My Best Friend's Exorcism: A Novel

I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. I was in high school during the 80's, so reading this brought me right back to my teenage years. I loved the pop culture references and the fact that the chapter titles were 80's song titles. The book begins and ends with yearbook pages which I read both before I read the main story and then went back and read after to see what character names I recognized in the yearbook signings.

The pop culture references and neat packaging aside, this is just a really good story. It reminded me somewhat of a Stephen King novel, in that true horror can take place in a totally normal, even mundane, setting. While the horror story is good, the story of friendship in this book is the true draw. You never have friends in your life quite like your childhood friends and the story of the friendship between Abby and Gretchen is so true-to-life.

This book was funny and sad and so extremely enjoyable to read. People who only enjoy high literature might find this book too frivolous but I think anybody who just simply enjoys reading good stories will love it.

This novel is a must read for any fan of horror fiction. My Best Friend's Exorcism captures the eighties to perfection, and tells a story of possession that will give you chills and keep the pages turning late into the night. The author really had me with this 1980's high school story of two best friends experimenting and just learning who they are. It took me straight back to my own high school days with it's song references, big hair, tv shows, and what it meant to be a teenager before cell phones and facebook. That uniquely 1980's combination of naivete and cheese was present in all these pages.

This author has a great ear for dialogue and has created characters that are surprisingly well developed. I was totally invested in all these girls, but especially with Abby. Readers will appreciate her stubborn devotion and cheer for her from the minute she throws a birthday party in fourth grade and nobody shows up - except Gretchen. There's lots of build up in this book that results in a climax that doesn't disappoint. This is a very entertaining read and an absolute must have for fans of old fashioned horror fiction. A horror story built on friendship and Phil Collins. You just can't beat it.

I am always trying to find a good horror book. I don't know why...I can never really seem to find one...but I figured I would give My Best Friend's Exorcism a try.

Well now.

Once again, I was disappointed. Maybe I should stop reading horror. I am just almost never satisfied. It is starting to get very discouraging.

Hold on. I am getting way ahead of myself now. More on this in a little bit.

The main characters in My Best Friend's Exorcism are Abby and Gretchen, though the story is pretty much told from Abby's perspective. I don't want to go into too much detail on what this book is about, but essentially Gretchen starts acting very strange and not like herself at all and the only one who seems to notice is Abby.

Okay. I don't know if I can get much more vague than that huh? Oh well.

Anyways, this story is not really a horror even though it says it is. I would say it is much more a story about friendship than anything.

And I think that is why this book fell a little short for me. I was expecting a horror story, but really what I got was a lot of talk about pimples and other teenage girl stuff.

There was one scene though that really got to me though. Grady Hendrix could write one really stellar horror story if he really wanted frighten the pants off of his readers.

Interestingly enough, while I was reading this...I felt as though my face was super greasy. Side effect of good writing and a lot of talk about pimples.

Also, this book is totally set in the 80s. If you are not an 80s fan you may want to skip this one. There happens to be so many references you will not be happy. But...if you love the 80s you are going to be very happy! A lot of the references are song ones, but there are other things as well.

Oh and fun side note for the 80s music references....the publisher Quirk Books totally has a play list that has all of the songs listed and a few others on Spotify. You really should check it out. I listen to that play list ALL THE TIME.

However, despite being disappointed in the horror aspect of My Best Friend's Exorcism, I will be reading more of Grady Hendrix's books. I found him to be an excellent writer with quite an imagination and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

This review is based on an eARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Find more of my reviews here:
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My Best Friend's Exorcism was provided to me as a digital review copy by NetGalley.

This book is the story of two girls, Abby and Gretchen, who met when they were ten years-old, and became best friends. The bulk of the story takes place in their tenth grade year, when, after a scary night at friend's house, Gretchen's personality drastically changes. She goes from being considered the hottest girl in 10th grade, to being a mess who doesn't bathe or change her clothes. Her friend Abby is driven to discover what happened to Gretchen and make it right again, even if that requires hiring an exorcist.

Abby and Gretchen (prior to the possession) are pretty relatable characters. They do dumb teenage things, have inside jokes, and love each other dearly. The problem, for me, is that no one else in their world is very likable. None of their friends. None of the adults. Nobody. I'm not quite sure how that happens. Yes, it does create a situation where, if Abby doesn't figure out what's wrong with Gretchen and fix her, she's left alone with a load of despicable people. However, it also creates pity, rather than empathy, for these girls. I think empathy would have been more effective. Abby's mom gave me hope for a moment, only to snatch it away. The exorcist was back and forth and up and down, so even though he was a fairly nice guy, he was useless. In the climactic moments, Abby is on her own with this problem, and decides to solve it in a very Abby and Gretchen kind of way, which I can dig. I would give the book 4 stars, but the fact that our main characters were the only good people in their world takes away from the credibility of the story. Credibility in any story is important, but especially in a horror story. The scares just don't work if the world they're happening in is unbelievable.

This book's title and cover may lead you to believe this is a YA novel, yet it's anything but. It is, by turns, thoughtful and terrifying. The characters sparkle - they pulse with realism. You believe these girls are the ones you grew up with and you care about what happens to them.

The book takes a long time to build and that is a good thing. We get to know Abby and Gretchen through a series of scenes beginning when they meet in fourth grade. Abby's family is poor but easygoing while Gretchen's wealthy one keeps her on a short religion-soaked leash, punishing her for doing anything questionable. In junior high, Abby sees Gretchen beaten with a brush when her mother catches them wearing make-up and dancing and singing to "Like a Virgin" in the bathroom. It's a defining moment. Then we move on to 10th grade. The possession story begins when the girls go skinny dipping and things go wrong. After that, Gretchen begins behaving oddly. There's no immediate suggestion of anything but teenage angst but Abby senses something has gone terribly wrong with her best friend and begins trying to find out why. The story gets darker and more terrifying as Abby realizes the strictly brought-up Gretchen may be possessed by the devil.

The story contains true horror as Abby struggles to help her friend. That is what the story is about: friendship and how strong it can be. It's touching and terrifying, full of 80s music and culture. By turns poignant, horrifying, and heartwarming, My Best Friend's Exorcism is beautifully written, filled with humor and horror, and has no dull moments.

The first and last pages are set up like a yearbook, complete with ads, signatures and notes. They were fun to read before I began the book, but even better after because everything relates to the story.. An absolute win for author Grady Hendrix. Highly recommended.

I didn't have a clue what to expect when I went in to this book, but I sure as heck didn't expect this!

How to describe this book...? I think the best description is that this is a 'buddy book.' Take a look at the title, <em>My Best Friend's Exorcism</em>. The word "Exorcism" is likely to be the word that attracts attention to the potential reader, and certainly let's a potential audience know what they'll be facing within the pages, but it's the term "best friend" that defines the story.

It is the 1980's. Abby and Gretchen are best friends and have been since elementary school. But once they get to high school something changes. Gretchen isn't herself. She hangs with a different crowd. She teases Abby. She's clearly ... well, possessed. Why else would a best friend act so differently, right? But only Abby seems to see the difference in Gretchen ... the possession. Until, that is, a troupe of evangelists visit the school and the entire student body is required to sit and listen to their presentation and one of the troupe members points ... directly at Gretchen! ... and says that he knows she is possessed.

It's all the proof Abby needs to focus her attention on getting Gretchen - her best friend! - the help she deserves. But by doing so, Abby's grades drop. She is accused of malicious activities herself - activities that she has difficulty proving she didn't commit - and it is Abby who appears to have changed upon entering high school, and not Gretchen. Not only must Abby fight for her friend, she will suffer to do so.

The story rambles just a little bit as we wonder if this is a horror novel? A YA brooding story of lost friendships? Something else entirely? We spend just a little too much time getting the gist of Abby's obsession with 'fixing' Gretchen and the effect it is having on her own life. This probably could have been cut in half and had the same effect.

But the ending ... man, this ending is strong! Tear-jerker strong! And completely unexpected.

Grady Hendrix's writing is solid and let's the reader immerse him/herself in the world. Some lines may seem a little heavy-handed when read alone, but in the context of the story are just powerful:
<blockquote>"You keep rescuing me and I don't know why ... But every day I tell myself life must be worth something because you keep saving it."

...

"You're my best friend, and my mirror, and my reflection, and you are me, and you are everything I love and everything I hate, and I will never give up on you."</blockquote>
The scenes of the evangelist working to exorcise the demon from Gretchen are comic and heart-warming. I could only picture John Candy from the 80's playing this role. And Hendrix plays this perfectly because we needed a little comic relief at this moment, but it never loses the integrity of the story or the sense of drama occurring during the scene. It's a tricky bit of writing and Hendrix navigates it well.

This is easily one of the best surprises I've come across in my reading in some time. It falls just shy of five stars because of the too-long set-up of Abby being consumed by the need to save her friend.

Looking for a good book? My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix is a powerful, touching drama with a hint of supernatural that will have you reaching for tissues as you get to the end.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

It's about a young woman named Abby and her best friend Gretchen, specifically for a short and climactic period in their lives when their friendship was tested the most. The story follows the trajectory of their friendship from first meeting at a birthday party in the fourth grade, up until the period of time in question, which was their shared sophomore year of high school. Everything seemed to be going well, with each experiencing all the turbulence and hardships (and elations and joys) common to adolescence, but which they experienced together through a deep bond of friendship that seemed impenetrably strong. One day, while lounging at a friend's home, Gretchen suffers something of a misfortunate accident and is lost in the woods adjacent to her friend's house. Whereupon she is discovered, it seems like she is never again quite the same person.

At first this took the form of a created emotional distance between her and Abby, then disregard for herself and her appearance and the affairs of her life, all the way to some acts of rather severe moral turpitude. Throughout it all, Abby is confounded by the situation, and all efforts to understand exactly what is going on are thwarted one way or another. With time, and the accumulation of hurt and confusion, and aided on by the insights of a rather amateur Christian evangelist, Abby begins to suspect that perhaps a literal demonic possession is the cause.

I think that all of us can empathize with the experience of growing close with a person, of sharing things and a history and a life together, only to see things fizzle out or be ruined in some capacity. When this happens for no apparent reason, it just makes the severance and the pain of it all that much more severe. One wishes to not accept the new reality, to fight back against it and to reach back in time for what was once known, but that can prove extremely difficult. When we see a person that we once thought the world of now turn their back to us, or say or do cruel or vicious things, none of it in accord with the gentle soul that we thought we knew, it might be tempting to think that only a literal demonic possession could be the cause; that only such a supernaturally evil force could cause such pain.

The story does a wonderful job of capturing that process of watching a friend pulling away, first in such a manner as to cause concern for them and their well-being, but then in such a manner as to cause nothing but pain and anguish, as though they wished for the hurt, or, at least that they are indifferent to it all. It's very clear, from their first shared moments of consolation and joy and immediate friendship at that fourth-grade birthday party, that they are kindred souls. The way that Abby never stops looking past her friend's transgressions, to see that person she shared so much with through all the ugliness at hand, is heartbreakingly sad, because you can tell she is doing it just as much for her best friend as she is for herself. She needs to know that her friend is alright, but she also needs her friend.

The book is ultimately not about demonic possession, or the 80's, or all of that. It's about friendship, and the loyalty that grounds it. Towards the latter portion of the book, there is a lot of talk about Christianity from the exorcist, which is fine. But I'd like to suggest that the real Christian virtue that is demonstrated in the book comes from Abby, who extends a near infinite degree of empathy and forgiveness to her best friend through some rather incredible difficulties. Some people might find the degree of forgiveness and sensitivity that is demonstrated in the book to be unpalatably generous. I didn't. I just saw a young woman caring about her best friend. Refusing to believe that the worst of it all that was presented was the real person that she knew and loved.

If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of losing a friend, to events or time or discord, or for reasons that you can't quite articulate, you might do well to read this book. Not because I think a demonic possession might be the cause of it all, but because the book will speak to you with a sensitivity that, if you are anything like me, you will be well-served and warmed to hear. This book is devastatingly sad, but I loved every moment of it.

High school can be hellish, but that statement has never been more true than for Abby and Gretchen in Grady Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism. 

Forging a friendship in the fifth grade at a near-disaster of an E.T. themed birthday party, Abby and Gretchen quickly become integral in each others lives. When they enter high school the girls encounter new stresses and pressures that impact their friendship, although usually merely in passing. After briefly going missing as the friends spend the night on a failed acid trip, Gretchen's behavior becomes quite odd and it seems as if Abby's the only one who cares to figure out the cause. As Abby notices a string of inexplicably bizarre yet intertwined actions from Gretchen, she becomes determined to test the strength of their friendship to attempt to save her best friend from the clutches of the demon she's convinced has taken up residence within Gretchen.

