strikes out and punches her captain. Shocked by her own violence and given an ultimatum by the coach to get her temper under control, she ends up going to popular and poised Ezra, hoping that he could show her how to deal with harassment without losing her cool in a way that scares her.

Horrorstör

Easily the best book I read this month, this book was amazing, I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a “haunted house but in a knock-off Ikea” and I mostly picked it up as a joke because the premise sounded hilarious. But I was familiar with the author (I’d read The Southern Book Club’s Guide To Slaying Vampires a couple years ago) and trusted him to do something interesting with the premise. And wow. Just wow. It is very much a classic, grisly, nauseating horror premise, but in a way that explores capitalism, exploitation, and treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill. It’s been  a long time since I read a book that actually gave me chills, but I had to put this book down and walk away from it occasionally, it was intense enough.

The Kaiju Preservation Society

As a Pacific Rim lover, this book was everything I’d ever wish for it to be. It’s such a love letter to the kaiju genre as well as environmental conservation, and it’s speculative biology is fascinating!

After being fire from his job at the beginning of the Covid pandemic lockdown in New York City, Jamie Gray is barely making ends meet by acting as a delivery driver. He doesn’t know how he can possibly continue on like this, until he runs into an old friend who offers him a strange and intensely secretive job offer. With nothing to lose, Jamie agrees and finds himself on an alternate Earth, helping to study creatures that he only knows from campy monster movies, now very much real.

The Last Wish

Felt an urge to reread a Witcher book, so I’ve been picking my way through the short stories. They continue to be a lot of fun, and it felt good to reconnect with the original narrative voice again after reading a lot of fanfiction over the years. For anyone who has someone existed post-Netflix version without picking up the general premise: Geralt of Rivia is a "witcher", a person who was specifically trained to wield weapons and magics to hunt dangerous monsters that threaten humans. This is a collection of short stories that show Geralt on some of the various hunts he's had during the decades of his over-long life. (It's significantly better than the Netflix version, very much worth the read if you like classic high fantasy and/or fairy tale retellings.)

Mortimer: Rat Race to Space

A very dull youth novel. Mortimer is a lab rat at Houston who has aspirations to go on the space program and prove that rats are better suited for colonizing Mars than humans. If you’re a seven year old who wants to consume space facts, this is the book for you. For everyone else, it’s a bit of a slog.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism

Another Grady Hendrix book. This book was undeniably well-written, just as masterful as his others, but I didn’t enjoy it as much. A bit too much high school narrative and not enough all out horror. The conclusion was pretty decent, but the rest was… fine. A fun love letter to the 1980s though as you learn about two best friends and how they grow up together. ...A bit of a debate whether or not it warrants a queer marker or not, I'm not even going to make that attempt.

The One and Only Ruby

The newest book from the One and Only Ivan series. Much like The One and Only Bob this book was… fine. The original of the series was really wonderful and felt quite inspired, inspired by the real life story of a gorilla that’s kept in a small cage in a mall complex. The next two books take place after that one and each follows one of Ivan’s friends (Bob the dog and Ruby the baby elephant). A fun enough addition to the series, the art is still cute, and it has decent things to say about the hunting of endangered animals, but it was nothing amazing. 

Paperbacks from Hell

Look, I really just felt the desperate need to read a bunch of Hendrix novels after being so violently consumed by Horrorstör. This is a nonfiction book in which Hendrix dives into the evolution and popular tropes of horror novels throughout the 1980s, with the cover art being the driving thesis throughout. You can tell how much he loves these weird, pulpy horrors and it makes you want to go and find a bunch of these and read them yourself. It really is an interesting book, even if you aren’t a great horror lover (which I wouldn’t consider myself).

The Salt Grows Heavy

Now this is a fucking novella. An absolutely unhinged, body-horror rich retelling of both The Little Mermaid and Frankenstein. Yeah. After the complete destruction of her husband’s kingdom at the hands (and jaws) of her own children, the Mermaid finds herself travelling with a mysterious Plague Doctor. I won’t go further into this except to say that the way it portrays morality, life, death, and the mutability of flesh is just… something else. Would recommend. But not if you have a weak stomach.

Scott Pilgrim

A classic. I watched the new animated series with my brother and felt the need to go back and reread the entire original series. Absolutely perfect, no notes, continues to be one of my all time favourite graphic novel series. The magical realism is just *chef’s kiss*.

[mazzologies]

I am being so serious when I say Andrew Joseph White has violently and singlehandedly pulled me out of my no-reading habits. Read HFWU and then Immediately continued onto The Spirit Bares It's Teeth, which is my favorite thus far. I'm ECSTATIC for Compound Fracture coming out next month. In the meantime, I read My Best Friends Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, which was really good but didn't quite scratch the Itch. (It was definitely fulfilling as a lighthearted 80s summer horror beach read to be so fair) .... if anyone has books akin to anything by AJW my ears are open and listening and ready

[keplercryptids]

[image description copied from alt text: text that reads: For Abby, "friend" is a word whose sharp corners have been worn smooth by overuse. "I'm friends with the guys in IT," she might say, or "I'm meeting some friends after work." But she remembers when the word "friend" could draw blood. end ID.]

started reading my best friend's exorcism by grady hendrix, expecting it to be a silly romp of a time, and then this raw-ass line showed up on page 2.

