A review by chaoticneutral
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was my first Grady Hendrix book, and I was a little unsure of what to expect. I initially thought this book would be a thriller, but it seemed to focus more on the family dynamics of the main character.
I thought most of the characters were deeply unlikeable, which I actually enjoy. It makes them more human and relatable. I also like that the author makes you question at times if Louise is truly experiencing the paranormal, or if she’s just going insane.
I frequently found myself feeling like I was waiting for something to actually happen. There wasn’t any suspense until almost half way through the book. I did enjoy the body horror and scarier elements when they did happen, but this book did not keep me up at night.
At the end, I found myself with more questions.
-Sometimes it seems like Punkin is reliant on the person who is puppeting him to do any real damage. Other times, Punkin is just running around on his little fabric limbs and stabbing people in the eye… if Punkin can move on his own, why did he stay in the garage and let Louise destroy him?
-I still don’t understand why Louise’s mother left everything in her will to Mark. Out of guilt from his near drowning or Freddie’s death? To have Lou take care of her possessed puppets? I thought it seemed really unforgivable. And then Louise thanks her mother at the end of the novel… for what?! Leaving behind murderous toys? For hiding truths from her family?
-I still don’t understand how Spider came into being. He’s just an imaginary dog? That sometimes listens to Mark and Louise, and other times tries to kill them?
Overall, I did enjoy this book. But I won’t read it again or think about it in the future.
I thought most of the characters were deeply unlikeable, which I actually enjoy. It makes them more human and relatable. I also like that the author makes you question at times if Louise is truly experiencing the paranormal, or if she’s just going insane.
I frequently found myself feeling like I was waiting for something to actually happen. There wasn’t any suspense until almost half way through the book. I did enjoy the body horror and scarier elements when they did happen, but this book did not keep me up at night.
At the end, I found myself with more questions.
Spoiler
-Sometimes it seems like Punkin is reliant on the person who is puppeting him to do any real damage. Other times, Punkin is just running around on his little fabric limbs and stabbing people in the eye… if Punkin can move on his own, why did he stay in the garage and let Louise destroy him?
-I still don’t understand why Louise’s mother left everything in her will to Mark. Out of guilt from his near drowning or Freddie’s death? To have Lou take care of her possessed puppets? I thought it seemed really unforgivable. And then Louise thanks her mother at the end of the novel… for what?! Leaving behind murderous toys? For hiding truths from her family?
-I still don’t understand how Spider came into being. He’s just an imaginary dog? That sometimes listens to Mark and Louise, and other times tries to kill them?
Overall, I did enjoy this book. But I won’t read it again or think about it in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Body horror