An entertaining story with an enjoyable 80s atmosphere (not to mention cultural references), the narrative moves swiftly through the familiar actions and emotional shifts of teenage girls and their social politics while also incorporating more (moderately) serious supernatural and horror elements. Though there were some areas of the text that needed a closer eye toward editing (particularly with Mrs. Rivers being incorrectly referred to as Mrs. Lang!) the writing instilled in me a compulsive need to get through the next chapter to see how events would play out. I always enjoy Quirk's books for the special touches they add to the production value of their titles - for My Best Friend's Exorcism the appearance of the book resembles a yearbook, with notes from classmates on the inside covers and the acknowledgments are in the form of ads, which adds to the overall experience of the book.

I’m not sure what possessed me to pick this one up. (Hahaha)

I hated the cover (everybody loves it) and it looked to be kind of a YA thang which I also hate. (Mostly) And yes, I hated “both” covers, although the newer VHS style cover was a bit better. I also heard it was 80’s pop culture heavy, which I also should have hated. So why then, oh why, did I pick it up?

I’ll tell you why…

Because.

No that’s not why. Although that is a good enough reason.

I picked it up because Grady’s “Paperbacks From Hell” was so flippin’ great, I figured that if he was that knowledgeable of 70’s and 80’s horror fiction that he would be able to pen a decent possession story as well.

As it turns out, it was much more than decent. 80’s pop culture heavy, yes. A bit YA-ey. Yes. But it was also very well written with some truly well drawn characters and plenty of chuckles sprinkled throughout. I am super surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

I spent most of the 80’s in a Slayer t-shirt with my long, feathered hair, drinking warm Schaefers beer, smoking Indica buds, getting all whacked out on ‘shrooms and driving around in my ’73 Firebird 400. Occasionally, all at the same time. I don’t know how anybody survived the 80’s. Man, I was cool. I mean stupid.

I am giving this one a solid 4+ the store Stars…

Because.

No, really. This time I mean it.

Exorcists love corndogs. Duh. Who doesn’t?

I wanted to love My Best Friend's Exorcism so bad! Mainly because I love The Exorcist so much. And by love I mean that it scared the ever living daylights out of me when I was kid and I continue to watch because I have a masochist streak. I kind of expected this to be a bit like The Exorcist, in terms of scare factor, but it wasn't.

The good: I really loved the whole friendship between Abby and Gretchen. I loved that the whole exorcism thing took a backseat to their friendship because I'm a sucker for a good friendship book. Despite the fact that Abby and Gretchen are on the outs for most of the novel, I still felt the history of their friendship throughout the entire novel. They always felt like friends even when Gretchen was doing crazy stuff. I also loved the guy that played the exorcist. I thought he was hilarious (and if there's ever a movie made out of this, Steve Howey HAS to play him).

The Eh: I found the writing in My Best Friend's Exorcism to be slightly clunky. First, this book never really had a definitive voice. It was told through everybody's POV and that made it hard to connect with any one character. This book also has major sluggish parts due to how much exposition it has. GAH! Exposition. This would have one (what I thought was a) throwaway line and then there would be two or three paragraphs explaining that one throwaway line. It stopped the flow of the story and dropped me right out of it every single time. I also didn't find it scary. I haven't read a truly scary book in a while and I had assumed this would be one, but alas, it wasn't. (Then again, very little scares me anymore).

Overall, I thought that My Best Friend's Exorcism was just okay. It was an entertaining, sometimes heart-wrenching read that wasn't at all scary. But I don't regret reading it. I would have enjoyed it more had the writing been a little less clunky.

I had really high hopes for this book. Like really high. I was a bit disappointed in the end. I wasn't a bad story but it didn't even come close to living up to my expectations. When I first saw this book, I knew that I would have to read it. Demonic possession with heavy dose of 80's references were enough to really grab the attention of this old lady. Unfortunately, despite the wonderful premise I found the book rather underwhelming.

Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since grade school. Things go wrong at a high school party when the girls were doing a few drugs. Gretchen gets lost in the woods and is gone for a night and her personality starts to changes. She becomes very mean especially to her friend, Abby. Abby knows that something is wrong but she can't seem to get anyone to listen to her in order to get her friend the help that she needs.

I love the 80's. I was a teen in the late 80's and I really was looking forward to a story set in this time period. Unfortunately, the 80's references in this book became a little too much for me. It felt a little forced in some ways and I think it actually ended up being a bit distracting.

The characters felt a little flat to me. I never felt any kind of connection to Abby or Gretchen. I also thought that the story dragged at points. There were some really exciting moments but nothing truly scary as I had hoped to find. In the end, this story just never really grabbed me and was just okay. I do think that a lot of readers will enjoy this one a lot. This is the first book by Grady Hendrix that I have read and I would be willing to read his work again in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Quirk Books via NetGalley.

Part horror novel, part tribute to the 80s and part friendship ode, My Best Friend's Exorcism blends its different elements perfectly. Starting off with a brief prologue in the modern day, it then moves back to the 80s where most of the story takes place. It begins with the start of a friendship between two little girls, Abby and Gretchen, at the former's birthday party, and then takes about fifty pages covering their lives as they grow together over the next few years, before getting to where the horror elements start to emerge. I know some people are going to think that's too long for the introductionary part of a novel, but it isn't. Here the 'little' events and moments mean as much as the "big" ones, and the big ones wouldn't have their impact without the little ones.

Then in 1988, after a drug fueled midnight swim with two other friends, everything abruptly changes. Gretchen gets lost in the woods and by the time her friends find her, something is different. No one but Abby notices at first, but subtle changes begin manifesting in Gretchen, even as strange events hapen in the world around them, including the night Gretchen's house is attacked by hundreds of mad, apparantly suicidal birds, flying to their deaths deliberately crashing into the windows and walls. Things go from bad to worse, and Abby slowly becomes convinced that Gretchen is possessed. Throughout the story, which holds the reader in rapt attention right up to the last page's final sentence, we encounter humor, tenderness, disturbing encounters with some pretty nasty characters, some truly cringe-worthy scenes of horror, and the singlemost bizarre exorcism of all time. I hesitated before buying this one, thinking it looked really good but afraid it might turn out to be a Scream-style parody of both itself and the horror genre as a whole. It doesn't. Instead it gives the genre one of its most unique and best novels.

P.S. Doing the Paperback edition of this up to look like an old 80s VHS rental copy was brilliant.

This was one of those books that I noticed on the shelf and pretty much decided to buy before I even picked it up. The cover is designed like a video rental jacket from the 80’s, front to back, right down to the “Be Kind, Rewind” sticker, and it’s like I had no choice. I still remember in fourth grade when the one liquor store in town started renting VCRs and movies on VHS, and just looking at this book brought back the sights and sounds and smells of that place.

The book itself ticked pretty much all of the 80’s nostalgia boxes for me. Chapters named with 80’s pop songs. Two girls crying over the ending of E.T. Halley’s Comet. Birthday party at the roller rink. And that damned Geraldo special on satan worshippers. I didn’t sleep for three months after I watched that. 14-year-old me was an idiot.

As a horror story, it never quite landed for me. There were some creepy moments, including one in the dark out in the woods that totally played on my own (still-existing) fear of the dark, but after that, it steered more towards a high school version of Witches of Eastwick. That’s a-ok with me.

It’s really just a very 80’s story of BFFs. One girl is rich, the other poor and on scholarship to their snooty private school. They hang around with other rich girls, experimenting with drugs in spite of Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign. There’s drama and a falling out and mean-girl vindictiveness.

The actual exorcism, led by a young, muscled Jesus freak that the main character met after he starred in a bonkers but completely believable school assembly, was a bit of a letdown, too drawn out and repetitive to achieve full impact. But then the ending was satisfying enough that I can overlook the rest.

I don’t know how appealing this book would be to someone who doesn’t remember the 80’s, but for this Gen-Xer, it was money well-spent.

(This review was originally posted as part of Cannonball Read 10.)

I really enjoyed the author's previous two books and the premise of this just sounded delightful so I was eager to start this one and see if it met with my expectations. And it did. The description of this being Beaches mets the Exorcist is spot on and Hendrix's signature humor is present as well. But the horror factor is still at a high level. Personally, I found Horrostor to be scarier, and had more wig out moments. Although there was a scene here that quite literally tested my gag reflex; so there's that. As corny as it sounds though what was really enjoyable about this book was how it dealt with the complex but endurng nature of female friendships.

The 1980's nostalgia factor is real with this book. However, it isn't saturated with these moments nor does it feel like a big love letter to the decade or that it was written just for that factor. As a matter of fact this book could take place in any decade since the underlying tone is the endurance of Abby and Gretchen's friendship. It is a slow build to the realization that Gretchen is in fact possessed but after that the pace is steady with the demon in Gretchen doing all they can do to start chaos around them, while Abby is trying to convince the adults and other friends around her that something is very, very wrong. The story is basically her journey of trying to bring Gretchen back and save their friendship.

Fair warning this is a slow paced book with a gradual pay off, even more so than Horrorstoor, but I feel the pay off is worth it as it was with that book. It is not gruesome or overly gory and it is really a suspenseful read that I would recommend for any horror book or movie fans.

This book was probably one of my most unexpectedly good reads of 2016! I picked up a copy at YALLFEST because I loved the cover (and it was signed by the author). The book looks like a yearbook with little messages scrawled on the inside covers. It's super neat and actually a really good read. It had just the perfect amount of horror mixed with the perfect amount of 80's nostalgia. What more could you ask for? If you are looking for a book that will creep you out and make you laugh out loud, you should check this out! And once you are finished you'll totally want to listen to all the 80's music you can get your hands on!

Abby and her best friend, Gretchen, are as close as best friends could get. One day they drop acid with a couple of friends from school, but the acid never hits, and Gretchen takes off wearing nothing but a pair of shoes. Things get weird when she turns up hours later with an unseen entity: a demon hell bent on destroying everything Gretchen cares about. The demon burns every bridge there is and leaves Gretchen with a single bright spot: Abby.

I absolutely love this story. It's a demon possession rooted in one of my favorite things to read about: friendship. The story starts out a little slow, but it's important to build this close friendship so that it's realistic for Abby to risk it all when she's all that Gretchen has left. I love that we quickly go through the early years between these two characters. How they met in school but never really spoke until Abby's disastrous birthday party with a single guest: Gretchen. These two are inseparable after the bond they shared at this party, which reminds me of how it was for me and my best friends throughout school. These characters feel natural and relatable, which makes it so easy to root for them and pray they come out on top.

Whether you believe in demons or demon possession, the story is realistic enough to make you question whether or not Gretchen is possessed or if she's just turned on everyone even when things are clearly leaning toward possession. She's not crawling up walls or anything like that. It starts out somewhat subtle and quickly turns to evil, which makes it a chilling tale.

The story really comes out swinging once things get going, and I like that we also get a glimpse at the rest of their lives. It comes full circle and makes it a truly enjoyable book. Plus, Hendrix does an excellent job capturing the voices of his characters and makes them really sound their ages and genders. There was no mistaking who was who or at what point in their life he captured them at any point of the story. Even the subtle changes in Gretchen as the demon took over made who was present very clear. I will definitely be rereading this novel in the future.

This was such a fun read, I didn’t expect it to be so entertaining. When I read the blurb saying it was both a heart-warming story about friendship and also a horror story, I was a bit confused. But yes! This reads like a summer horror blockbuster, and I had lots of fun.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism is the story of Abby and Gretchen, and the fall of ’88, when Gretchen is possessed by a demon. She’s moody, irritable, edgy – and strange things keep happening around her. Now, Abby must find a way to help her friend, even if nobody will believe her. Will their friendship be strong enough?

The two girls’ friendship was very lovely, and it made me want to be in the 80s laughing over some gossip and singing Total Eclipse of The Heart till my throat is sore. It was lovely and made me smile. Although it did take a while for the horror part of the book to really start, I didn’t mind it too much because I actually was quite invested in the story. It was so easy to dive right into the girls’ lives and to care for each of them.

Also, the demonic possession was so well done, it creeped me out and kept me on my toes, wondering at what it would do next! I don’t want to spoil it, but if you’ve read it, comment below what you thought of that Margaret part! I thought it both genius and terrifying.

Anyways, I had a great time reading this and will recommend it for anyone who likes horror blockbusters and stories about female friendships. Or if you like 80s stuff, because there’s lots of 80s references that I loved so much and this cover is seriously wonderful!

