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macxiii's review against another edition
4.0
Fun horror comedy that reminds me of "Heathers" mixed with "Jennifer's Body" in the backdrop of the 1980's Satanic Panic. Pacing got slow in a couple of spots but overall a super fun time!
booktowngirl's review against another edition
4.0
I know this sounds like it would be a super creepy book, but I really feel like the main theme of this book is the power of friendship. I loved this book, it started out a bit slow for me, but the last half really picked up and had some spooky parts!!
jpcc's review against another edition
4.0
Very immersive with a greatly written story.
Just when you think things can't get worse they do!!
The ebook version has a lot of great extras like web links and high definition images.
Just when you think things can't get worse they do!!
The ebook version has a lot of great extras like web links and high definition images.
cinahelina's review against another edition
2.0
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.
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.
bkwrm1317's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Solid middle of the line read of Hendrix on this one. Not my favorite, but not bad either. Components I really enjoyed included brother Lemon and his antics, among others.
j_rowley's review against another edition
3.0
Gretchen and Abby are BFFs. They have been since a birthday party Abby had and Gretchen was the only one to show.
Now high school and Abby is a scholarship student hanging with Gretchen, Margaret, and Glee -- girls with $$$.One weekend they are at Margaret's vacation house and trying LSD. Everyone but Gretchen feels nothing. She dives into shallow water and doesn't come back up. The other three go looking for her for hours. Finally get her back naked and bloody. Possession, maybe. Abby first Gretchen fights it. Then no one likes her then the demon takes over and she's well-loved, but Abby knows something is wrong. Gretchen begins to hurt friends. Margaret becomes anorexic because tapeworm, Glee and priest seem to have affair, football player drinks before important game. Gretchen kills her dog when Abby and exorcist kidnap her. Abby already has a bad rep now. Exorcist poser and Abby drives demon out. They remain friends forever.
Hendrix likes to mix the normal with the supernatural.
Now high school and Abby is a scholarship student hanging with Gretchen, Margaret, and Glee -- girls with $$$.One weekend they are at Margaret's vacation house and trying LSD. Everyone but Gretchen feels nothing. She dives into shallow water and doesn't come back up. The other three go looking for her for hours. Finally get her back naked and bloody. Possession, maybe. Abby first Gretchen fights it. Then no one likes her then the demon takes over and she's well-loved, but Abby knows something is wrong. Gretchen begins to hurt friends. Margaret becomes anorexic because tapeworm, Glee and priest seem to have affair, football player drinks before important game. Gretchen kills her dog when Abby and exorcist kidnap her. Abby already has a bad rep now. Exorcist poser and Abby drives demon out. They remain friends forever.
Hendrix likes to mix the normal with the supernatural.
gioreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
it was AMAZING. This book felt like it was written for me because it was so up my alley; demons, a tragic best friend story, and 80s music! It was a blast from beginning to end and i seriously never wanted to put it down. Now i wanna read more of Grady Hendrix’s stuff. Also i saw something online about a film adaptation sometime soon? Really hoping its true because i NEED a My Best Friend’s Exorcism movie.
mataraven's review against another edition
4.0
Ummm... This book, you guys? Where do I even begin? Even though it started off just weird and slow, once I got into it, I was hooked with a preoccupying, thinking-about-it-when-not-reading, need-to-finish-it-now type of attraction. Seriously, I'm thirty something years old, and this book had me reading it while looking around the dang room. I haven't felt that heart-pounding level of book fear since I was a teenager reading old Fear Street tomes.
So, was the writing brilliant? Not flashy or wordy, the writing does an amazing job of taking you deep within the character, planting little hints for future reference, and caring about what happens. I cringed so many times, teared up a bit, and found myself filing pieces away in my head to think about where Grady Hendrix might be heading. Isn't that the beauty of reading?
I loved the 80s references - which makes this gal wonder if it may not be better suited for thirty something readers than teen readers. However, I know teens in my school right now who would devour this book. (That's why we are getting a copy!) The over-arching theme of friendship and love for your friends was refreshing and unexpected in a horror novel.
So, was the writing brilliant? Not flashy or wordy, the writing does an amazing job of taking you deep within the character, planting little hints for future reference, and caring about what happens. I cringed so many times, teared up a bit, and found myself filing pieces away in my head to think about where Grady Hendrix might be heading. Isn't that the beauty of reading?
I loved the 80s references - which makes this gal wonder if it may not be better suited for thirty something readers than teen readers. However, I know teens in my school right now who would devour this book. (That's why we are getting a copy!) The over-arching theme of friendship and love for your friends was refreshing and unexpected in a horror novel.
hackeynut's review against another edition
2.0
Man this book bummed me out. After last year's [b:Horrorstör|13129925|Horrorstör|Grady Hendrix|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1414314217s/13129925.jpg|18306052], I couldn't wait to crack open this book from Grady Hendrix. Sadly, everything that made Horrorstor one of my favorite books of last year is conspicuously absent from Hendrix's latest.
The setup is simple if long. It is the 1980s. You know it is the 1980s by the incessant references to the 1980s, to the point of embarrassment. Every page and nearly every sentence seems to give a snippet of an 80s song, movie or other cultural touchstone. It is exhausting.
Anyhow, the setup. Two friends and their two extended friends. They have a long friendship, do some drugs and one friend is changed after that. Then there is some more shenanigans that could be traced to the "changed" friend. The payoff is of course in the title of the book.
Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy the book, but it just didn't work. It doesn't work as a high school story or a coming of age tale simply because it isn't good enough. It is a cliche riddled mess. That would be okay if it hit strong on the horror side.
It doesn't. It might be the least scary exorcism entertainment product ever produced and I'm counting Leslie Nielsen's "Repossessed."
Either way, thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC!
The setup is simple if long. It is the 1980s. You know it is the 1980s by the incessant references to the 1980s, to the point of embarrassment. Every page and nearly every sentence seems to give a snippet of an 80s song, movie or other cultural touchstone. It is exhausting.
Anyhow, the setup. Two friends and their two extended friends. They have a long friendship, do some drugs and one friend is changed after that. Then there is some more shenanigans that could be traced to the "changed" friend. The payoff is of course in the title of the book.
Like I said, I really wanted to enjoy the book, but it just didn't work. It doesn't work as a high school story or a coming of age tale simply because it isn't good enough. It is a cliche riddled mess. That would be okay if it hit strong on the horror side.
It doesn't. It might be the least scary exorcism entertainment product ever produced and I'm counting Leslie Nielsen's "Repossessed."
Either way, thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC!
katiebutton1978's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. I can’t tell if this was supposed to be YA or suspenseful or horror? I loved the beginning because it took place in the 80’s and the nostalgia of the two girl best friends was super fun. Once high school came and one of them was taken over by the demon, I sort of lost interest. I finished it just to see how it ended.