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izypup's review
- 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
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
kimberlina82's review
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Gore, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Violence, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, Eating disorder, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
jacob_dion's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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
jerbarger's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
b00murded's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death and Bullying
aspiringvilliagewitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Animal death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Body horror, Blood, Rape, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Cursing
katiebella_reads's review
- 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
Tigger Warning ⚠️
* dead abused animals
* rape talk
* Demon Possession
Summery
Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since they were 10yrs old. It's the summer of 1988, and as teens, they are coming into their own. Growing up and doing all the things they have always been told not to. They are young. They are honor students. They are invincible. Until they aren't.
Gretchen is from the right part of town. Her parents belong to the right social clubs. They go to the right church. These kind of things don't happen to people like them.
Something is definitely wrong with Gretchen, but only Abby seems to understand that it's so much more than teenage angst. Gretchen is changing. Acting strangely. This isn't Gretchen.
My Thoughts
Wow!!!! I loved it. The 80's child in me couldn't get enough. It is written exactly like the old style horror movies before the world was all AI and CGI. When movies were gritty and you could feel the fear of the actors. When you could relate to the bumps of an old car on a dirt road because it was really being driven, not special effects. This book is corny and cheesy in all the best ways!
Abby is the perfect example of a true high school teenager. Imperfect skin, worrying about her grades, and just trying to fit in. She is real and authentic. She shows true friendship to the extent she is willing to go to to save the people she cares about, even when it seems they no longer care for her. The author wrote her with such clarity that I could picture her walking down the school halls, hanging with friends, and bopping along to the soundtrack of life. It was easy to empathize with her. She is likable. She grows as the book goes along.
There is no doubt that Hendrix can write! This is the second book in a week that I have read by him, and as soon as I finished, I jumped online to order another. He protays horror in the way it should be done. The way I remember it growing up. Hitchcock and The Omen sprinkled in with some vibes of the movie The Craft. All the nostalgic feels with this read while keeping me turning pages and a breakneck speed. Goosebumps all grown up.
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, Animal cruelty, Rape, Animal death, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug use, and Self harm
lotoblanco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Sexism, Vomit, Blood, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Addiction, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death
spookytaco's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Vomit, Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, Eating disorder, Bullying, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Animal death, and Cursing
Minor: Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
- 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
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.
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