Disclosure: I did not buy the book myself, I received a free copy from the Quirk Books display at the Frankfurt Book Fair. This did not influence my review, I genuinely enjoyed this book.

[3.5]
If you're looking for a lighter horror novel, My Best Friend's Exorcism is the book for you. Grady Hendrix is responsible for Horrorstor, the horror novel that looks like an IKEA catalog. The gimmick this time? An 80s theme with binding that looks like an old yearbook. Normally gimmick turns me off, but this book had enough substance and good storytelling to cause me to "have fun." I started reading this book, looked up for air, and realized I was 100 pages into the book. Oops!

Super readable and fun (and that's coming from someone who hates fun), this is a story about teen girls in private school and a possession. Something happens to Abby's best friend, Gretchen, in the woods one night and she's a little different afterwards. And then she's a lot different. In a series of disturbing scenes, we start to see Gretchen's transformation and the havoc she wreaks on his friend group. Even though Gretchen turns on Abby in horrible ways, Abby is determined to save her friend. And she may get a body building god-enthusiast in on it. I laughed several times throughout the book.

There are a lot of things to love about this book. Every chapter title is the name of an 80s song, for example. There weren't quite enough scares for me, but it makes up for it with how fun it is. And the ending is surprisingly moving (I cried). Early on, I was very nervous the plot was going down a "girl gets raped and manifests itself in ways that look like possession" path. Which is a tricky path to navigate. But then that potential plot sort of gets dropped? Which is overall good, but then also feels like a loose thread. I don't know. I also paused for a number of days in the middle of reading, so it's possible that's what caused the feeling of a break in that plotline. Overall, a fun horror novel if you're not looking to get too scared.

I read this in just 2 nights! This is the most fun you can possibly have while reading a book that you'll find in the horror section of your bookstore. I won't deny that I picked this book up because of the brilliant cover design catching my eye. The hardcover looks like it's encased in the pages of an 80's yearbook (which is a great cover), but the paperback cover is the one that I have, and it looks like a VHS tape of a B-horror movie that you'd find in one of those dingy video stores that don't exist anymore. Kudos to the brilliance of comedian and designer Doogie Horner!
This book is creepy retro fabulousness at its best, and as a child of the 80's, I had so much fun with all the references to things like watching E.T. over and over, meeting at the rollerskating rink, and having friends in the time before cell phone, video games and the internet. The book tells the story of two childhood friends Abby and Gretchen, who have known each other since the 4th grade, and seem to be the perfect pair of best friends, but as the story continues, it gradually moves into a mashup of 'Heathers' meets 'The Exorcist'.
I ripped through this book so quickly, I didn't want to put it down or for it to end. I'm happy to find out that Grady has another for me to read - 'Horrorstor' and it's already in the mail to me.

The title of this book makes it sound like a bouncy YA with a dash of horror--maybe something along the lines of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. That is not this book. Instead, Grady Hendrix has whipped up a complex study of teenage friendship that' is brutally honest about class iand exceptionally sharp in dissecting the pecking order of a private high school in the deep South where the worst thing you can do to a dad is make him look like a Republican.

Abby, the book's narrator, is a kid whose life takes a downward spiral after her father, an air traffic controller, loses his job when President Reagan goes over his union for calling a strike. She's buoyed up by her freindshp with Gretchen, a rich girl who lives in the "nice" part of Charleston in a house that always smells of air conditioning and carpet shampoo. They are closer than sisters and then something terrible happens to Gretchen that changes everything.

As Gretchen goes into freefall she gives Abby plenty of reasons to simply walk away from their friendship but Abby will not do it. And because she will not, she pays a horrific price. The way Hendrix lays this out is very well thought out, and he final chapters of the story are genuinel tense, genuinely horrific, and terribly, terribly real. This is a book about love and loyalty and boundaries. And it will make you ask--how far would you go to save someone you love?

Abby and her best friend, Gretchen, are as close as best friends could get. One day they drop acid with a couple of friends from school, but the acid never hits, and Gretchen takes off wearing nothing but a pair of shoes. Things get weird when she turns up hours later with an unseen entity: a demon hell bent on destroying everything Gretchen cares about. The demon burns every bridge there is and leaves Gretchen with a single bright spot: Abby.

I absolutely love this story. It's a demon possession rooted in one of my favorite things to read about: friendship. The story starts out a little slow, but it's important to build this close friendship so that it's realistic for Abby to risk it all when she's all that Gretchen has left. I love that we quickly go through the early years between these two characters. How they met in school but never really spoke until Abby's disastrous birthday party with a single guest: Gretchen. These two are inseparable after the bond they shared at this party, which reminds me of how it was for me and my best friends throughout school. These characters feel natural and relatable, which makes it so easy to root for them and pray they come out on top.

Whether you believe in demons or demon possession, the story is realistic enough to make you question whether or not Gretchen is possessed or if she's just turned on everyone even when things are clearly leaning toward possession. She's not crawling up walls or anything like that. It starts out somewhat subtle and quickly turns to evil, which makes it a chilling tale.

The story really comes out swinging once things get going, and I like that we also get a glimpse at the rest of their lives. It comes full circle and makes it a truly enjoyable book. Plus, Hendrix does an excellent job capturing the voices of his characters and makes them really sound their ages and genders. There was no mistaking who was who or at what point in their life he captured them at any point of the story. Even the subtle changes in Gretchen as the demon took over made who was present very clear. I will definitely be rereading this novel in the future.

This was such a fun read, I didn’t expect it to be so entertaining. When I read the blurb saying it was both a heart-warming story about friendship and also a horror story, I was a bit confused. But yes! This reads like a summer horror blockbuster, and I had lots of fun.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism is the story of Abby and Gretchen, and the fall of ’88, when Gretchen is possessed by a demon. She’s moody, irritable, edgy – and strange things keep happening around her. Now, Abby must find a way to help her friend, even if nobody will believe her. Will their friendship be strong enough?

The two girls’ friendship was very lovely, and it made me want to be in the 80s laughing over some gossip and singing Total Eclipse of The Heart till my throat is sore. It was lovely and made me smile. Although it did take a while for the horror part of the book to really start, I didn’t mind it too much because I actually was quite invested in the story. It was so easy to dive right into the girls’ lives and to care for each of them.

Also, the demonic possession was so well done, it creeped me out and kept me on my toes, wondering at what it would do next! I don’t want to spoil it, but if you’ve read it, comment below what you thought of that Margaret part! I thought it both genius and terrifying.

Anyways, I had a great time reading this and will recommend it for anyone who likes horror blockbusters and stories about female friendships. Or if you like 80s stuff, because there’s lots of 80s references that I loved so much and this cover is seriously wonderful!

Disclosure: I did not buy the book myself, I received a free copy from the Quirk Books display at the Frankfurt Book Fair. This did not influence my review, I genuinely enjoyed this book.

[3.5]
If you're looking for a lighter horror novel, My Best Friend's Exorcism is the book for you. Grady Hendrix is responsible for Horrorstor, the horror novel that looks like an IKEA catalog. The gimmick this time? An 80s theme with binding that looks like an old yearbook. Normally gimmick turns me off, but this book had enough substance and good storytelling to cause me to "have fun." I started reading this book, looked up for air, and realized I was 100 pages into the book. Oops!

Super readable and fun (and that's coming from someone who hates fun), this is a story about teen girls in private school and a possession. Something happens to Abby's best friend, Gretchen, in the woods one night and she's a little different afterwards. And then she's a lot different. In a series of disturbing scenes, we start to see Gretchen's transformation and the havoc she wreaks on his friend group. Even though Gretchen turns on Abby in horrible ways, Abby is determined to save her friend. And she may get a body building god-enthusiast in on it. I laughed several times throughout the book.

There are a lot of things to love about this book. Every chapter title is the name of an 80s song, for example. There weren't quite enough scares for me, but it makes up for it with how fun it is. And the ending is surprisingly moving (I cried). Early on, I was very nervous the plot was going down a "girl gets raped and manifests itself in ways that look like possession" path. Which is a tricky path to navigate. But then that potential plot sort of gets dropped? Which is overall good, but then also feels like a loose thread. I don't know. I also paused for a number of days in the middle of reading, so it's possible that's what caused the feeling of a break in that plotline. Overall, a fun horror novel if you're not looking to get too scared.

I read this in just 2 nights! This is the most fun you can possibly have while reading a book that you'll find in the horror section of your bookstore. I won't deny that I picked this book up because of the brilliant cover design catching my eye. The hardcover looks like it's encased in the pages of an 80's yearbook (which is a great cover), but the paperback cover is the one that I have, and it looks like a VHS tape of a B-horror movie that you'd find in one of those dingy video stores that don't exist anymore. Kudos to the brilliance of comedian and designer Doogie Horner!
This book is creepy retro fabulousness at its best, and as a child of the 80's, I had so much fun with all the references to things like watching E.T. over and over, meeting at the rollerskating rink, and having friends in the time before cell phone, video games and the internet. The book tells the story of two childhood friends Abby and Gretchen, who have known each other since the 4th grade, and seem to be the perfect pair of best friends, but as the story continues, it gradually moves into a mashup of 'Heathers' meets 'The Exorcist'.
I ripped through this book so quickly, I didn't want to put it down or for it to end. I'm happy to find out that Grady has another for me to read - 'Horrorstor' and it's already in the mail to me.

The title of this book makes it sound like a bouncy YA with a dash of horror--maybe something along the lines of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. That is not this book. Instead, Grady Hendrix has whipped up a complex study of teenage friendship that' is brutally honest about class iand exceptionally sharp in dissecting the pecking order of a private high school in the deep South where the worst thing you can do to a dad is make him look like a Republican.

Abby, the book's narrator, is a kid whose life takes a downward spiral after her father, an air traffic controller, loses his job when President Reagan goes over his union for calling a strike. She's buoyed up by her freindshp with Gretchen, a rich girl who lives in the "nice" part of Charleston in a house that always smells of air conditioning and carpet shampoo. They are closer than sisters and then something terrible happens to Gretchen that changes everything.

As Gretchen goes into freefall she gives Abby plenty of reasons to simply walk away from their friendship but Abby will not do it. And because she will not, she pays a horrific price. The way Hendrix lays this out is very well thought out, and he final chapters of the story are genuinel tense, genuinely horrific, and terribly, terribly real. This is a book about love and loyalty and boundaries. And it will make you ask--how far would you go to save someone you love?

I received this book for free from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions in this post are my own.

Abby and her three friends rule the school. One summer evening, after horsing around at the lake and then dropping acid together, Gretchen disappears into the woods after skinny dipping. The others find her hours later, hiding in an abandoned building, naked and dazed. The four brush off the incident, but afterwards Gretchen begins to act differently. As her personality takes a drastic change, Abby begins to think back to that night Gretchen spent in the woods and wonders if something supernatural might be going on. Abby watches in horror as her world turns upside down and wonders if there is a way to save her friends.

Hendrix brings back his flare for horror and gore and adds a touch of 80’s culture in this creepy new read. I loved his first novel, Horrorstör, because it gave me the willies and kept me wanting more. I hoped that My Best Friend’s Exorcism would deliver more freaky flair and it didn’t disappoint. Abby was a relatable character who stood by Gretchen as her actions destroyed her friendships and popularity at school and wreaked havoc on her body. Even after suffering abuse at Gretchen’s hands, Abby was still willing to save her friend from the demons that plagued her. I also enjoyed that the book had its dark moments, but also managed to stay somewhat lighthearted overall. I think if you enjoyed Horrorstör, you’ll also enjoy My Best Friend’s Exorcism.

Abby and Gretchen have been friends through thick and thin and after a bizarre night things things take a turn for the worse and it all seems to lead to Gretchen. But after some talk and how the whole situation seems to be reminding them about an old story about a satanic group, Abby is convinced that Gretchen is possessed. Abby isnt one to let go of Gretchen and will do everything she can to save her friend.

The title alone peaked my interest. It was all I needed to know when it came to the book. So here the thing my only issue with the book was the pacing, it was really slow. Like really slow. It wasn't until I was maybe 80 pages in that things started to pick up but then again it was really slow happening. It was pretty much the reason it took me a bit of time to get to that point. Normally I'm a fast reader and it took me like 2 weeks to get to that 80 page point because I really didn't have much of an interest. There really wasn't much holding me to really sit down and continue to read.

