Reviews with content warning for Stalking - We Sold Our Souls

this book took me a long time to finish, i just could not get myself to pick it back up once i’d stopped.
around the 60-70% mark it got a lot better, but its a fight to get there.
i’ve read some grady hendrix before, and i’d definitely say he has much better books to read.

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_readerfromtheblacklagoon_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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thesupermassive's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

top 10 books to accompany Ghost's entire discography

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cinderrunner's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It is honestly impressive how metal, in essence not even just subject matter, this book is. I will admit, i wasn't overly impressed when i first started. I felt like it was taking too long to actually get anywhere. The plot doesnt really get rolling or exciting til maybe halfway through. I felt myself wishing Hendrix spent more time on them as a band and developed their connection a little better so their relationships had more omph. But the longer I read, the more the plot revealed, the more into it I got. Specifically around page 182 (in the edition I own) Kris starts playing guitar with a girl on the street and she talks about why she plays and the things that drive her. I read that passage and wanted to start snapping like i was at a poetry reading. If you are an artist of any kind, someone who really gets the drive to create for the sake of art not fame or money, the themes in this book are gonna hit home. Definitely recommend for you. Especially if youre an artist who is in alt subculture. I've only read 3 Hendrix books so far and can only recall the plot of this one and Final Girl Support Group enough to comment on them. But something I don't think people give Hendrix enough credit for his the social commentary and psychology behind some of these books. I get its easy to look past it with the camp factors and horror elements. Yet, its a really powerful part of the books when you notice it and it keeps making me rate them higher than i expect to. We Sold Our Souls would have been a 3 star read until the themes around society, its ambivalence to suffering, our obsession with shallow crap that doesnt matter, our selfishness, our obsession with treating the famous like gods, etc started becoming clearer to me. I love the full circle moment of ending on Melanie the way the book opens on Kris. Really wraps up the overall message of the book incredibly well. CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS ONE PLEASE! ESPECIALLY IF SA IS A TRIGGER FOR YOU.

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Of all of Grady Hendrix's novels, I expected this one to be my favorite before I had read any of them. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, but it is not my all-time favorite from Grady Hendrix, it definitely falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.
"We Sold Our Souls" follows a young woman named Kris. In the 1990's, her band, Dürt Würk, was ready to make it big and finally have their chance at fame. Unfortunately, everything fell apart one night, a night that no one in the band seems to remember. Now, in present day, one member of the former band is a musical idol and set to go on his farewell tour. Kris, sick of her horrible life, decides finally to confront him and get to the bottom of what happened decades ago and uncover why Dürt Würk never made it.

This novel is just like every other Grady Hendrix in the sense that he has his own special brand of comedic horror. This story is graphic, has violence and death, but it is still funny past all of the blood and gore. I really loved Kris as a character. She presents herself as real and authentic. Her dreams were shattered, and she was left to pick up pieces she should not have had to do. She struggles with dealing with the failure of her youth and she feels trapped in a terrible life she never wanted. But, once she finally gets that inspiration to fight for herself and her beloved band, she will stop at nothing for answers. Her whole character arch really takes you through a myriad of emotions and you cannot help to root for her.
I also really enjoyed the metaphor of "selling your soul" for your art. Without giving too much of the story away, someone in the band has sold his soul to become successful. I think this is such an interesting idea and discussion because fame tends to really cloud even the best person's judgment. Purists want the art to matter above all else, so when someone sells their soul, meaning they sacrifice their art for success, some people are outraged. But, at the same time you want to respect the hustle and the ambition to make it in this world because of their art.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Grady Hendrix's books, and I look forward to continue enjoying more from him!

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was delightfully weird! I love a good hero’s quest story structure, especially if our protagonist is a badass woman. I enjoyed the plot, though it got a little gross and gory at times. It felt right for the story though, like the novelation of a metal album. Actually all the chapter titles are album titles, which took me way too long to recognize! Hendrix’s style reminded me of a gritty film noir, focusing on what some might call the dregs of society, but in a way that highlights their wonderful humanity. Though many of these characters dream of fame and glory, most are extremely regular folks just trying to survive in less than ideal conditions. The ending felt right and tied up everything in a fun, bombastic way. I would totally read a sequel featuring the character we left off on! I think I’ll check out this author’s other works.

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werewolvesnotswearwolves's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

2.5

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