Reviews tagging 'Death'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

80 reviews

fromtheyellowchair's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Child abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Ableism and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Religious bigotry

chloeguinan's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Body horror

ynadavis's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

0.5

If you catch me reading another Grady Hendrix, book, please assume that *I've* been possessed.

Like it's so easy to compare him to Riley Sager in the men using androgynous names to write exclusively female main characters club but at least Sager doesn't include discussion of sexual violence against literal children in all* of his books?

* Don't come at me if it's not ALL of them, this is book three of three at this point and I'm over it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Lesbophobia, Animal cruelty, Death, Alcohol, Suicide, Bullying, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Slavery

demartinodoc's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence

aseel_reads's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a wild ride. It definitely felt authentic to the 80s, which was such an interesting (and not as great) time. I find it hard to rate the book any higher because of the subject matter but I did like the ending about friendship. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Violence, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Rape, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

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.

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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

slimy's review

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

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 ;)

 

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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

sedwards1992's review

dark emotional funny hopeful sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

I laughed. I squirmed. I cried. Highly recommend this read if you like new twists on old stories. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Death, Rape, Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Eating disorder, Animal death, and Gun violence

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.

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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