When it was clear on what was going on at a certain point and Abby was trying to get help for her friends. That's when things started to get interesting and at that point I just couldn't put the book down, I just needed to keep going to see what happens next. I enjoyed the characters. I loved that Abby was very loyal, too loyal if you ask me. I don't konw if I was in her shoes I wouldn't had gone as far as things went, especially when it was starting to twist around on her like that.I loved that the characters were unpredictable flip flopping their attitude towards one situation or a person. I thought it was interesting how the few chapters in the ending went down. I didn't really make assumptions when it came to a book like this because it was the first time I'd come across this type of book but I thought that it was a pretty good enough ending. It just felt complete and that there was nothing else to be done after.

Overall it was a unique book and I did end up liking the book. If I had to rate it, it would be 3.5 stars I liked it but it wasn't were I loved it and would read it again. It was pretty good.

Grady Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism has been on my radar since meeting Hendrix at the Writers Digest Conference in 2016. I finally dove into this book a year and a half later, and I'm quite pleased that it will go down as the first book completed towards my 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge, since I enjoyed it so thoroughly.

***Caution, spoilers ahead***
My Best Friend's Exorcism is the story of Abby and Gretchen, and the friendship they share that ultimately, remains unshakable. There were moments in which I wasn't exactly sure what Grady Hendrix was going for (parody? tongue-in-cheek? full-blown spoof?), but the novel's climax worked so well for me, and I really cared about these two characters, and Abby's devotion to saving her friend by invoking the power of their relationship and everything that brought them together, that those hard-to-pin-down moments didn't matter. In fact, those hard-to-pin-down moments are perhaps what made this book as enjoyable as it was. It's pretty clear to the reader, and to the trio of characters involved in the exorcism, that Gretchen was indeed possessed, but there's just enough mystification surrounding the events of the plot to allow for a healthy amount of skepticism (' "What happened in the beach house?" Abby asked. "It all feels so real, but everyone keeps saying I made it up. I need to know if it really happened or if it was all just unicorns." ') There's also a bit of ambiguity around Abby and Gretchen's relationship; "Abby Rivers and Gretchen Lang were best friends, on and off, for seventy-five years..."and yet, there are hints that they might have considered being more than friends (' "I love you, Abby shouted into the storm. "I love you, Gretchen Lang. You are my reflection and my shadow and I will not let you go. We are bound together forever and ever! Until Halley’s Comet comes around again. I love you dearly and I love you queerly and no demon is bigger than this! I throw my pebble and it’s name is Gretchen Lang and in the name of our love, BEGONE!!!" ') Fiction is the most fun when it doesn't fit into pretty little boxes with perfect little bows, and My Best Friend's Exorcism gets messy, literally, figuratively, and every way in between. That messiness drew me in and held me there, and in that space, I experienced a striking, unconventional, and delightful story. Looking forward to reading Horrorstör next!

As is usually the case, I received this book free in exchange for a review. Also as usual, however, I'm still completely candid about it despite that kindness.

The nutshell on this book is that it starts out fluffy pop 80s high school and ends up exceptionally dark and rather startling. The exorcism isn't a metaphor; it's very real and very vividly rendered.

To the positive, the book isn't afraid to go a lot of different places. Though I wasn't a teenage girl in the 80s, the first half of the book renders them in what seems likely to be a pretty realistic light. The last half of the book gets very dark and dark is something Hendrix does wonderfully without being obnoxiously gory.

To the negative, I do wonder how many readers will really relate to this title. The first half is SO soft and fluffy that fans of really dark horror will probably find it rather tedious. Conversely, those who like a bit of fluffly love story will be horrified at the end. I found myself more in the former category than the latter but it was eventually worth the payoff.

In summary, this is a unique and solid choice but doesn't really set itself apart from the crowd as well as one might hope.

I find this a hard review to write because the things I want to mention the most are all spoilers. There was a lot I enjoyed here. As a child of the 80s, the nostalgia elements were spot on. There was a near constant sense of dread that built tension throughout the story. There were moments of true horror that may just haunt me for a while. And the overall theme of friendship was heartwarming (although it seems strange to use that term in relation to this book).

But there was something about the book that just felt off to me, which keeps me from giving it five stars. When things start going wrong with Abby’s best friend no one, and I mean no one believes her...about anything. Even her parents can only manage to give her the benefit of the doubt, even though she’s described as being a straight-A student, who has never been in trouble, and who goes out of her way to help people. No matter what she says everyone assumes she’s lying and being conniving. This one girl against the world approach may have raised the stakes of what she was up against, but it also made me feel like the game was rigged. And I kept waiting for the author to pull some cheap trick like having the omniscient third person narrator be proven to be unreliable. Happily that cheap trick never materialized but the anticipation of it meant that I never fully engaged with the story.

Another complaint, which has nothing to do with the author and everything to do with the publisher, has to do with the graphics which were used in the book. Newspaper clipping, pamphlets, postcards, etc pop up throughout the text. I read on Kindle and these graphics appeared too small to actually read. I can’t say how much or how little they added to the experience, but it felt like I was missing out. I’m guessing the print version doesn’t have this problem.

I would still recommend this book, like I said there was a lot I enjoyed.

Thoroughly enjoyed this homage to the 80's which was my era, the story itself was like an 80's horror movie, the book is gorgeous, a hardback imitating a high school year book and I spent half of the read going OH YEAH I remember that/them....

My Best Friends Exorcism is a story of big hair and demonic possession - friends for life Abby and Gretchen hit a slight snafu when after taking LSD Gretchen turns into a monster. The adults around are too wrapped up in their own idiocies to be of any use whatsoever and so it falls to Abby to work out what the all hell is going on and to save her friend. Lets just say it is not going to be the best year of their lives...

I like the way Grady Hendrix writes - it was absorbing, occasionally funny, sometimes downright gross, some of the descriptive passages seriously made me go ewwwww. I liked the vibe, the way the setting and the time came alive in the writing and embodied a lot of what I remember about that era - the obsessions and the clothes, the make up and the music, ESPECIALLY the music which is embedded into the narrative in a cool and very organic way.

It was randomly creepy, often addictive and had a melancholy yet somehow uplifting finish to it which left me vaguely teary. Like a trip backwards in time and by the end I just wanted to dig out the entirety of my 80's movie collection (yes seriously I think I have them all) and indulge in yet more nostalgia.

My Best Friends Exorcism is both modern and retrospective, a throwback to a different way of life and a different way of thinking - a coming of age horror story with bite. Hey whoever said growing up is easy?

Not for the faint hearted but highly recommended none the less.

4.5 stars!!
That ending, though! I'm bathing in my own tears.....
Ok, that's a little melodramatic, but I did get goosebumps all over and my eyes felt like they wanted to make pee-pee like when you hold it too long at a movie theater so you don't miss anything.
Such a beautiful ending. I miss being young and I miss having friends where it felt like it would never end and you would always be together, forever--like The Fox and the Hound. I just want to thank Grady for taking me back there. I love coming of age books and this one is very well done. The ending scenes are a metaphor for true love and friendship conquering all evil and that truly timeless ending will leave you greatly touched.....unless you're a demon ??

* spoilers *

In 1988, Abby and Gretchen have been friends since elementary school and inseparable ever since. To be rebellious teens, the pair and their friends take acid. All of them feel no effects except for Gretchen who runs out into the forest. They find her in the morning, but no one knows what really happened to her. Afterwards, Gretchen starts to act strangely. First she stops sleeping then she stops bathing and insists people are whispering around her and touching her. Abby investigates into it and decides that Gretchen's possessed, but can their friendship be strong enough to save her best friend?

My Best Friend's Exorcism is a uniquely packaged book. It looks like a yearbook complete with messages from friends in the book cover and family ads at the end. Each of the chapter headings is the title of an 80's song. It put me in the right state of mind for the story that is equally different. Based on the title, I had a lot of expectations. Most possession stories draw directly from The Exorcist and don't do much that's different. It's why I'm usually bored with these types of stories, but this one manages to break the tropes and stand as something different.

The possession starts fairly typically with Gretchen exhibiting strange behaviors and claiming to hear whispering and being touched by something unseen. Her appearance suffers and all of her friends except Abby shun her. Abby feels helpless because nothing she does can help her friend. She's tried talking to authority figures, but seems to just make it worse. When Gretchen finally seems to improve, Abby is now shunned. Gretchen's appearance and demeanor have improved, but she's a completely changed person. She's suddenly so helpful to her friends, helping one lose weight with mysterious shakes and passing along another love letters from a teacher. No one realizes anything is wrong until both girls' lives are destroyed irreparably. I love that the possessed girl actually does evil things. She doesn't hurt herself or exhibit grotesque sexuality as is usual. The aftermath of her actions are horrifically memorable.

As with most possession stories, an exorcism is used to try to draw out the demon from the afflicted. A religious exorcism is tried for hours, but it doesn't really work. Abby finds a guy who spoke about body building for Jesus to do it, but he has no real experience. He eventually abandons them, leaving Abby with a tied up Gretchen. Abby exorcises the demon herself by calling upon things significant to them like artifacts from their friendships and songs they love. I found this to be the most refreshing because religion didn't save them. Things they actually had faith in and meant something to their every day lives saved them. Abby and Gretchen didn't need a priest or anyone else. Abby saved Gretchen by herself. The aftermath is suitably realistic.

Overall, My Best Friend's Exorcism is a unique story that actually has the demon hurting people around them. The exorcism and the aftermath cemented it as the best possession story I've seen or read. The novel throws off a lot of horrible tropes invented by The Exorcist and copied in every other possession movie. This book shows that you don't have to follow the same formula over and over to be a part of the genre. I hope more stories follow suit in the future and I will be looking out for more books by Grady Hendrix.

This is a book that I’ve been dying to read for ages – I wasn’t even around in the 80s (being a 90s baby an’ all) but the nostalgia is something too sweet to miss. I still grew up on 80s films and pop culture so I could relate to most of this, even if I didn’t live it.

The book itself is a beauty to behold, the inside cover pages have handwritten yearbook notes from the main character’s high school friends which is always fun!

It’s hard to explain exactly why this book is so good – the story itself isn’t particularly original and is pretty reminiscent of an 80s horror film where friendship triumphs over all but it just strikes every chord needed to be an amazing story.

Hendrix’ gift is creating a story that completely draws you in and plays out like a camp horror film in your head – even the gore and nasty bits in this book aren’t particularly scary, they just get the point across.

I would recommend this book to any fans of Stranger Things style nostalgia or anyone falling into the trap of remembering high school fondly….

My Best Friend’s Exorcism follows the friendship of two girls named Abby and Gretchen who are navigating through life’s ups and downs of high school in the 1980s. During a night of bad decisions, something of a sinister nature happens to Gretchen. A possession leading to the ruination of their reputations and fellow peers.

I feel bad for not liking or loving this book very much. It’s basically just a high school contemporary with a small pinch of demon possession. So for me, I was let done by that because it takes a lot for me to want to read contemporary. The characters beyond Abby and Gretchen, save for the exorcist, were like cardboard stereotypes.

The demon element was interesting, but not really explored that much and it takes a while to even get to that point. The book primarily is about friendship and the importance of being there for your friends even when they are controlled by whatever unseen demons or what have you. The ending was anticlimactic. And while it was meant to come off as sweet, I just felt very ‘meh’ about it.

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix was received direct from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The book started out as a light hearted, coming of age story about two young girls who are mostly outcasts. I read through this portion quite voraciously. Then the book got kind of slow and yes, skimming did happen while I kept reading wondering when the demon was going to appear. It eventually did but by then it seemed the author had slowed way down and I was getting bored with the book, just wanting to finish it. Dont get me wrong, it could have been me but the "horror" took to long to get there. If you like coming of age stories with well fleshed out characters, this is for you, if you are looking for a "horror" demon story maybe move on to something else.

This book was actually far more complex than I expected it to be, but I still found the demonic possession scenes to be a bit of a letdown. I liked the back story about the friendships and how the demon came to be involved, but there just didn't seem to be enough action when the scenes really called for it.

The writing flowed pretty well, and I couldn't quite decide if I really liked any of the main characters enough to truly care what happened to them until the very end of the book, but then, they finally won me over a bit.

There is a good amount of tension in this book and a lot of questions to be answered. The author did a good job of wrapping things up in the end, but I still felt there was something...missing. I can't quite decide what.

Overall, it was a pretty entertaining book. I'd recommend it to those who like the 80's and books that fall outside the "normal" experience.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure how this book was going to run when I first received it. Many authors trick you; they make you think it's about one thing and it's really something else. Not too many people write on exorcisms today, but this story... this story was the real deal. It held me with talk of 80's songs and things I remember saying and doing back in 'The Day' and the story was just good. It was freaking good...