[ill-try-to-do-book-reviews]

My Best Friend's Exorcism

Grady Hendrix

Rating: 🕯🕯🕯🕯 (4/5)

As I write, it is 4am and I have just finished this book after a cumulative 6 hours, spread very far out over 10 days. Despite the time it took me to get through this book, I absolutely love it. The ending was never clear to me until it had already happened, and no matter how sure I was that I knew where the story was going, I ended up being wrong. This book is a page-turner from start to finish, and had I not been so obsessed with Minecraft when I borrowed it, I definitely would've finished it much sooner. If you are even remotely interested in this book, please read it, if you can handle minor animal death towards the end. It probably isn't what you think it'll be. Also, upon googling this book for the summary and Goodreads link, I've learned it has a movie? Does anyone know if it is any good?

SUMMARY: "Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act….different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?"

MY DETAILED REVIEW (SPOILER WARNING): There is so, so much I want to talk about with this book. The best place is always the beginning, though, so I'll start there.

I related to Abby heavily in the beginning. I, too, was once an autistic little girl with an obsession over some bizarre pop media and no friends in the deep South. I also threw a birthday party only one person attended, and that person happened to come from a very religious family and she was also a rather odd autistic little girl. The bonds forged between little autistic girls at birthday parties is a special one, and I knew from the jump that Abby and Gretchen would have an enduring friendship. Also, I know neither of them are actually autistic; I don't care. They are in my heart.

When Abby and Gretchen are about to take LSD, I found myself thinking that the drug would be the posession. That she would have a horrible trip, and so would everyone else, but it would fundamentally change Gretchen above all. Apparently, it is a real, supernatural posession.

Now, here is where my review hits a 4 instead of a 5. What the hell was wrong with the LSD? What actually happened to Gretchen in the blockhouse? How did she end up posessed?

It is very possible these questions were answered and I just missed or forgot them, but it is not knowledge I currently possess, so I can't rate the book with this knowledge in mind.

I fully thought that Gretchen would end up being raped in the blockhouse, by Riley or some other freak of nature. I thought that paired with the LSD would lead to her "posession" of sorts. But nobody except Gretchen tripped. If Gretchen even tripped at all?

The details of their drug taking are a little lost on me, but also, it doesn't bother me too much. How she ends up possessed seemingly has little bearing on the story.

Her actions while posessed are what give the story the backbone it needs.

From the moment that she gives Glee that first letter from Father Morgan, I recognized Father Morgan as a 'creep'. It didn't cross my mind once that Gretchen was forging everything. I knew the weight loss shakes would ruin Margaret, but I didn't forsee it being a billion tapeworms. By the time that the Lemon Brothers show up at their school and perform, I've accepted Gretchen's posession as supernatural; I didn't expect one of the Brothers to be the exorcist.

All in all, this book is chock-full of twists and turns. I didn't expect any of them. I even figured Gretchen would back out or snap out of it before killing Good Dog Max.

Also, Abby's chant being all things they care for and love and that are foundational to their friendship was a fantastic move. Abby didn't believe in god, or his love, but she did believe in Gretchen, and their love for each other, and that was strong enough and pure enough to work. That was one of my favourite twists.

Gretchen showing up at Abby's house at the end was my favourite, though. It's tied with Mr. Rivers essentially telling Mr. Lang to drop it and just let them be friends again. My jaw was on the floor when Brother Lemon confessed to save Abby.

Overall, it felt like this book picked and chose what loose ends to tie up, but maybe not all those ends need to be closed. Who the hell knows why Gretchen of all people ended up posessed. What matters is Abby and Gretchen loved each other to the very bittersweet end.

I love you dearly, and I love you queerly, and I love this book. Check it out if you can, and let me know what you think.

[cryptidsandcats]

I got to meet Grady Hendrix last night!! He was so kind, I told him I'm a horror writer and just finished my MFA, and he was asking about my book and what I write. He also gave a hilarious performance presentation about witches for his new book Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Highly reccomend going to one of his tour stops if they come near you!

[haveyoureadthishorrorbookpoll]

Have you read...

note: If you did not finish but feel you read enough to form an opinion, you may choose a ‘Yes’ option instead of 'Partly' (e.g., Yes, I didn’t like it). Interpret "neutral or complicated" however you like, I intended this category to be a broad option between like and dislike.

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act… different. And as the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?

submit a horror book!

[dextervexter]

“But most of all, she remembers what happened to Gretchen and how everything got so fucked up back in 1988, the year her best friend was possessed by the devil.”

[boekenworm]

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

A story about overcoming demonic possession with the power of friendship. Big emetophobia warnings, animal deaths, and the usual body horror stuff that happens with possession.

I absolutely loved this book. It didn't scare me- it just weirded me out at times. I had fun turning every page, wondering how it would all go. As you do when you read, I guess. But this had me hooked. Plus, it's set in the 80s and the whole book reeks of it. Absolutely stunning.

Go read it. It's a fun little distraction.

4/5 ⭐️

[justanotherdumass]

I don't ask for much I just want a friendship like Abby and Gretchen in my best friend's exorcism or like april and Clara in banana split

[freshlybrewedbookreviews]

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

This is another fun one from Grady Hendrix, who does such a wonderful job of blending horror and comedy. My Best Friend's Exorcism is set in the 80s, so there's a lot of nostalgia for those of us on the older end of the millennial range. Can't really go wrong with a Hendrix if you like funny spooky reads!

[sharry-arry-odd]

Abby Rivers and 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. They 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.

My Best Friend's Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix