Detail
Title: My Best Friend's Exorcism ISBN:Published May 17th 2016 by Quirk Books · Kindle Edition 337 pages
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Audiobook, Thriller, Adult, Supernatural, Humor
Must be read
User Reviews
Wil Wheaton
It's very very very good, but falls just short of being great and I can't say exactly why.
I loved the characters and the metaphor of possession (which is not just a metaphor in this story). I loved the references to 1988, and how seamlessly they were dropped into the narrative.
It's a supernatural horror story, and the third act drives that home without mercy, but at its core, this is a story about friendship, and I'm glad I read it. I think it would make a great 6 episode series.
karen
HAPPPPPPYYYYY SPOOOOOOKTOOOOOBER!
a reverse-mullet review: GIF-party in the front, long tendrils of ruminating “business” in the back.
in short, this book is
and
"DBNQ," and largely because “we got the beat” is used as a plot point in this book and “heaven is a place on earth” is used in that episode,
so it's six degrees of belinda carlisle
and then you throw in some
and
and
i need to use the rest of this space to untangle some thoughts and reactions i have about this book. you can come with me or you can go on your merry way to read a more review-shaped review, but you cannot bitch at me for not writing a review in whatever manner you find most useful or appropriate, because i'm telling you right now - if you are the kind of person who has bullet points for how goodreads reviews "should" be, this ain't your review.
i’d intended to only read horror books for october, despite the temptation of several non-horror books side-eyeing me wantonly from the stacks. and yet i feel like i have already inadvertently failed in this goal by reading this one, because i wouldn’t really classify it as “horror.” unless you are extraordinarily spooked out by teengirl squabbles. which is probably a legit phobia with a fancy name, but i don’t know what it is.
and i’m okay with this not slotting neatly into the horror category. i like genre blends, i like ambiguity and metafiction (when it is purposeful and not just gimmicky), and i like it very much when the reader is invited to take a step back and examine a situation through a slightly different lens before returning them to the narrative a little off-balance; out of alignment with their former expectations or beliefs or even comfort level.
this book both does and doesn’t do these things. see, i can be ambiguous, too!
this is a possession novel that offers several different “outs” along the way before committing to a stance on the “demon or no demon?” question. the problem is, i’ve already read a perfectly-done example of this: A Head Full of Ghosts, which sustains its ambiguity throughout, essentially presenting two books at the same time; one in which the possession is real, one in which it is not. this one kinda bats around the idea of that ambiguity in a half-hearted way, but it’s more a case of “presenting logical alternatives” than “maintaining two possible storylines simultaneously.” which is less ambitious and less fun, but it certainly does its due diligence in checklisting all of the possible explanations for erratic teen behavior that aren’t demon-based, with especial focus on two of the big baddy blamealots of the 80’s: satanic cults and drugs. it’s all part of that “just say no,” medical misinformation, satanic panic zeitgeist of the 80’s where urban legends are presented as factual, where teenage characters fully believe that subterranean tunnels under preschools host molestation parties, AIDS is a weapon in a psychopath’s arsenal, and that any family moving out of town is really covering up the satanically-motivated dismemberment-murder of one of their peers.
but as far as the
parade of alternate explanations go, it’s actually an interesting experiment to see how long you can make a possession novel read like a teen-problem novel - how long you can hold off before you must choose. because there is a lot of overlap in how they present to the outside world, and in this book, the potential problem/excuse for gretchen changing itself changes with breathtaking frequency, depending on who’s diagnosing her, but they are all valid; textually supported and confidently asserted:
page 128 - blamed on drugs and life stress (boys, school, parents)
”I don’t know what’s going on with Gretchen…But if you care about your friend, you need to get her off whatever she’s on.”
“What?” Abby asked.
“What?” Mr. Barlow mimicked. “I’m not an idiot. I know what drugs are. If you’re really her friend, get her to stop.”
and
Abby realized that no one was going to do anything. For five years, Gretchen had been the perfect Albermarle student, and the faculty still saw what they were used to seeing - not what was really happening. Maybe they chalked it up to PSAT stress or problems at home. Maybe they figured that tenth grade was a tough transition. Maybe they were caught up in their own divorces and career dramas and problem kids, and if she still wasn’t turning things around on Monday they’d say something. Or maybe the following Monday. Or the Monday after that.