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, was about a friendship that defied peer pressure, a little drugs, and bullying. It was also about your best friend's soul, doing it's best to hurt her and all those easily susceptible to his influences. Two friends, Gretchen and Abby, live in Charleston, SC and think the world is their oyster, till one night when they experiment with something that brought an evil so calamitous, so patient and guileful, it created a world of havoc without anyone but Abby and Gretchen knowing.

This story started off with the groundwork for a friendship that made me laugh and relate! Especially when it came to skating. I wasn't a skater, but it was huge back in the 80's. The songs mentioned were ALL ME! Especially when it came to Corey Hart and Duran Duran - I still listen to them. And I knew the exact era of Duran Duran's Arena Lp! MBFE was so relatable, when the actual story began, I was blown away! I saw everything happening- knew it was coming, but the way it all played out made me feel so bad for each and every participant in the tale! It was tough and so much like I was a part of it!

At the end, when everything was taking place, I was jogging around my park, cheering for everyone: "In the name of Phil Collins, you will not have this child of Genesis!" ...
*For the full book review: [...]
**Book provided by Quirk Book Publishings, for an honest review.

I was seeing a lot of this book on Litsy, and it sounded like something I would like. I enjoy horror stories and this my-best-friends-exorcismtale of demonic possession seemed like a perfect fit for me. Before I get started on the story itself, let me comment on the awesome book design. I have never read a book that feels this nice in my hand before. The cover has a nice, smooth feel to it. The inside cover pages look like a high school yearbook, complete with signatures. The pages even seem of a nicer quality than most books. I enjoyed reading it just for the way it feels in my hand.

This is the story of two high school girls, Abby and Gretchen. They have been best friends since 4th grade. After a late night party in the woods, Gretchen becomes different. It soon becomes apparent to Abby that Gretchen is not herself. But the more she tries to help Gretchen, the more trouble she gets into. No one believes Abby, but she keeps trying to save Gretchen.

The theme of this book is demonic possession, but at it’s core it is a story of friendship. Abby’s friendship with Gretchen is at the front of the story. How far would you go to save your best friend?

The story is set in 1988, and there are a lot of pop culture references here. It is fun to see how many you can recognize. I had a lot of fun reading this book. The story moved along quickly and I was very invested in Abby and Gretchen’s relationship. There are a few disgusting scenes, but the majority of the book is more tense than scary. I stayed up late to finish this book because it was just that good.

I have a new guilty pleasure and it’s name is Grady Hendrix. After finishing My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I find myself hungering for more of Hendrix’s work. Fortunately, the audiobook was not read by the same narrator as Horrorstör. Instead, this 80s style book is read by Emily WooZeller – the woman that narrated Shallow Graves.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism reads exactly like a cliché. If you’ve seen any horror film from the 80s, you probably know exactly what I mean. All the way down to the dog. Normally this would put me off, but instead I found it oddly comforting. Totaling only ten hours, it’s not a terribly long read either.

I really wish I had more to say, but honestly with that last description I’ve pretty much said everything. Just take your average 80s horror flick elements and apply them!

Abby and Gretchen became best friends in the fifth grade over a failed ET birthday party at the roller rink. They are now in high school and part of a foursome of girls that all consider each other to be BFF (think Mean Girls meets Heathers). Until one night when Gretchen disappears during their middle of the night shenanigans. When they find her a few hours later, she seems different.

The other two girls blow it off, but Abby can tell right away that something has happened to Gretchen. As the weeks go by, her behavior becomes stranger and stranger. She can't sleep, she stops caring about her appearance, and she even spews vomit exorcism style all over the front lawn of the school. It's clear she is possessed by the devil, but no one believes Abby, so she is left on her own to help Gretchen.

This is not my typical fare, but I saw it on Litsy (another new obsession) and thought it seemed fun. I promptly reserved a copy at the library, and I'm so glad I did. This is definitely one of those books where the physical book is far superior to the ebook. It's hard cover and modeled in the fashion of a yearbook. The endpaper even looks like that of a yearbook, with all the signatures, notes, and doodles teenagers often leave for one another. At the end of the book, there are even a few pages of yearbook ads with personalized messages. This, along with the abundance of 80s references, really made this book stand out.

As for the actual story, it was fun and different. I would consider this to be a good palate cleanser for when you're in between books.

The first thing you notice when you open this hardcover novel is that it reminds you of your high school year book. Remember when your friends signed your year book? Remember the awkward ads from friends, relatives and local businesses in the back of the book. They're all here. It helps you get into the right frame of mind for the story about two tenth grade girls who have been best friends since they were 10. Abby and Gretchen, best friends forever. By tenth grade, Abby and Gretchen along with two more girls, Margaret and Glee, are popular and contented going to Abermarle Academy in Charleston, South Carolina. Abby's parents' fortunes have vastly been reduced. She's a scholarship student at the exclusive school, but the other three girls' families are quite wealthy. Abby spends more time at Gretchen's house than at her own. The four girls like to be first in everything, leading trends at Abermarle Academy. One night when they're drifting in a boat on a creek, Margaret suggests they drop acid. Gretchen doesn't want to, but peer pressure wins out. The other three girls seem to have no adverse effects from the drug, but Gretchen freaks out and runs into the woods adjacent Margaret's house where they're partying. Abby doesn't find her best friend until the following morning, and when she does she notices changes in Gretchen. For one thing, she uses foul language, which she never does. As months pass, Gretchen's behavior becomes more and more inexplicably evil. And of course the grown ups don't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. It's all up to Abby to save Gretchen if she can. The writer uses realism to make the reader comfortable and then all of a sudden something supernatural happens and you know you're not in Kansas anymore. Which, in my opinion, adds to the horror. The only frustrations I had while reading were the derogatory references to people of color. But of course, the story takes place in the South, so there are inbred prejudices that the characters express in their thoughts. One other thing I didn't like was the fact that the author never explicitly stated how Gretchen got possessed by the demon. Was it due to the acid? Did she meet up with something in the woods?

I'll admit- I bought this book solely because the paperback looks like, I refuse to say vintage (cause that would make me seem old), a VHS. My expectations were low to non-existent but, I couldn't put the book down, I read well into the night and was sad when it ended. "My Best Friends Exorcism" is a fun-romp through 80's nostalgia, a oftentimes creepy read and a wonderful representation about the bonds of friendship. Perfect read as I had saved it for October. Will look into more by this author. If you loved "Stranger Things" this will definitely tide you over until the next season-I'm usually not one to compare but the setting and friendship dynamics gave me those vibes, so...

I loved everything about this book. It starts off as a fun read about friendship and what it was like to be a teenager in the 80s. By the time it takes a few really dark turns, I was all in. I hate to use profanity in an online review, but the think I keep saying to my friends is that the book is a total "mind f***." Profanity or not, that's really the only way I can describe it. I own almost 4,000 books, and it's the first one from Quirk, a publishing house out of Pennsylvania. They have crafted a really beautiful book that is full of surprises--constructed like a yearbook, there are signatures from friends (many of whom appear in the story) that are fun to read both before AND after you finish.

I think people who like the nostalgia of Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" will enjoy this one too. Sure, totally different genres, but I had the same feeling of nostalgia and sense of fun while reading it. Maybe it was because I was a high school kid in the 80s, or maybe it's just because I enjoy a fun read. Comparisons to Stephen King are accurate--Hendrix masterfully combines humor and horror into one cool read.

This book isn't literature, but it's not trying to be. Having said that, it IS well-written. While there is some gross-out horror and some humor that some won't enjoy, it's not over the top. Evangelical Christians probably will be offended by how religion is portrayed, but those of you who are religious and still have a sense of humor shouldn't be offended.

When it's all said and done, this book is about those first friends that we have--those that stay with us forever, even when life, time, and distance get in the way. I can't recommend this book enough--and I have been telling everyone I know about it.

Ah, the 80's. A glorious period in American culture, full of big hair, makeup, sex, drugs, and demonic possession. Teenagers Abby and Gretchen have been best friends for years--closer than sisters, even. But one night, Gretchen goes missing. She comes back the next morning, naked and dazed. Was it the acid they took? Was there someone in the woods with her? Whatever happened has sent Gretchen into a downward spiral, until Abby is forced to realize the incredible truth: her best friend has become possessed by a demon, intent on destroying Abby's soul and bringing others down with her...especially Abby.

MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM sounds kind of cutesy. And it could've been played that way, as a young adult novel totally in love with the 80's. It isn't that. It's a graphic, disturbing adult horror novel that, yes, is totally in love with the 80's, but doesn't skip on the gore or chills. There are scenes here that are truly disturbing, and others that are incredibly touching. You root for the main characters, and you fear for what may happen to them. Grady Hendrix has crafted a superb horror novel that is both funny and frightening; it contains the perfect balance of emotions, so that you're never quite sure what's coming next. Possession stories are a hard sell for me, and I loved every second I spent with my face buried in this book. Except, you know, for those times I looked over my shoulder to make sure I was still alone.

I have been looking for a light style YA horror novel for my preteen daughter to read and I have definitely found it. I enjoyed the background story of the friendship between Abby and Gretchen and how far a loyal friend will go to help their best friend. The book seems like a cross between Fried Green Tomatoes (the besties)/ and a mild version of The Exorcist. It wasn't as deep or horrifying as The Exorcist but then this is a YA novel and I think it is perfect for people in that age range. There is a bit of humor in it that lightens it up a bit and I also love how the author gradually builds up the novel. The friendship between Abby and Gretchen is definitely a major key to the book and he takes his time developing their characters and their connection to each other. All in all, I found this to be a fun read and have mentioned it to my daughter's junior high school to add to their collection.

Don't let the title fool you - yes, there is an exorcism but, more than that, this story is about a strong friendship that endures over seventy years and I enjoyed the hell out of this book.

As the setting is in the 80's, when I was a teenager, the references to television shows, movies, fashion, and slang brought back memories - some fond, others horrifying. Each chapter name is taken from popular songs or lyrics from that time (Don't You Forget About Me, We Got The Beat, Sunday Bloody Sunday) and aptly describes the contents of that chapter - something I thought very clever. The author perfectly captures the angsty, hormone-riddled interactions between the high school students and their attitudes and reactions are entirely believable and genuine. Why anyone would want to relive those years is beyond me.

More satirical than horror, this book contains humorous, repulsive, and even touching moments demonstrating the bond between Abby and Gretchen, but horror fans will also be satisfied with some creepy and chilling content.

Readers who grew up in the 80's will especially enjoy this book, as well as those who prefer their horror on the lighter side.

Thanks to Edelweiss for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gretchen and Abby have been best friends for years. They don’t share genetic material, but they could be sisters. They have an unbreakable bond despite class differences and a wicked entity residing in Gretchen.

When Gretchen’s body goes through numerous changes—one example is the projectile vomiting—Abby knows that something is up. The demon is a monstrous force, and what happens is that Abby gets into a boatload of trouble during her pursuit to help her best friend. The demon attempts to drive a deep rift between Abby and the body that is no longer entirely Gretchen’s, although her soul is somewhere in there. When Abby gets hold of an exorcist, there’s a grisly battle that will quench the thirst of any horror lover.

I liked the book, but had to take away a star because the 1980’s references were too much. Instead of being used sparingly, they were in your face. At some points I was filled with nostalgia and other times it was too much…yes, I get it, the setting is the ’80s. Also, I adore horror books, but I don’t like reading about animals being hurt or killed. Other than that, this is a solid book and one that I would recommend. I read it via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

This is my first experience with Hendrix's writing, but I know that it won't be my last! This hardcover book sets the tone from the very cover. The entire cover and beginning and ending pages is styled like an '80s yearbook. Hendrix nicely blends the suspense with nostalgia for the eighties. I wish that I had an ET birthday party! It's a fun novel, and though, yes, it is creepy too, even this sort of balances out all of the fun with legitimate fears that seemed to be sweeping news stories at that same time.

The core relationship of the book, the friendship between narrator Abby and Gretchen, is very nicely - and realistically - drawn. As Gretchen declines, Abby seems to be the only one worried and willing to suspend disbelief to discover the true cause of her friend's change in behavior. And while the plot takes some familiar turns, the strength of the setting and the friendship between the two girls makes this story fresh, fun, engaging and entertaining! It's both spooky and gripping while being a completely fun read. I am definitely curious in checking out Hendrix's earlier novel that is styled like an Ikea catalog and will keep an eye out for any future books, too!

