Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

224 reviews

lagaialettrice's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Body horror, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Gore, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a wild ride. It definitely felt authentic to the 80s, which was such an interesting (and not as great) time. I find it hard to rate the book any higher because of the subject matter but I did like the ending about friendship. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Violence, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Rape, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

caityg22's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Gore

brittanylee0302's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.5

1.5 stars out of 2
 I dont even know where to start...
 This book had the potential to be good but it freaking tumbled off a cliff. The characters were all awful, in the beginning the girls are 10 & by the time of the exorcism they're sophomores in high-school, BUT they still seemed to act like 10 year olds??? Like I'm not sure what Grady Hendrix thinks girls in high-school are like but im afraid he doesn't actually have a clue. & this book was so vulgar & focused on female anatomy & sexualized in just weird ways??? & if I had to hear about a "maxi pad" in one more reference, I think I would have lost it. The exorcism part was okay, but Gretchen speaking like Bugs Bunny & a few other characters really ruined it for me. & why was Abby's fully grown mother also so terrible? Like all these characters were absolutely awful. This is my second try at a Hendrix book & I think its my last. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Vomit, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Child death

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

The Details:
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Unabridged 

This was such an entertaining read. The relationships, both toxic and pure, was such a fantastic study of high school life, but added in sinister atmosphere with the whole possession plot (which reminded me of Jennifers Body mid way through).

It wasn't really that scary but the scene with Good Boy Max the dog made me feel sick.

The manipulation of Gretchen as she became deeper consumed by her demon was interesting to see, especially when no one else could see what was happening other that Abby.

I thought the ending about friendship was so sad and true and it wrapped up perfectly, with closure, as I like my stories to do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Eating disorder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Excrement, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Torture, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence

lostinworlds's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Animal death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Drug use, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Body shaming

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia

Minor: Medical content

themissyreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

This one Creeped me OUT. Made me CRY. Had genuine social commentary and did a spin on an old story in a way that felt New and Different. 5/5 would reccomend. Check the TW/CWs tho. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body horror, Torture, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Kidnapping, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Classism, Mental illness, Self harm, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Animal death

Minor: Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Forced institutionalization

Restrictive dieting, parental neglect, discussion/referenced Satanic Panic, referenced divorce, Institutional violence, powerlessness,

Main Character Death (but not the way you think)

grunbean's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A great read for the spooky season. I found myself lost in the story and figuring out where it was going next. 

Though I wouldn’t pick it up if you don’t like bugs! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Car accident and Drug use

sea_sea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I did enjoy the book a lot, but sometimes it was a little to gory for my taste. Still it was really well written and a great book for spooky season! 🎃 

I didn’t really get how they exorcized the demon in the end? It kinda just seemed like “yay! The power of friendship saved the day” ? Idk maybe I’m being nitpick-y 
Also Abby and Gretchen were definitely more than friends ;)

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Torture, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Ableism

lizziaha's review against another edition

2.75

Ultimately, the focus on Abby and Gretchen’s friendship is this book’s saving grace. Some aspects of the horror were well-done as well, but I was annoyed that some things seemed to be put in for pure shock value, without ever being explained. This was also slightly more low-stakes than I expected it to be. And I disliked Hendrix’s cavalier bigotry for the sake of the “authentic” setting (the south in the 80s). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Animal death, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Self harm, Confinement, Slavery, Sexual assault, Ableism, Abortion, Child abuse, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Racism, Sexual violence, and Mental illness

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia