Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

43 reviews

mcmanduke's review against another edition

dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

Audiobook Review

This was a nice audiobook for a car trip. A little slow but with enough 80s references and humor to make it work. 

I wish there had been more supernatural stuff. The parts that were intended to be scary were just kinda gross. 

Although I really enjoyed how the author managed an exorcism that did not rely on catholicism or religion in general.

Overall it was a cute story about friendship with some demon stuff thrown in. 😆 I'm definitely interested in reading more Hendrix. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Vomit

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Classism

FYI there are animals and pets in this book:

The pet dog gets killed in a pretty graphic way. 😥 If I had known, I probably would've skipped this. But I made it through ok. Still a bummer.

geektastically's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This was a really interesting and well written book. You feel the inspiration but once you get to the later half of the book some of the content really got to me because of how well the relationships and characters were written. Be careful reading this for sure. I'm only giving it a lower score because the back half really shook me and I had a hard time with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

starry's review

dark emotional funny tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

This was the first horror novel I've ever read, and it was the perfect introduction into the genre for me. Abby and Gretchen's story hooked me from page one, and Hendrix expertly entwined the supernatural horrors of demonic possession with the everyday horrors of being a teenage girl. This was truly a page-turner, as Abby's tone is so thoroughly teen-y and unserious that even in the face of emotional bombshells, she moves on rather quickly, keeping readers with her. The horror elements in this book were definitely scary, but there was less horror than I'd been expecting. Instead, there are stunning, terrifying experiences inlaid in an otherwise very typical coming-of-age story set in the '80s. Hendrix's portrayal of female friendship felt so authentic; the girlhood in this book was palpable. I'll definitely be picking up his other books in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Eating disorder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Torture, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug use and Rape

kurumipanda's review

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Minor: Body shaming, Infidelity, Rape, Terminal illness, and Forced institutionalization

the_comfy_cosy_corner's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

klfgasaway's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

The atmosphere is 10/10. Grady Hendrix can write a compelling novel. I loved how she distilled the essence of high school without making her characters too precocious, too self assured, or too dumb and without making me feel like I was reading YA. This felt like horror not YA horror. 

I loved the music references and it was enjoyable but look at the trigger warnings. Not much gore or violence lots of gross. 

1. The title is great. It’s flashy. It’s tight. It’s objectively a fantastic title. but once we get to the exorcism it’s like oh well clearly this is the climax and it’s probably going to work otherwise why call it that? I just think a different title would have been better for the book overall. 
2. This book dropped a whole star because of good dog max dying on screen. I know it’s horror but killing a dog “on screen” better have a much better reason than this. Very subjective opinion here but yeah. Just a personal thing. 
3. Loved how religion was portrayed in the book starting with the Bible at the birthday party. And with the twist on the exorcism itself. Brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, and Medical content

owenwilsonbaby's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

"The devil is loud and brash and full of drama. God, he's like a sparrow."

This was camp and fun! I loved it. Scary enough to be a quick, compelling read but not so disturbing that it interfered with my love for the characters. Hendrix's depiction of teenage isolation and anxiety was at times painful to read but delicately amplified the wider horror plot and tropes at work. The real demon is high school!!

Not going to articulate this very well but I think this book's willingness to tackle both the joy and terror of growing up in the eighties is its primary strength. There's a romance and excitement to the setting and time period but it avoids indulging a simplified, homogenised version of the American past that Myke Bartlett identifies in media like Stranger Things. Its exploration of class, racism, ableism and rape culture works to create an uneasiness at the heart of this horror story. Abby has to face down the devil whilst also battling prejudice and a lack of understanding from her peers and the adults in her life.

I don't have many criticisms, and those that I do have I think I can put down to the fact that this book is first and foremost oriented towards young adult readers and therefore written with a different demographic in mind. I did at times wonder if the story may have benefited from the complexity of exploring queerness (hence Abby's penultimate 'dearly and queerly!' confession) but I can appreciate the centring of platonic love and female friendship when recent nostalgic outings like Stranger Things and the IT movies seemed to, at least initially, explore male friendship. All that said, I really enjoyed this book. It made for a good break from long reads, and the pacing, prose and imagery were particularly fantastic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

literarywreck's review

dark tense medium-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

3.0

I've seen people complain about this book being falsely called queerbait-y... BUT, come on, where have you heard

they lived happily ever after, holding each other on their deathbed, raising children together... as FRIENDS

before?

I think it's unfortunate that Hendrix didn't choose to make the main characters' relationship more explicitly queer.

The queerplatonic relationship between these two girls was reminiscent of every overly intense female friendship I had as a youngin before I figured out I was bisexual (and that so were said "friends"). Once you add in the tumultuous and vaguely codependent relationship dynamic, WASPy parental disapproval, and odd involvement of a buff youth pastor, it's nearly identical. Using literal demons as a metaphor for queerness has a long history in horror, and actually addressing that and intentionally interacting with that would've been a much more interesting use of these pages. I'm still bothered by the kind of cheesy

power of friendship

ending, when that same ending could've been empowering & used to turn a fun and immersive book into one that actually said something.

3.5 rounded down

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, Alcohol, and Classism

hunkydory's review

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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Racism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

mariespuna's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Drug use and Medical content