I love horror with personality and an obvious respect for previous works in the genre. Reading this was like Hendrix had taken in all the great nickle paperbacks my mom rummaged out of the clearance section and wrote a book that had a similar flavor. It doesn't feel dated and the women act an awful lot like me and my friends did at that age (we had significantly less demonic possession though). I cried twice, once so hard that I had to stop reading. Judge me for being a sap, but he manages to make the power of friendship seem sentimental instead of hacky.

This book led me to his other works and I can't wait until I get to read whatever else he's coming up with. I also really enjoyed the audiobook.

I picked this up on a whim at the library, and chuckled when the first few pages were made to look like a yearbook, so I checked it out. It sat on the table for a while, then I began reading it. Within a day I had finished it. It was nostalgic, intense, character-driven and takes time to build, but not in a boring way, in a way that respects the reader and lets the tension build. The description of the early stages of Gretchen's descent into demonic possession were riveting. The climax gave me chills. I absolutely loved that it was set in the 80's and that song titles were used as chapter titles...genius! I'll definitely be purchasing this to add to my collection and will most certainly read the rest of Grady's books. To echo another reader, yeah, Grady made me feel like a teenage girl, and made me cry at the end. My one and only complaint (not substantial enough to only rate it 4 stars, but I'd say it's a 9/10) was I really wanted Abby to return to that mysterious building for a longer period and was hoping some light would be shed on why the demon was waiting there. But, then, sometimes its better to not over explain. Highly recommended, especially for those who were captivated by the 80's horror nostalgia of Stranger Things!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

Fun and horrific travel back in time to the 80's when life was carefree and all about which movie you and your friends were going to rent that weekend. This was a dark look at the possession of a teenage girl and her best friend when they were in high school. I found parts of this book making me wonder if perhaps I had a few possessed friends back then... HA! Overall, this story was well written with an authentic feel of teenage thinking without the stereotypes. I enjoyed learning about Abby and Gretchen's friendship and how it evolved over time as well as how strong their bonds were. I might have given this story 5 stars but I found it a little weak around the actual exorcism scene, not quite sure if it was intended to be sincere or funny. Either way, I really enjoyed this quick read as a teen of the 80"s myself. I think it would be liked by any generation who can appreciate having a true friend to the end.

After reading RUE MORGUE's review of MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM, I had high hopes for Grady Hendrix's latest novel. Luckily enough, this book delivered exactly what the magazine promised: well-developed and realistically-written teenage characters, a journey through the 80's, and a refreshing take on the exorcism / possession trope. Having accomplished any one of these three would have made this a good story, but the fact Hendrix pulled off all three made it great. In particular, his use of a lesser known demon and unusual exorcist kept the plot from falling into any familiar ruts. Moreover, the differing economic lifestyles of the two main characters allowed for Hendrix to make social commentary on how the poor our treated in our society to this day without being too heavy-handed about it. This is easily on my BEST OF 2016 list, and redefines the possession sub-genre overall. Hendrix is a writer to watch out for, and I eagerly look forward to his next release.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley for a review.

This is the first book I have read from Hendrix, but I remember wanting to read Horrorstor something awful! I'm so glad I had the chance to read this book, as I was not let down in the slightest. I might have a new favorite horror writer!
A few of the things I absolutely loved about this story is the fact that all of the chapters are titles of 80's songs and that it stays true to the fact that high school really can be the most horrible times in someones life. You're forced to watch your friends you've had since elementary school grow up and transform right before your eyes and you're behind them clutching with grabby hands trying to get them to come back to you.
Another thing I liked about this story is the fact that there are a few parts of it that actually made me squirm in my seat. No spoilers, but if the idea of a huge amount of tapeworm coming up out of your throat doesn't make you sick to your stomach I don't know what will!

Dear Grady Hendrix,
Where have you been all my reading life?

Seriously, this is an excellent piece of horror fiction. Gruesome, chilling, and it hits all the right notes.

While this shares the quirkiness evident in Horrorstor, it’s also a serious horror novel with everything that entails. Hendrix doesn’t stint on his characters. They’re incredibly vibrant, making what happens to them even more heartrending.

The 1980’s vibe in the book is perfect – it’s big hair, Duran Duran, and E.T., all wrapped in a story that will simply scare you.

This is true horror, so expect some violence, sexuality, and some gruesome fun.

I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I first heard of it when the author was doing a signing/talk at a local book store. His tales about the satanic panic of the 1980's made me laugh, so I was expecting the book to be dark comedy. While there were some funny moments, the book was serious, and sometimes, scary. It was more magical realism than dark comedy, and after chapter 2, I could put it down. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours.

In the end, it was a story about friendship, about faith and figuring out what you really believe in. The characters, the plot and the world were throughly developed. The characters grew as they moved together and apart. The end was satisfying, but came a moment too soon.

I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if my friend had never dragged me to that author signing, but now, I'm glad I went, and I'm glad I read.

It's been a while since I read a book in less than a day, but wow, was this ever fun!

I really don't have to give much of a description beyond the book's title. It tells the story of Abby and Gretchen, two best friends attending a private academy in Charleston. They are best friends forever and the title leads you to the next part. It is set in the '80s so there are plenty of pop culture and song references that added a lot for me. The only thing that I found a detraction was the occasional confusion of Abby and Gretchen's mothers' names. I'm not sure why the editor didn't catch that.

There is a deep sense of dark humor and absurdity here, but it is ultimately a story about friendship. And the power of love is indeed a curious thing.

My second-favorite book this year...so far.

I really enjoyed Horrorstor along with a pack of other work by Grady Hendrix, so I was expecting to be pleased with this one. And yet all my expectations were exceeded. Nicely paced with fully-invested characters. The visit to the 80’s was honest and heartfelt and evoked the time-period without crossing the line into nostalgia pandering. This could have veered off into zany at several points, considering things like Brother Lemon the exorcist. The edge of this is approached and Grady gently pulls it back and leads it to the uncanny instead while everyone accepts the things they want to see.

I enjoyed reading My Best Friend's Exorcist, even though I wouldn't be the target audience for the book since I'm a baby boomer. However, I can see this book becoming a big seller since it deals with subject matter that junior high and high school students love to read about, i.e. school, bullying, sex, experimenting with drugs and alcohol and all the attendant problems, and friendship all centered around demonic possession and exorcism. For the most part, the plot is believable and interesting.
For me, the book had two flaws that kept me from giving it a five. I thought having Margaret afflicted with twenty-three pounds of tape worms was a bit much and detracted from the plot's plausibiliy and the resolution was too long and somewhat depressing. However, in the hands of the right reader, this book will be a blockbuster.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM BY GRADY HENDRIX

5/5

My Best Friend's Exorcism is a coming-of-age story about friendship, 1980s nostalgia, middle school drama, and demonic possession. My Best Friend's Exorcism tells the story of Abby and Gretchen who become unlikely friends, but quickly grow into the best of friends, sharing and experiencing everything together. Their friendship is soon tested by a demonic entity with a nefarious agenda. Grady Hendrix builds deep, complex characters, and creates a foreboding atmosphere threaded with intense, disturbing scenes that will make you fight to hold down your lunch. Overall, a compulsive read that should satisfy horror fans. A unique entry into the flooded horror sub-genre of supernatural/possession stories.

Dear Grady Hendrix,
Where have you been all my reading life?

Seriously, this is an excellent piece of horror fiction. Gruesome, chilling, and it hits all the right notes.

While this shares the quirkiness evident in Horrorstor, it’s also a serious horror novel with everything that entails. Hendrix doesn’t stint on his characters. They’re incredibly vibrant, making what happens to them even more heartrending.

The 1980’s vibe in the book is perfect – it’s big hair, Duran Duran, and E.T., all wrapped in a story that will simply scare you.

This is true horror, so expect some violence, sexuality, and some gruesome fun.

I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I first heard of it when the author was doing a signing/talk at a local book store. His tales about the satanic panic of the 1980's made me laugh, so I was expecting the book to be dark comedy. While there were some funny moments, the book was serious, and sometimes, scary. It was more magical realism than dark comedy, and after chapter 2, I could put it down. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours.

In the end, it was a story about friendship, about faith and figuring out what you really believe in. The characters, the plot and the world were throughly developed. The characters grew as they moved together and apart. The end was satisfying, but came a moment too soon.

I probably wouldn't have picked this book up if my friend had never dragged me to that author signing, but now, I'm glad I went, and I'm glad I read.

It's been a while since I read a book in less than a day, but wow, was this ever fun!

I really don't have to give much of a description beyond the book's title. It tells the story of Abby and Gretchen, two best friends attending a private academy in Charleston. They are best friends forever and the title leads you to the next part. It is set in the '80s so there are plenty of pop culture and song references that added a lot for me. The only thing that I found a detraction was the occasional confusion of Abby and Gretchen's mothers' names. I'm not sure why the editor didn't catch that.

There is a deep sense of dark humor and absurdity here, but it is ultimately a story about friendship. And the power of love is indeed a curious thing.

My second-favorite book this year...so far.

I really enjoyed Horrorstor along with a pack of other work by Grady Hendrix, so I was expecting to be pleased with this one. And yet all my expectations were exceeded. Nicely paced with fully-invested characters. The visit to the 80’s was honest and heartfelt and evoked the time-period without crossing the line into nostalgia pandering. This could have veered off into zany at several points, considering things like Brother Lemon the exorcist. The edge of this is approached and Grady gently pulls it back and leads it to the uncanny instead while everyone accepts the things they want to see.

I enjoyed reading My Best Friend's Exorcist, even though I wouldn't be the target audience for the book since I'm a baby boomer. However, I can see this book becoming a big seller since it deals with subject matter that junior high and high school students love to read about, i.e. school, bullying, sex, experimenting with drugs and alcohol and all the attendant problems, and friendship all centered around demonic possession and exorcism. For the most part, the plot is believable and interesting.
For me, the book had two flaws that kept me from giving it a five. I thought having Margaret afflicted with twenty-three pounds of tape worms was a bit much and detracted from the plot's plausibiliy and the resolution was too long and somewhat depressing. However, in the hands of the right reader, this book will be a blockbuster.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM BY GRADY HENDRIX

5/5

My Best Friend's Exorcism is a coming-of-age story about friendship, 1980s nostalgia, middle school drama, and demonic possession. My Best Friend's Exorcism tells the story of Abby and Gretchen who become unlikely friends, but quickly grow into the best of friends, sharing and experiencing everything together. Their friendship is soon tested by a demonic entity with a nefarious agenda. Grady Hendrix builds deep, complex characters, and creates a foreboding atmosphere threaded with intense, disturbing scenes that will make you fight to hold down your lunch. Overall, a compulsive read that should satisfy horror fans. A unique entry into the flooded horror sub-genre of supernatural/possession stories.

Little colud be more hellish than being a teenager. Well perhaps being a teenager in the eighties. Or horrors of horrors, being a demonically possessed teenager in the eighties. Abby and Gretchen are best friends. After dropping acid, Gretchen disappears. The girl who returns is not the same one who left. Only Abby believes there is something more at play than teen angst and hormones. And she will do anything to fight for her best friend.

This is a fun book. The author captures the eighties perfectly. The girls' bond is sorely tested but the strength of their friendship makes you care. Too many horror stories rely on effects at the expense of characterization. Not here. It is a fun book, extremely readable with humor and scares.

When deciding whether or not to read Gary Hendrix's My Best Friend's Exorcism, there's a simple litmus test. If the description novel of teenage demonic possession where all the chapter titles are taken from '80s songs does nothing for you, it's best to pass. If, on the other hand, you made an near-obscene SQUEEing sound and began mentally singing Phil Collins, then boy do I have the novel for you.

In 1982, Abby and Gretchen meet at Abby's disastrous fourth-grade roller-skating birthday party (all here who had one of those say AYE!), and become fast friends. Years later in high school they attend another disastrous party - this time an overnight where Gretchen goes missing in the swamp and comes back...changed. At first Abby chalks the new Gretchen up to classic high school girl bitchery, but it soon becomes apparent that there's a darker force at work, one which threatens to destroy a relationship built on bad teen novels and the BeeGees .

Like Horrorstor, Hendrix's previous high-concept scarefest, My Best Friend's Exorcism falters in places. The horror is mostly of the garden high school look-at-what-kids-will-do-to-each-other variety, only escalating at the very end, and the characters are not of terrible depths. But there's a fascinating take on the concept of faith tucked into the traditional exorcism ending, as well as a realistic depiction of how a friendship can change and grow over time.

While not perfect, My Best Friend's Exorcism will appeal to the inner '80s child of any reader, and will likely be total kryptonite to those of us old enough to actually remember parachute pants.