Something was changing inside Gretchen. Maybe it was the acid, maybe it was Andy, maybe it was her parents, maybe it was something worse. Whatever it was, Abby had to keep trying. She couldn’t abandon her friend because soon Gretchen would be ready to talk. Any minute now she’d look up from her daybook and say, “I have to tell you something serious.”
pages 138-9 - blamed on rape, trauma manifesting in cutting
So it was true. Someone had been in the woods and attacked Gretchen, and now she was hurting herself again and again as she relived the trauma, punishing herself just like Seventeen said. It all made so much sense that, insanely, Abby felt proud for having figured it out.
144 - blamed on unspecified adolescent psychology
”What Gretchen is going through is very scary, and I don’t blame you for backing off from your friendship a little. But we’ve talked to doctors and they tell us that what’s happening is an unfortunate sickness of the mind and spirit that happens sometimes as girls grow up.”
and
”It’s terrible when a young person hurts herself. But it can be a reaction to a lot of things. We’ve found someone in the church who Gretchen can speak to, and that’s how she’s going to start getting better.
and the biggest opportunity for an “out” from a supernatural explanation comes from a source who should be above reproach:
”Abby,” Father Morgan said, “I know how it is to be a young person. There are all these reports of satanic cults everywhere, sacrificing babies. Geraldo Rivera’s doing a two-hour special on them next week. Of course you feel these things deeply, and they upset and influence you. But they’re not real.”
“Then what are they?” Abby asked.
“They’re…” Father Morgan waved one hand around in the air. “…metaphors. Ways of dealing with information and emotions. Adolescence is a complicated time, and some really bright people think that when the adult emerges, it’s like you’re being taken over by a different person. Almost like being possessed. Sometimes parents, or friends, get hurt when a loved one changes. They look around for something to blame. Music, movies, satanism.”
He leaned back and flashed a smile.
“So you think Gretchen is possessed?” Abby asked. “Like she has a demon inside of her?”
His smile flicked off.
“What?” he said. “No, it’s a metaphor.”
oh, where was this authoritative voice of reason in the wayback? or was tipper gore just so loud in castigating ozzy osbourne, cyndi lauper and jello biafra that no one could hear? or is it, as poor father morgan later tries to explain to the very stubborn abby, that society needs a scapegoat to explain the bad things that happen, we need someone to be sick so we don’t have to address ourselves, and a media circus is a wonderful distraction.
so, that was all a lot of words going nowhere, i know - but again - this is pretty much just for me to figure some shit out. and here’s more of that.
hand in hand with the panoply of reasonable natural-world explanations in terms of how it serves the author and manipulates the reader is what i’m calling the stepback. usually, this happens in a first-person narrative, when you have gone along with the narrator for the bulk of the story, and whether or not you agree with/approve of their choices and actions, you are nonetheless firmly lodged in that perspective and then suddenly the book takes a giant step back into third person, showing you the scene in a more objective way, and it’s all “hey now!” the two i can think of right now are American Psycho and And the Ass Saw the Angel, but i know there are more.
this one has two stepbacks, of a sort, where the choice easily could have been made to move away from the demonic angle and go down an equally creepy but more real-world path. OR to kinda juggle both. they both revolve the exorcist character, and again - A Head Full of Ghosts does a wicked thorough job examining the problematic, gendered and highly sexualized nature of exorcism rituals, but this book seems to be satisfied with setting up and calling attention to a sinister possibility without taking it any further.
abby and the exorcist meet at the mall, and after a candid and unvarnished discussion about ghb as a means of knocking out and then kidnapping her best friend, for her own good, of course - praise jesus, this enormous bodybuilder of a man, no more than a stranger to abby, says: ”Come on…I want to show you something in my car.”
abby’s no dummy, and she’s cautious enough to work out an escape route as she follows him to his white van (natch), where he triumphantly shows off his nylon straps, handcuffs, a straitjacket, duct tape, ball gags, chains, collars, a leash and muzzle, a leather hood, shackles followed by this not at all indicative of a crazy person scene:
”It’s for our safety, of course,” he said. And then he laughed and clapped his hands. “Hot darn, I’m excited,” he said, hopping from one foot to the other.”
in a different book, this goes a different way, right? and i kind of wanted to read that book - a sharp twist away from my expectations, rattling reader-me from my ridealong absorption of abby’s belief in demonic possession back onto firmer ground with a turn of events equally “earned” by events thus far. the second stepback, or opportunity to switch gears, comes during the ritual itself, as it should during any physical torture of a teenage girl “for her own good.” you should take a moment - preferably before you administer the ghb, just to entertain the possibility that you’re reading the signs wrong. just half a mo.
