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A review by ojtheviking
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
4.25
First of all, I have to say that the timing of my picking up this book is quite interesting. Because initially, I had only heard that this was a very popular book. And once I had started reading it, I found myself thinking: "This is bound to be adapted into a movie or something." Lo and behold, a trailer for the upcoming movie adaptation has now been released. I didn't even know that the adaptation was already in the works, so you might say I finished this book just in time! Judging from the trailer, they've already made some adjustments, but I'll try not to let that bother me.
With that said, this review is about the book first and foremost. And I might as well just say it straight up: I truly enjoyed this from start to finish. For example, I loved the retro vibes. That's of course a very popular thing nowadays, with shows like Stranger Things, and parts of this book feel like a love letter to the 1980s, including the way the book cover itself is made to look like an old, rough-looking VHS tape. To me, that just shows what a golden time it was when it came to movies, comic books, rock music, and video games.
But this was also the era when the Satanic Panic emerged, so it's fitting that such a story as this takes place around that time. It fits the theme, so to speak. Plus, some horror stories work best in that era as opposed to modern times. That heightened feeling of isolation when nobody is as connected as they are in today's technological world, when you can't just google things or immediately call for help.
There's also that typical 1980s horror trope in which none of the parents are truly listening to the teenagers, blaming the problems on drugs, alcohol, friends being bad influences, and so on. Pretty much like how the Elm Street teens were screaming about a boogeyman trying to murder them in their dreams, but the parents just got them separated, arrested, drugged up at a psych ward, etc.
With this being a young adult book, I also sense that parts of this story - however loosely - function as coming-of-age allegories. You have all the standard teenage drama, such as rumors, jealousy, bullying, cliques being formed within groups of friends, and so forth. There just happens to be other forces at work to take these things to the extreme, which also leads to more severe consequences.
Now, whenever I write these book reviews, I try to be as spoiler-free as possible. But I suppose the very title of this novel is a big hint towards specific elements you may find within this story. I point that out because I also have to say that this is more than just a young adult version of a certain story written by William Peter Blatty. Hendrix has sprinkled some humor throughout the pages - albeit never in a way that clashes too much with the horror parts - making this equal parts more ridiculous (in a good way) and extreme. Some of the ridiculousness comes from the cast of characters (such as a group of religious bodybuilders pumping iron for the Lord), and as for the extreme stuff, the inevitable climax that a story like this is bound to build up to feels a lot more visceral.
At the core of it all, though, we explore how much a true friendship is able to endure before it potentially breaks apart. That is the heart of the story, and this pulse beats throughout all of the pages. And frankly, it's very beautifully written. After the humor and the horror, there is something very heartwarming and bittersweet that stays with you once you finish the final page.
With that said, this review is about the book first and foremost. And I might as well just say it straight up: I truly enjoyed this from start to finish. For example, I loved the retro vibes. That's of course a very popular thing nowadays, with shows like Stranger Things, and parts of this book feel like a love letter to the 1980s, including the way the book cover itself is made to look like an old, rough-looking VHS tape. To me, that just shows what a golden time it was when it came to movies, comic books, rock music, and video games.
But this was also the era when the Satanic Panic emerged, so it's fitting that such a story as this takes place around that time. It fits the theme, so to speak. Plus, some horror stories work best in that era as opposed to modern times. That heightened feeling of isolation when nobody is as connected as they are in today's technological world, when you can't just google things or immediately call for help.
There's also that typical 1980s horror trope in which none of the parents are truly listening to the teenagers, blaming the problems on drugs, alcohol, friends being bad influences, and so on. Pretty much like how the Elm Street teens were screaming about a boogeyman trying to murder them in their dreams, but the parents just got them separated, arrested, drugged up at a psych ward, etc.
With this being a young adult book, I also sense that parts of this story - however loosely - function as coming-of-age allegories. You have all the standard teenage drama, such as rumors, jealousy, bullying, cliques being formed within groups of friends, and so forth. There just happens to be other forces at work to take these things to the extreme, which also leads to more severe consequences.
Now, whenever I write these book reviews, I try to be as spoiler-free as possible. But I suppose the very title of this novel is a big hint towards specific elements you may find within this story. I point that out because I also have to say that this is more than just a young adult version of a certain story written by William Peter Blatty. Hendrix has sprinkled some humor throughout the pages - albeit never in a way that clashes too much with the horror parts - making this equal parts more ridiculous (in a good way) and extreme. Some of the ridiculousness comes from the cast of characters (such as a group of religious bodybuilders pumping iron for the Lord), and as for the extreme stuff, the inevitable climax that a story like this is bound to build up to feels a lot more visceral.
At the core of it all, though, we explore how much a true friendship is able to endure before it potentially breaks apart. That is the heart of the story, and this pulse beats throughout all of the pages. And frankly, it's very beautifully written. After the humor and the horror, there is something very heartwarming and bittersweet that stays with you once you finish the final page.