My Best Friends Exorcism: A Novel by Grady Hendrix, the audible book, I borrowed from the library and listened to in one sitting. It was so intriguing! Friendships, coming-of-age, suspense, social class, and the paranormal all rolled up in a terrific plot and great characters. The narration was spot on and I feel was better than if I had read it myself. A roller coaster of emotions! Great book!

Wow what a read! I really liked this book and devoured it within three days - the imagery was so strong that it felt like I was watching a classic 80's horror film in my head! I loved it, the characters were realistic, complex, lovable and difficult. The situations were creepy, comical, terrifying and bittersweet. The setting, tone and other bonus features like the Spotify playlist were well done. Highly recommend especially for those who like stranger things or are looking for some strong girl friendship!

I loved the atmosphere of this book. It’s so totally 80’s, and it sets a perfect canvas for the classic story of demonic possession. While the setting seems a little silly, the book is actually kind of terrifying, with a lot of twists and turns in the storyline. That being said, the book does have some plot holes. Its never explained how Gretchen actually comes to be possessed, and the ending is strangely unsatisfying. (If any of you want to rewrite this ending and send it to me, that would be awesome.)

Listened to this on audible. The narrator was great and really brought the story to life. The horror aspects were absolutely visceral. The humanity of the story, the character's relationships and emotional state, were so fraught and had me on the edge of my seat for half the book. I had to take breaks from listening. The last chapter made me cry super hard also. I really appreciated the combo of female friendship and demonic horror.

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.
Alright so when I saw the title and read the blurb I said to myself that has got to be a good book it is going to be filled with horror, the devil and so much more. Was this considered horror for me no, no, no. It was far from it i.m.o.
For me it was just okay would I read it again sure would I recommend it yes. You have Abby who one day invited everyone to her birthday party and the only one who showed up was Gretchen this is how they became best friends. They were so close that they were practically sisters, then one decision ends up changing everyone for not only Abby but for Gretchen and those around her. It seems that Gretchen is being possessed by something but what exactly and can she even be saved.
Now when we get to at least two of the scenes that I just was like umm okay I just couldn't wrap my head around it.
Now I did like how the characters were written, the friendship that Abby and Gretchen have seems real and genuine and I love that. See how they have each other's backs is awesome that is something females need to do. I just couldn't believe with Gretchen's family seeming to be religious (that is how I felt they were) didn't pick up on anything like the smell a demon gives off or the coldness in the house. Though maybe that is just me.
This book does take place in the 80's setting so that was really cool especially since I am an 80's baby and didn't get to experience it just by reading the story it seemed like a neat decade to be a part of.
If you would like a light read, something that you know is not believable, memories of the 80's, friendship that has to withstand something then pick this up.

The 80's references in this book were phenomenal, and really made me miss my era. I liked that that each chapter title was an 80's song reference. The physical book copy is like a yearbook.

The story itself was good, it did take awhile to get to the point of the story. In the end I think the main point of the book was about friendship.

I actually bought this book solely because the cover was faux VHS tape and harkened me back to days of yore. Consider this Sweet Valley mixed with Twilight Zone for an 80's packed horror story. Fast paced though frequently a touch to heavy on the kitsch - good book for the beach or wherever you go to escape reality for a little bit.

This book was a blast from the past. It brought back a lot of memories of best friends, fights, driving around until dawn, just being young and foolish. I didn't like the divide between adults & their teens. There seemed to be no representation of any adult who was interested in finding out what was going on. Other than that, this book was entertaining.

This was a really great book. The writing was awesome! I thought maybe it was for teenagers. Teenagers can read the book, but they wouldn't get all the great 80's references like Wine Coolers and Malls. The book details how the girls become friends and move on to the teen years with the "mean girls" and how they end up in life. It's really more a story about a powerful friendship. Beautifully written!

Overall meh. There are some really compelling parts and the writing is good, but the casual homophobia was super off-putting and I'm sick to death of the catty teenage girl trope. It's also not very scary, it just has a lot of unsettling descriptions in it.

I don't remember how I came across this book but I read some witchcraft and Cthulhu materials on Kindle, so maybe this might have been a recommendation from the past purchase histories. My last purchase in such a genre was Alan Garner's "The Owl Service". At least I liked the cover art(still I do).
As already described in other reviews, the style can be easily associated with Stephen King, but the much more random stuff was going on there. Though I sometimes felt the narration was sounding too materialistic and being clichés, the author knew what it takes to convey the occultic atmosphere lurking beneath its surface in a quiet, rural community of America.
As the secret (it is actually not because the title already tells what's become of Gretchen) unfolds, I personally started to feel a bit of frustration about the dumbness of Abby(the protagonist), who continuously failed to save her friends from the fate. She often let the real enemy to have a chance to escape otherwise she could've been portrayed as a 80'ish heroine as seen in dramas, even not the best one.
Contrary to expectations, I liked the epilogue the most. I do not reveal too much details here, but it was a bit of surprise in this genre.

Ever since I was traumatized for life by watching THE EXORCIST on TV as a way-too-young kid, I have been fascinated by, and lived in terror of, demonic possession. Much like another favorite film and book, JAWS, there are a lot of books and movies with a similar theme, but nothing is ever in the same ballpark. While nowhere near as scary as THE EXORCIST (I doubt any book will ever scare me the way that one did...), Grady Hendrix's MY BEST FRIENDS EXORCISM has arrived and set itself up as one of the few worthy successors to the "Great demonic possession novel" throne.

I was a bit unsure about this book, for a couple of reasons. Specifically, the cover and protagonists (A pair of high-school girls) made me wonder if I was going to (****shudder****) inadvertently crack open a girl-centric faux-horror YA novel. The good news is, this is not being marketed as a YA novel, and this is, I'm happy to say, a full-on, pull-no-punches HORROR novel.

The book itself is designed to resemble the 1988-1989 Albemarle Academy of South Carolina Yearbook, and it's a clever little conceit. The first few pages, as well as the last few, are filled with signatures and well-wishes from fellow students, as well as the customary ads from local businesses and salutations from parents and teachers. The design really sets the mood, and is very unique.

The story itself follows Abby and Gretchen, longtime best friends whose lives will be forever changed before the school year ends. Gretchen is from a rich, religious, and eccentric southern family, while Abby's family has fallen on hard times recently, relegating Abby to the proverbial "Wrong side of the tracks". Abby is attending the Ablemarle Academy on a scholarship, so she's one of the few students who isn't rolling in money. The bulk of the first half of the book is spent setting up the relationship between Abby and Gretchen, which author Grady Hendrix does wonderfully. Without a solid foundation in reality, and believable characters, nothing that follows would have any impact at all.

One fall evening, while visiting with friends, Gretchen and Abby experiment with LSD, which ends with the girls going for a midnight swim, and Gretchen disappears under the water and never resurfaces. The girls frantically search the water and nearby woods unsuccessfully, until they stumble upon her the next morning, naked and freezing.

Physically, Gretchen turns out to be fine, but Abby soon starts to notice cracks in the facade.....Strange things begin to happen that make her wonder if something in the woods that night changed Gretchen somehow. Could her best friend be possessed by Satan...?

As someone who was roughly the same age in 1988 as Abby and Gretchen, I thoroughly enjoyed Hendrix's pop-culture references, especially the way that every chapter bears the name of, and is patterned after, a late '80's hit song. The progression of off-kilter events that follow Gretchen goes from kind-of-weird to downright scary in short order, and Hendrix accomplishes a nice bit of slight-of-hand by keeping me wondering until the end just what was going on....Is Gretchen really possessed, or is the stressed and now-friendless Abby twisting the narrative to match her perhaps mentally ill version of events? This is good, strong stuff that, while never really scaring me, really drew me in and kept me turning the pages. As always, your mileage may vary, but this book really hit my Horror sweet spot in a way that hasn't been hit in a LONG time. Highly recommended.

Quirk provided a review copy.

I love, love, love this book! Being a reader of a certain age, I was thrown back in time to the 80's at warp speed. Using songs for chapter titles was brilliant; one more layer of immersion into the experience of the book (I even created a "My Best Friend's Exorcism" playlist for Spotify so I could listen while I read). Just when I was comfortably enjoying the haze of nostalgia, slam! Unimaginable Horror! Abby goes to such lengths to save Gretchen, taking daring risks and making crushing sacrifices. While I understand the ending of the book, it hit a little too close to home. The intensity of childhood friendship and teenage drama does eventually, unfortunately become distilled by adulthood. This book so successfully brought me back to my younger self that the adult relationship between the girls sent me crashing back to the reality of my current mundane adult life. <sigh> I highly recommend "My Best Friend's Exorcism" to anyone looking for a funny, horrifying, touching book to read. Perfect for anyone wishing to time-travel back to the passion and chaos of their high school years, even for a little while.

Review: MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM by Grady Hendrix

I found the author's first novel, HORRORSTOR, singularly frightening and engrossing. His second novel, MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM, is emotionally wrenching. I felt as if I had been laundered on an old fashioned metal scrubber and wrung out to dry. The emotions in this novel are full-on intense, all the time. Granted, we are dealing with adolescents in turmoil, but the adults are just as emotionally overwrought. Everyone is tuned up, and since we are naturally subject to empathy, reading MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM was kind of equivalent to residing underneath a grid of electric power lines.

Whether the trouble is supernatural or psychological may be debatable. What is not in question is the room in this novel for human evil. From inherent selfishness, greed, and misuse of power and wealth, along the continuum, through deliberate psychological manipulation, to actual premeditated elitism, crime, and destruction, the human capacity for evil disturbed me more than did the possibility of demonic possession.

Disclaimer: I reviewed a digital ARC generously provided by the author and publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only, without remuneration. The above is my impartial and honest opinion.

Despite a few editing errors, this is a fantastic book. If you like horror movies from the 80s, or horror movies in general, you'll love this. It is a great story about the power of friendship as well as a gnarly exorcism story with great pieces of pop culture from the 80s strewn in. It's fun, spooky, kind of gross, and a great read!

When I first started reading this book I started describing it as perfect for those who were finishing up Stranger Things on Netflix and wanted more. While not as Goonie-esque the book truly is such a fun romp in 80s pop culture. Hendrix did a great job. I can't wait to go back to read his first book. As for this one- Charleston was a magnicificant character not just the setting. But the creepy horror of the book (don't read at night) and the friendship between Abby & Gretchen make this book hard to put down. I loved it.

This was a campy, creepy, "perfect for halloween" gem of a book. It was like reading a John Hughes movie. Steeped in 80's culture, with each chapter named after an 80's song (swoon), this story is one about loyalty and friendship and how one friend's dedication can conquer all, even a demonic possession. Although it had a lot of feel good to this book because of its setting, there are a lot of spine tingling, creepy and straight out horrifying scenes to live up to the name and this amazingly disturbing cover. This book was my sleeper hit of the year so far!

Ohmygod THIS BOOK! It lures you in with 1980s nostalgia--roller skating, BFFs, Genesis, teased bangs, TCBY, crap cars, the psuedo-danger of sneaking out--then WHAM. In the aftermath of one reckless night a teenage girl's life unravels and you're left guessing whether she's surrounded by evil people or if there's something even more sinister going on. The author deftly employs satire to ask some bigger questions about how we treat girls, and the poor, and each other. A completely satisfying read. Highly recommended for anyone who loves Courtney Summers, Isaac Marion, or Rainbow Rowell.

This book was fantastic. The plot seems very familiar and when it started, I was worried that it might be cheesy and predictable. I was dead wrong. I absolutely could not put it down until I was through with it.

I went into this book expecting something campy and light hearted in the vein of Christopher Moore. However I was wrong, the horror parts were scary, unnerving, and down right gross. Yet the friendship was believable and heartfelt. I highly recommend this book. It had me scared and crying throughout.

This book could have been so much better, if it had decided what it wanted to be. A campy horror story, a laugh at the absurdities of life in the 80's, an ode to the movies of the 80's. Instead it tried to be a little bit of all of it, with an emphasis on Heathers, and the book came up short. I also don't know why a male author would chose to write about two female best friends, and their female friends.
Sadly this book wasn't funny enough to be a parody, or interesting enough to be taken seriously.

I never write reviews, but this book was incredible!! You do not have to be a kid of the 80’s to enjoy this book. I’m hoping this makes the transition into a movie(or a netflix series) because this one is amazing! I literally read this overnight because I could not put it down, then passed it on to my daughter because I knew she would like it as well

Been waiting to get my hands on this one for a long time, and I can definitely say it was worth the wait. Hendrix manages to capture both the juvenile voice of adolescence while immersing the reader in 80s kitsch.

