Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

41 reviews

writewithapendragon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I love Grady Hendrix’s writing and stories but I wish he could complete a book without including sexual assault. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Body horror, Cursing, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, Animal death, Car accident, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Child abuse, Alcohol, and Bullying

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Child death, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Death, Body horror, and Forced institutionalization

Genre-typical content for a horror book, hits a lot of 80s slasher tropes and some gore.

izypup's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Animal death, Gun violence, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Violence, Torture, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Drug use

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Murder, Infidelity, Body shaming, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Confinement, Blood, and Alcohol

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

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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

triggs4780's review

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

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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

hannah55's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Animal death, Vomit, Blood, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Body horror

loscamp4lyf's review against another edition

dark tense 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

fun to read, a very quick read, be mindful of triggers

i do wish we got a confirmed reason as to how andras got into gretchen in the first place

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Animal death, Bullying, Vomit, Body horror, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Torture, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Forced institutionalization

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

black_cat_iiix's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, and Eating disorder

Minor: Racism

slimy's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

A solid mix of dreamy 80's high school drama and ... the literal exorcist. This book is super original, and moves quickly. Centers on friendship. Hard to say what atmosphere to best read this in... not a cozy, autumnal, halloween-y read, but I don't have another place to put it. 

I'd like to rate this book higher based on originality and great characters, but personally it's too far into the actual "horror" category for me personally. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Drug use, Body horror, Gore, Animal death, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, and Violence

teresavanc's review against another edition

dark tense

• 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

2.0

In all honesty, I got this book because of the beautiful cover, and I was wanting to read something spooky for October. I did not realize that the author is the same one who wrote the southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires, a book I hate vehemently. I even wrote in my review of that book that I would not read anything by this author again and if I had made that connection earlier, I would not have bought this book.

As much as I hate his writing, the first half of the book gave me hope. I found the parallels between sexual assault and demon possession to be an interesting take and very poignant. And then he just lost all this momentum. The actual exorcism fell flat, cheesy, and lazy. Body horror has a time and place, such as with Margaret, it feel disturbing but appropriate. Within the exorcism, it felt cheap, just added in for the shock value. 

In the end, I didn’t hate the book as much as his other, but I am deeply disappointed. He had so much going for him in the first half of the book and fumbled it. He chose the lazy way out and used a generic exorcism template instead of doing something unique and creative. And the very end where they began listing major pop culture moments from the 80s - cringey and a cheap shot at nostalgia. 

I have learned from my mistake. 
Fool me once, fool me twice, there will not be a third Mr Hendrix. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Rape

Minor: Racism