Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

54 reviews

creepycrawlybookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

What a VERY weird and creepy AF book! It was bizarre, and puppets have always creeped me out! But I did like the twist with the puppet. I HATED the MCs for the book's first quarter, especially Mark, but he improved once the book got going. I would not recommend eating while reading this book as it gets gorey at parts and pretty violent as well. Pumpkin got extremely annoying at parts.  Overall, it was an okay book, that did keep me engaged. It was better than the other book of his I read which I DNF'd.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Car accident

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Gaslighting

jackieyvette's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I can say that a million times over about this book and never get tired of repeating it. Wow.
I've read a book by Grady Hendrix before and loved it (The Final Girl Support Group), and thought might as well pick up the next one to see if it was a one off or if Grady Hendrix. I can say with my whole chest, Grady Hendrix is the real deal. This book is exciting, dark, cryptic, loving, etc. The list goes on.
Louise and Mark are a perfect pair. They are what siblings are. They're loud and antagonistic, but also soft and caring and most of all forgiving. I didn't expect the book to open on fighting siblings and not end with a sweet reunion, but the way this was done left a warmth in my heart that might never leave. The family love doesn't stop there though. This family is filled with strong and amazing women who rally to any occasion that comes their way. At the heart of this book is a true look at a family dynamic that I think every one can relate to. Every family has their secrets; it's just a matter of time before they come to head.

Now let's talk a little about Pupkin. He was the perfect antagonist. Creepy and ghoulish and vindictive and I rooted against him again and again until I didn't. He gave his all. The things he did were dreadful (Louise at the Calvins', Mark at BU, Poppy) but when you find out where this all roots from you feel his little puppet pain. His little voice saying 'Not fair' will stick with me and linger on for a while. I hope Pupkin feels at peace in Tickytoo Woods.

This is a book I can see myself reading over again in a couple of months, but always wishing I could read again for the first time.


Crying score: Yeah. Horror can be sad, don't I know it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fatphobia

sarahmiller98's review

dark emotional funny

4.0

The third Grady Hendrix book I've read and the most feel-good one so far. Which is a strange way to describe a book about grief, guilt, family trauma, and a terrifying haunted puppet.

Puppets aside, though, I found this book ultimately very heartwarming. The last two Hendrix books I read were both excellent but brutal in terms of their themes and what they put the main characters through, so it was nice to read something that focused more on the characters healing fractured bonds. 

The central relationship between siblings Louise and Mark is the heart of the story, and the author does a great job of conveying the pair's emotional growth as they slowly overcome years of hurt, distrust and resentment in order to save each other.

That's not to say, of course, that this book isn't scary - it definitely is. It's also very funny, in a sharp-edged, blackly comedic way that seems to be the author's signature. The use of perspective is fantastic throughout.

Louise's voice at the start is so believable and sympathetic, and Mark seems so horrible in comparison, that when I started reading I accepted her version of events without question, even though I'm well aware of the risk of relying on a single character's POV. This not only made the inevitable twist brutally effective, it also made the siblings' gradual reconciliation more meaningful. As the reader, we realise that we have misjudged Mark at the same time as Louise does, and every subsequent minor revelation casting a different light on his actions brings us closer to him.

While I think that Southern Book Club is still my favourite Hendrix novel, I very much enjoyed this. There's a little more kindness and a little less grimness in this book when you compare it to some of his other works, and I think it would make a great starting point for someone who has never read this author. Would absolutely recommend. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death and Toxic relationship

kimmy0__0's review against another edition

The main character is so whiny and all this book is about is how much she hates her brother. She says/thinks the same things over and over again... I really had high hopes because I liked The Final Girls Support Group, but man I just can't with this one. I checked with my sister who did finish and she said she wishes she hadn't finished. It was just a book about dolls being evil. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent

ohhthehorrors's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

theliteraryhooker's review

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was exactly what I needed to get me out of a slump. It moves fast, it's a little silly but also a lot creepy, and it's just fun from beginning to end! The characters are so well done, I found myself raging at Mark at the beginning but he did a total 180 by the end. There's a lot of exploration of grief and family here that manages to dig quite deep despite the absurdity of the plot. Hendrix also does gore so well, this is my second book by him and both have totally icked me out which isn't always easy to achieve in writing! Tons of fun, loved the family dynamics, definitely recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

mpswans1's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

daringreader13's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

5.0

If you aren’t good with body horror, creepy dolls/puppets, or possession- this book won’t be for you.


However if you’re good with that, you’ll probably love it like I did but also be ready to sleep with a light on and burn any puppet you ever see… speaking for a friend obviously 😂

The only thing that left me wondering is the note in the acknowledgment. About the funeral in the fellowship hall and any tips for the police? What am I missing there?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jessthanthree's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual content, Excrement, and Pregnancy