i’m not sure what i’m trying to understand by identifying these moments, other than reiterating that this is barely a horror novel, that it goes 3/4 of the way before it is any different from a contemporary YA problem novel, and that i think that’s interesting. you may not. “you” are probably just an echo of me right now, because i doubt anyone has come this far down the babble spiral with me, but i’m okay with that. and now i will babble some positive responses.
i liked so many things in this book - it gets a hundred stars for design. i love the cover of the paperback, but unfortunately it does not include all the yearbook signatures of the hardcover, of which i particularly like abby’s, whose P.S. means one thing before you read the book and one much more specific thing after, and is the part that made me get as close to emotional as i can when reading.
and although the 80s music references i was promised were of the #notMY80s variety - all pop music instead of new wave, i have to admit i thoroughly enjoyed the girls’ new lyrics to "against all odds" and "we got the beat."
and i especially-especially enjoyed the code of the south - that genteel looking away from the inelegant shames of others:
In Charleston, the day you become an adult is the day you learn to ignore your neighbor’s drunk driving and focus instead on whether he submitted a paint-color change proposal to the Board of Architectural Review. The day you become an adult is the day you learn that in Charleston, the worse something is, the less attention it receives.
this is, by the way, the complete opposite of how we do in new england, which is pretty much exactly like The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible.
that ending, tho.
completely unexpected and yet absolutely perfect.
*****************************************
3.5 rounded up for ending. word-thoughts to come.
come to my blog!Sadie Hartmann
Updating review on 9/20/19
I read a one-star review basically calling the author out for "queerbaiting" in this book by using the phrase "Love ya dearly but not queerly." I have to say that the 1980s were so homophobic and ignorant. Especially with language and phrases. It has taken a long time for me to stop saying, "That's gay" for something I think is lame and I'm not homophobic. It's a phrase that was used before I had any idea what it even meant (my kids have corrected this behavior and I know better and do better)
We also said the "R" word synonymously for "lame" which is also not OK. But if an author writes a book set in 1980s, it's relevant to reflect this ignorant attitude, in my humble opinion. It's the way it was; the way we talked. I know that the usage of these words is triggering for readers TODAY because these ignorant attitudes and words are still in use--but I think the accusations against the author are misguided in this context. Just my .02
I'm not really sure why anyone would rate this book anything lower than five stars, unless of course, they didn't understand the premise of the book. I think it helps that I was born in 1976, so I'm the target audience and I buddy read it with a friend who was also in middle school in the late 80s-high school in the 90s, so you know--the E.T. themed birthday party at the roller skating rink? Yeah. Nailed it.
What you're signing up for when you read this book is the general plot of The Exorcist paired with Carrie vibes but lightened up with Hendrix's unique brand of iconic cultural identification/nostalgia that looks a lot like a blender smoothie of Stranger Things, My So Called Life and every 80s sitcom I ever watched---that's what this book *feels* like when you're reading it.
If you were born after 1985, you're probably going to miss out on reliving stuff like the scene where Abby and Gretchen get in trouble for singing the lyrics to Like a Virgin and wearing Gretchen's mom's cross necklaces. That was a scene from my own life--I mean, I *am* the MTV generation. I was scandalized by Madonna. I Stayed up late with my parents to watch the premiere video for Micheal Jackson's Thriller when it was an event on network television, I crimped my hair, had a Swatch Watch, wore Esprit Jeans and sprayed myself with Exclamation perfume every morning of eighth grade. But you'll get the basic idea of it if you swap Madonna with Britney Spears or something.
So of course, Grady Hendrix was speaking my language this entire book-not one pop culture reference was wasted on me. I especially loved the song title chapter headings and the songs would immediately get locked in my head,
"How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning"
I had no clue what these lyrics by Midnight Oil was even about when I was a kid, but I knew every, single word and it was a treasure to recall that when I got to this chapter-and the way the lyrics actually fit so well with what was happening in the story? I mean, it's genius level storytelling in my opinion. However, I don't think this book will alienate any of the younger generation of readers because 80s pop culture is super celebrated and people who can't relate on a personal level, will at least get it on the same level that they get what's going on in Stranger Things, which is wildly popular for all ages, you know? Sure, my 12 year old isn't going to feel it like my husband and I do, but he relates as a kid--kids don't change. All the characters in this book were well developed and easy to relate to for anyone who remembers what it is like to be a pre-teen/teenager.
The humor and horror seem in perfect balance. Yes, there are some cringe-worthy moments and yes, they are less scary because of the humor that's blended through out, but for me, that didn't make it any less entertaining. I enjoyed every moment--stand out moments being the climax towards the end and the exorcism stuff--there were some laugh out loud moments (love the Phil Collins mentions in that scene) Ha!
