A review by daffodilcherry
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this horror book! It was a perfect mixture of family drama that leads into supernatural horror, the characters felt very grounded and real, I loved the twists of the plot. While some aspects were predictable, everything was written in a very pleasing way. It takes about 1/3rd of the book for spooky stuff to begin happening, but when it kicks off it kicks off. The narrator is amazing at doing a very spooky puppet voice.
How I would sell the book to someone: Single mother main character has to go back to her home town to fix up her parent's house after they suddenly die in an accident, arguing over everything with her estranged brother. Except her mother was *really* into puppets and dolls, and let's just say that the puppets aren't happy that the mother is dead. It deals with like family secrets and grief and motherhood .... And it has creepy as fuck puppets 🤡
Wheelhouse items: female main character with agency, family secrets, unreliable narrator, returning to small home town, puppet horror, doll horror, haunted houses.
Horror items (spoilers):
Spoiler car crash, COVID symptoms, taxidermy animals, squirrel attacks, PUPPETS, dolls, possession, self-harm under possession, harm of others under possession, in-depth amputation gore, dog attack, exorcism, drowning, hallucinations, dead children.
no sexual violence (which is always a win for me!)
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