Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

100 reviews

glitchblack's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Rape, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

angelfoodcakes's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Vomit, and Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Body horror, Drug use, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

gen_wolfhailstorm's review

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.

---

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

bookishchaos's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.75

It was alright. I was expecting more to happen and found myself getting bored a lot. Maybe I'm just not the target audience? It was creepy in a campy way and it's a good read for Halloween but I'm not sure why this is so hyped.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Child abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Bullying and Blood

Minor: Sexual harassment

cecinamo's review

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 ;)

 

---

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). 

---

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

immovabletype's review

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-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

this almost feels like horror magical realism for much of the book and I love that about it. and though this didn't occur to me until I'd finished it has that element of Buffy that I love so much, where the monster is a metaphor for growing up. in this case it's specifically about female friendships, and was done so well. it felt pretty darn authentic to my experience growing up in the 80s/90s, and how those friendships could feel so fraught and so full of love at the same time. how do you know these things, Grady Hendrix, you are a man

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug use, Body shaming, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, and Mass/school shootings

starsnotshadows's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I think this book taught me that I don't care for exorcism stories. I was interested in the sort of interpersonal drama and what possessed!Gretchen was going to do to sow chaos. But when it got to the exorcism, I was wildly turned off and grossed out and stressed out. I will definitely chalk that up to this not being my cup of tea. What I will attribute to the writing is the disappointing epilogue.

The entire book is centered on the power of friendship- it is in fact what makes the exorcism work- and youre telling me they were JUST "on and off best friends" who sometimes stopped talking completely for months at a time? hell no, the power of friendship is so much stronger than that. While I'm here in spoilers land, Good dog Max deserved way better. I really thought that the sedative was going to kick in before Gretchen could do what she was going to do.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Vomit

Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Child abuse, Drug use, and Body shaming

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Homophobia

katertotz's review

dark mysterious 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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Drug use, Eating disorder, Animal death, Child abuse, and Classism

mistercrow's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.75

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Just FYI; this is a horror book set in the 1980s, in a southern high school. The author didn’t shy away from that authenticity.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Death, Animal death, and Body shaming

Minor: Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Slavery, Blood, Homophobia, Body horror, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Racism