You can find all of my reviews as well as a bonus aesthetic photo for “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” at[...]

SPECS
• 330 pages
• Signed Hardcover
• Established Author
• Days To Read: 1
• Received: Goodreads Giveaways
• Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This book is suspense city! It is a wonderful blend of action, suspense and dialogue, just the kind of book I like. I normally lean more towards YA novels about things like magic, powers, vampires, but this one was a surprising catch. Possession movies are my favorite, so I thought I would give this book a spin, and I am so glad I did. I have yet to give a book a 5/5 star rating on this blog, this is the first! Now I did receive it from Goodreads Giveaways, but I totally would have purchased it for myself if I had come across it. The cover artwork and snippet on the back had me hooked ( I think I might actually buy it for my cousin for Christmas).
Our book starts the December of 4th grade, our main character Abby has just seen ET for the first time and is totally obsessed, she decides that her birthday coming up is going to be all ET themed at the local roller rink. She invites the entire fourth grade to come celebrate with her. The day comes....but none of her classmates do. She doesn't understand why none of her classmates wouldn't want to come skate and eat ET cake with her on her birthday, when the new girl Gretchen walks in. Abby doesn’t really know Gretchen, but she doesn’t want her there either, this new girl is watching Abby’s downfall. What does Gretchen get Abby for her birthday? A Children’s Bible, why would Abby want a Bible when everything in this party room is all ET, she wanted ET themed stuff for her birthday. After a rocky start and a few events that evening, Abby and Gretchen become best friends.
Fast Forward 8 years and they still are attached at the waist, Abby, Gretchen, Margaret, and Glee are all best friends and entering their junior year at Albemarle Academy, a prestigious private school in Charleston, South Carolina. Abby has never fully quite fit in there, she is a scholarship student, meanwhile all of her classmates and friends have extremely wealthy families that can pay for the tuition. But Abby’s friends have never cared about how much money she has.
Our first big event happens at Margaret's house, it is the 8-’s and the girls decide to experiment with acid. Nothing is really happening, but Gretchen being the wild child that she is, decided she wanted to skinny dip into the lake. Her top and shorts come off and she goes flying off the dock, but she doesn't realize its low tide and falls into the shallow water with a thud. The girls all go to find her but she is gone. All they can see in the moonlight is some of her tracks into the woods. As Abby is searching for Gretchen all through the night, she gets an uneasy feeling in the woods, like she isn’t alone, and is even chased out of the woods at one point because of how uncomfortable she feels. Abby isn't the girl that is going to stop looking for her friend. As dawn breaks, Abby stumbles across a broken and beaten down shed in the middle of the woods, and Gretchen; but Gretchen isn't the same. Something is different about Gretchen, what was in the woods? Did someone hurt her? Did she have a bad acid trip? The story unfolds after that night. Can Abby and Gretchen’s friendship survive whatever happened that night in the woods?
In my opinion, I believe this book would make a wonderful movie, the bright flashy colors of the 80′s against the dark background of the story being told, the great mix of action, character development, and story line. It just all adds up into an awesome movie. So Producers....GET ON IT. I highly recommend this book, I don’t believe there would be any kind of sequel based on how the book ended, unless they did one from Gretchen’s pov, but I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.

I didn't know what I was expecting when I started reading this, but I was not disappointed at all. The friendship between Abby and Gretchen, their love for each other, and their faith in one another was so beautiful. I loved how everything came together in the end and how they saved each other. I thought the ending was pretty realistic too and closed out nicely. I love stories about female friendships so I would highly recommend this to anyone. :)

I never write reviews, but this book was incredible!! You do not have to be a kid of the 80’s to enjoy this book. I’m hoping this makes the transition into a movie(or a netflix series) because this one is amazing! I literally read this overnight because I could not put it down, then passed it on to my daughter because I knew she would like it as well

Been waiting to get my hands on this one for a long time, and I can definitely say it was worth the wait. Hendrix manages to capture both the juvenile voice of adolescence while immersing the reader in 80s kitsch.

You can find all of my reviews as well as a bonus aesthetic photo for “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” at[...]

SPECS
• 330 pages
• Signed Hardcover
• Established Author
• Days To Read: 1
• Received: Goodreads Giveaways
• Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
This book is suspense city! It is a wonderful blend of action, suspense and dialogue, just the kind of book I like. I normally lean more towards YA novels about things like magic, powers, vampires, but this one was a surprising catch. Possession movies are my favorite, so I thought I would give this book a spin, and I am so glad I did. I have yet to give a book a 5/5 star rating on this blog, this is the first! Now I did receive it from Goodreads Giveaways, but I totally would have purchased it for myself if I had come across it. The cover artwork and snippet on the back had me hooked ( I think I might actually buy it for my cousin for Christmas).
Our book starts the December of 4th grade, our main character Abby has just seen ET for the first time and is totally obsessed, she decides that her birthday coming up is going to be all ET themed at the local roller rink. She invites the entire fourth grade to come celebrate with her. The day comes....but none of her classmates do. She doesn't understand why none of her classmates wouldn't want to come skate and eat ET cake with her on her birthday, when the new girl Gretchen walks in. Abby doesn’t really know Gretchen, but she doesn’t want her there either, this new girl is watching Abby’s downfall. What does Gretchen get Abby for her birthday? A Children’s Bible, why would Abby want a Bible when everything in this party room is all ET, she wanted ET themed stuff for her birthday. After a rocky start and a few events that evening, Abby and Gretchen become best friends.
Fast Forward 8 years and they still are attached at the waist, Abby, Gretchen, Margaret, and Glee are all best friends and entering their junior year at Albemarle Academy, a prestigious private school in Charleston, South Carolina. Abby has never fully quite fit in there, she is a scholarship student, meanwhile all of her classmates and friends have extremely wealthy families that can pay for the tuition. But Abby’s friends have never cared about how much money she has.
Our first big event happens at Margaret's house, it is the 8-’s and the girls decide to experiment with acid. Nothing is really happening, but Gretchen being the wild child that she is, decided she wanted to skinny dip into the lake. Her top and shorts come off and she goes flying off the dock, but she doesn't realize its low tide and falls into the shallow water with a thud. The girls all go to find her but she is gone. All they can see in the moonlight is some of her tracks into the woods. As Abby is searching for Gretchen all through the night, she gets an uneasy feeling in the woods, like she isn’t alone, and is even chased out of the woods at one point because of how uncomfortable she feels. Abby isn't the girl that is going to stop looking for her friend. As dawn breaks, Abby stumbles across a broken and beaten down shed in the middle of the woods, and Gretchen; but Gretchen isn't the same. Something is different about Gretchen, what was in the woods? Did someone hurt her? Did she have a bad acid trip? The story unfolds after that night. Can Abby and Gretchen’s friendship survive whatever happened that night in the woods?
In my opinion, I believe this book would make a wonderful movie, the bright flashy colors of the 80′s against the dark background of the story being told, the great mix of action, character development, and story line. It just all adds up into an awesome movie. So Producers....GET ON IT. I highly recommend this book, I don’t believe there would be any kind of sequel based on how the book ended, unless they did one from Gretchen’s pov, but I still HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.

I didn't know what I was expecting when I started reading this, but I was not disappointed at all. The friendship between Abby and Gretchen, their love for each other, and their faith in one another was so beautiful. I loved how everything came together in the end and how they saved each other. I thought the ending was pretty realistic too and closed out nicely. I love stories about female friendships so I would highly recommend this to anyone. :)

Love it!! As a big fan of the fear street books back in the nineties this is awesome. It's taking me back to when I would put down a fear street book in one night and not get any sleep, except this time everyone is really like a teenager instead of semi perfect. Love the chapter titles love it all.

This is one crazy book! I read Horrorstor but didn't realize until after I'd finished this one that it's the same author. He's a crazy, risky storyteller.

Basically, one of two best friends becomes possessed. First half of this book is sisterly love and the second half is a horror, complete with beloved pet beheading. It's a wild ride...

Thanks to NetGalley for this read!

There were a couple of two-star reviews that I read and I was completely startled by them. Did we read the same book?! So here are my two comments in regards to their reviews. And I think I might have a *SPOILER* in there somewhere so please don't read this if you haven't read the book. My spoiler isn't really a spoiler in itself as it is just a comment in regards to one of the reviewers spoilers but if you don't read their review first, my comment can come across as a spoiler. So without further adieu, here are my two response comments to the 2-star reviewers:

1) Were we reading the same book? I thought Abby was pretty real. I didn't find her stuck-up in the least. I DID find her to be a true interpretation of a teenager growing up in the '80s. I didn't read anything about her not liking her parents because they couldn't buy her everything she wanted. This is one of the reasons why I feel like we didn't read the same book. I can understand your comment about not being able to get into a book as well when you don't like the main character. I guess I just don't get why you disliked her so much. She could have easily have been me (I graduated in '87) and I don't think I was stuck-up in the least. I WAS selfish but really, who wasn't as a teenager? Except for a select few, teenagers, even more so in today's world, tend to be quite selfish. And Abby wasn't even selfish! I'm really interested to know what made you think that about her. She was a total giver throughout the entire book! And Abby let Gretchen take the fall for her own actions?!?! Seriously?! When? Where? In fact, in quite the opposite way, Abby took the blame for giving Gretchen the acid when it was actually someone else entirely who gave it to her! And everything she told Gretchen's parents was all out of love for her friend! And then you say that "Abby comes to conclude is due to demonic possession" as though it wasn't and you're actually blaming everything that happened on the acid. That may not be what you meant, but that is how it comes across. Gretchen WAS possessed! And Gretchen is hardly pressured into doing the drugs. They all made a pact to do everything together or not at all. And Gretchen was only slightly concerned about it, not being fed paper strips of acid with her hand tied behind her back! All that just seems overly-dramatic. The part about Margret's brother being a creep? It happened and still does happen! Rich people get away with a lot because of money. Just because it is touched upon here doesn't mean that it was taken lightly. It was barely mentioned and had very little to do with the story-line other than to give context to a small-time character in the book. I honestly understand that you gave your honest opinion of the book and that you didn't like it and I don't mean to berate you for your point of view. I just don't understand all the negativity you feel towards Abby as you continue to call her "shallow/selfish" and she wasn't either of those things! Ugggg! I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated with this review because it feels so wrong to me! (And before anyone says something like I know the author, I do not. I truly loved the book and after reading the lesser starred reviews, I just had to put my two cents in because I can't believe how far off they seem to me!) Anyway, sorry for going on about it. I just want to give a counter-argument as someone who saw the book in an entirely different light than you. I hope I didn't come across as mean with all my exclamation marks. I just finished reading the book, like 15 minutes ago and I was profoundly taken by Gretchen and Abby's incredible friendship and love for one another. I think I'm a little more upset with these 2-star reviews now than I would be if I hadn't just finished the book, one of the better books I've ever read. I wish you all the very best and please forgive my rant on how much I love this book and disagree with you! <3

2) Wow! I couldn't disagree with you more! Instead of writing everything awesome about this book, I'm just going to take everything you said and reverse it.

I love this book very much. It is so much more than your basic high school contemporary and the demon possession pretty much dominated the book. The characters were so true to form and I would know as I graduated in 1987. I can totally see any one of these people in my life back then. The demon element was explored wonderfully and the book moves along at a wonderful pace, letting you get to the know the girls from the time their friendship first began in 4th grade. This shows their incredible bond over those pre-teen years that segues nicely into the night that everything goes bad, and that word is putting it mildly! I agree with only one of your sentences and I will quote it here, "The book primarily is about friendship and the importance of being there for your friends even when they are controlled by whatever unseen demons or what have you." And as for the ending, it was very powerful. The passage of time was significant in showing that their bond stood the tests of time and daily life that can make you lose touch with the people you were closest to. I came away from this book feeling a wonderful sense of happiness. I simply can NOT understand how anyone could not take away from the book the same things I did. But of course, we are not all the same which makes life interesting! We all have unique tastes and obviously this book just wasn't a good read for you. But why?!?!?! ;) Ok, just kidding. You are allowed your review and I thank you for sharing it. Please don't take offense to my review of your review. :D

MBFE played like an 80s horror movie making for a very enjoyable read. I loved the characters and how they handled the possession was great. A person could get lost by the slew of 80s references but its worth it.

I thought the plot was creative. I think the author captured how teenage girls think, talk, and behave towards each other accurately. I'm impressed that he was able to work the demonic character into the plot. I consider it light-horror.