Reviews tagging 'Violence'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

167 reviews

jacob_dion's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, and Violence

galaxyelfjess's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

The book was slow-paced at first and gave a lot of background on the friendship between the main characters, but I wanted it to hurry up and get to the present. I felt the same way when Hendrix seemed to ramble randomly at times and I just wanted to get to the point.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Rape

kellygracejackson's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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? N/A

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, Body horror, Eating disorder, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Violence, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

jessicalarson125's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Medical content, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Drug use, and Sexual violence

jerbarger's review against another edition

dark sad 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

3.75

At first, MY BEST FRIENDS EXORCISM really annoyed me because it felt like a man writing about teenage girls (which it is, obviously, but there often comes this sort of tone and misunderstanding of what it is to be a teenage girl—and sometimes even this underlying dislike). 

I also didn’t appreciate all the casual racism and references to sexual assault. I see what Hendrix was trying to do and set the picture of the South, but it wasn’t ever really indicted? Like it seemed he did not approve from the tone of the main character when she mentioned these things but it was totally glossed over and also THERE WERE ONLY WHITE PEOPLE, so tell me how this improves the conversation? It doesn’t. And it almost made me stop reading the book. 

With all of that being said, it is a rather interesting and unique coming-of-age story. Her best friend is possessed by a demon, but who’s the real monster? The adults who don’t believe children? Society? Classism? The way Abby goes from feeling like a child to having the understanding that we are all truly alone in this world is devastating. And that’s what MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM did best. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Animal death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Cursing, Rape, Drug use, Racism, and Slavery

Minor: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, and Racial slurs

triggs4780's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Violence

lexbox's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Fun feels like the wrong word to use, but this book was a fun, quick read, not too dark (as far as exorcisms and demons go). If you’re looking for your standard exorcism fare with 80s nostalgia flair and a cast of mean girls, this is the book for you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Vomit

Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence and Domestic abuse

amelia_horseman's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Death, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

hailey_horror's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Violence

ootoom's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

What do Phil Collins, a 6 year old can of Coka-Cola, and Jesus Christ have in common? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Body horror

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Drug use