Overall, I recommend this book for anyone--not just fans of 80s pop culture (although they would love this!) and not just fans of horror books, but everyone who likes a good story with witty dialog, great characters and a well crafted horror plot, with few laughs. How does that *not* sound like a good time?
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
Well hell, the end of this book made me cry a little bit! I didn't see that coming!
I loved the front and back pages of this book. I took a couple of pictures so you guys could see. It's awesome, like a yearbook =)
I loved Abby and Gretchen's friendship. It lasted the test of time.
I think something in the book might have went over my head but I'm just going to pretend it didn't.
I loved, loved, loved the 80's music references and other stuff. It makes me think of the good ole days. Well, mostly good ole days.
This book is about high school, friends and weirdos, demonic stuff, exorcisms ish, troubled families and kids, and probably several more things that I have forgotten.
I enjoyed this coming of age story - not your typical coming of age story - but I still enjoyed it. And like I said, the end was both sweet and sad =(
Enoy!
MEL ♥
Anne
If you lived through the 1980s then you'll probably remember the rash of Satanism that struck middle-class America during those harrowing times.
Thank God for Geraldo Rivera and his timely news pieces!
As children, we were being sucked into service of the Dark One through Dungeons and Dragons, heavy metal rock bands, ouija boards, and copious amounts of hairspray.
#facts
It was a good time to be alive.
Ok, so Hendrix takes all of the nonsense and paranoia of that era and tells a story of two girls from very different walks of life who become best friends. Like, real ride or die bitches.
And then throws a real demonic possession in there.
It's funny, but more in a hahaha! I remember that! way than in a belly laugh sort of way. It's also touching and sweet and scary and sad and surprisingly realistic when it comes to how things would probably go down in a situation like that.
And the ending made me wish I had a friendship like those two.
I've read a couple of Hendrix's books now and this one is definitely my favorite so far.
So, if you're one of the millions of folks in the market for an 80s exorcism story, I think you'll really enjoy this.
Gabby
This book was so much fun. This is my second book from Grady Hendrix and I just love his writing so much. This book screams 80's horror movie vibes and I love that about it. We follow this young teenage girl and her best friend begins acting super strange, and then we find out her best friend is possessed. This book is strange and gory and it has one of the most disturbing scenes I've read in a book since The Troop which is pretty surprising and hardcore for a YA book. There's also a Spotify playlist for this book that is absolutely incredible and enhances the reading experience x1000000.
I also read it for Summerween, you can see my reactions to this book here: https://youtu.be/FO2wJTXJIYA
Matthew
Part 80s nostalgia
Part tongue-in-cheek comedy
Part gory demonic horror story
Are you a fan of the darker 80s comedy movies? (i.e. Heathers) Is one of your favorite parts of Stranger Things the 80s references? Do you enjoy that part in The Exorcist when her head spins around and she spits pea soup? Well, then look no further - your next read is here!
I enjoyed this one a lot for the bit of escapism it gave me. I didn't find it laugh out loud funny or skin crawling-ly scary. But, there were enough chuckles and minor shocks that, at the end of the day, I was satisfied.
This is my second Grady Hendrix and I have found them so far to be the perfect palate cleansers. So, the next time I finish a heavy book and need a break, a Hendrix title I shall choose!
Dan
Abby and Gretchen were best friends until they dropped acid at a party. Now, Gretchen's been acting strangely, letting her appearance going to shit, and Abby's worried. But Gretchen will soon give her something to really worry about...
After the nirvana that was Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction, I had to give Grady Hendrix's fiction a shot.
Set during the satanic panic of the 1980s, My Best Friend's Exorcism is the story of the friendship between two girls and the possessing demon that drove a wedge between them. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't precisely this. It feels more like a Megan Abbott book, a window into the lives of teenage girls than a horror novel.
While it's set in the 80s, My Best Friend's Exorcism doesn't beat you over the head with nostalgia. There are musical references but the culture of the time is the main 80s feature imported into the novel. Satanists are everywhere and they'll stop at nothing to take over the world!
The inter-girl politics between Abby, Gretchen, and their friends was very well done and believable. I was never at a moment when I thought "There's clearly a dude writing this." The book is compulsively readable. I wolfed it down in four sittings. I would have gotten it in two but people kept wanting to talk to me during my lunch breaks. Fuckers.
It felt more like a suspense novel a lot of the time but there were still some horrific moments that I won't go into here. I was telling my wife about one particular incident and she was pretty impressed.
