Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

65 reviews

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.  

---

Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Animal death, Gaslighting, and Child death

jackieyvette's review against another edition

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Fatphobia

theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Violence

daringreader13's review against another edition

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?

---

Content Warnings

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

sunshinestark's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

vercopaanir's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Not what I expected based on the reviews I’ve seen!  Some of the dialogue tags were repetitive and annoying to me as I listened to the audiobook version, but the story was compelling and captivating even when it didn’t totally make sense to me.  

How did Pupkin bring Spider to life!?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Gaslighting

chasingpages1's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Alcohol and Pregnancy

jenniekay24's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Blood, and Gaslighting

Chucky and It wrapped up together.

archaicrobin's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hendrix has a masterful way of combining truly terrifying horror with comedy and relatable life themes that always hit you a little too hard. 

Louise and Mark are two siblings that absolutely hate each other but need to come together to handle their recently deceased parents’ estate which may or may not be haunted depending on who you ask.  My main warning would be to not go into this one expecting it to be your traditional haunted house story. This is not about ghosts or evil puppets, this is about family and generational trauma. About how to move on after your whole life is turned upside down, and how to reconnect with someone you thought you hated. 

If you’re up for complex characters, childhood trauma, grief, and dysfunctional families with a haunted puppet overlay then How to Sell a Haunted House could be for you!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Abandonment, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Violence, and Gore