It wasn't perfect, however. The editing was a little sloppy. I noticed one character called the wrong name and one instance of someone's wrists and ankles tied to a bed post but with her hands at her sides. Did she suddenly have four arms?
Anyway, those minor quibbles aside, I enjoyed My Best Friend's Exorcism quite a bit. I'll be reading more of Grady Hendrix's fiction. Four out of five stars.
Lyn
I’ll admit that I first picked up Grady Hendrix’ 2016 novel My Best Friend’s Exorcism because of the title and the cover art, but his personable writing and fresh ideas kept me reading until the end.
This is about what you would think: a snarky and fun pseudo spoof of an exorcist themed horror / black comedy. BUT – author Hendrix makes this work because he tells the story with personality and better than average characterization and dialogue. The reader gets to know characters like Abby and Gretchen and we can understand their unique relationship (even when you consider the demon possession and subsequent exorcism).
His horror themed speculative fiction is also quite good. Hendrix fills in the gaps with some good backstory and demonology. Devilishly mean HS girls and cliques are elements that most of us can relate to and the “faith and fitness” show was classic.
Also fun is the 80s theme. Yes, I graduated HS in 1987 and so this 1989 graduation story was nostalgic good times. Like Ernest Clines’ brilliant Ready Player One, we can also kick back with some 80s trivia as all of the chapter headings are 80s songs.
Better than I expected, this was a lot of fun.
Char
Steeped in 80's nostalgia, I thought this book was a blast!
It was never really scary, and I'm not sure that it was meant to be. My instincts tell me this book was written as an homage to the 80's and the silly fun that the horror genre provided at that time. Sure, there were crazy Satanism scares, Geraldo and diet fads but there were also great music videos, Blockbuster stores and a horror book boom to beat all booms. A lot of them were just like this...about young people, influenced by culture and cliques, just trying to fit in. Carrie, Audrina, and all those kids from the covers of John Saul novels know what I'm talking about it.
If YOU know what I'm talking about and if you're smiling at those memories as I am, then I recommend this book. It was made for you!
*I bought MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM with my own hard earned money. It's the enhanced version and it's a lot fun, especially those flies crawling on the cover!*
Cece (ProblemsOfaBookNerd)
This was... not good.
Larry
Solid story, a quick read - didn’t care for the exorcism portion of the story, but that was really my only quarrel with the book. Knew all of the cultural references, brought back some memories. Overall, enjoyed it.
Michael || TheNeverendingTBR
I really enjoyed this one, it was unique, i like his writing style, its quirky, I also found certain bits horrible - like the tapeworm bit. Wtf! Lol.
Abby, Gretchen and Brother Lemon were likeable characters.
I'd have preferred a different ending though with Halley's comet, if you've read it you'll know what I mean.
A book I'd read again.
I also love the VHS cover, we need more books like this!!
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author! :)
Ginger
4.5 STARS!!
My Best Friend’s Exorcism was great! This was a wonderful tale about friendship and staying connected through it all, even involving demon possession.
Does it seem like a hokey idea, maybe? But it wasn't because it's written so well by Grady Hendrix that it just works. The creepy moments with the demon were well done. The book had moments of grossness that was fantastic. I was never terrified while reading this but I was definitely entertained!
The transformation of Gretchen made me feel vile and sad. The moments in high school during the 80s took me down memory lane. The nasty rich kids made me realize why I'm glad I'm not in high school anymore. All the 80s references were just excellent!! I really loved this part of the book.
This is the first book that I’ve read of Grady Hendrix and it won’t be the last. I loved his writing, storytelling and characterization of Abby & Gretchen. Even the secondary characters in My Best Friend’s Exorcism are well done.
The exorcism scene was a bit cheesy in the beginning with Brother Lemon, but the ending of it with Abby saved it. The ending of the book was just fantastic!
Do you think you would like this?
Well, do you like the 80s or books set up during this time?
How about awesome tales about everlasting friendship?
Do you like creepy books that have you binge reading past your bedtime?
Look no further then checking out My Best Friend’s Exorcism!! I think you’ll love it!
Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)
To say I’ve been waiting to read this for so long and have heard everyone’s rave reviews of it in the meantime…I literally couldn’t care less. Grady Hendrix’s writing on this one at times felt like a to-do list, simply listing what happened with barely any description besides the bare basics. I know this is on the lighter side of horror but there was zero atmosphere to indicate danger, and I can’t say I cared for the retro vibe everyone loves. The plot itself was standard exorcism story. Honestly the only reason I finished it was because it’s a quick read and I could at least get the satisfaction of finishing a book out of it.