Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

103 reviews

kuhnja's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

One of the best books of the year, and my first Hendrix novel! This one I’ll buy for sure. I listened to the audiobook and it was good!

Above all this book is about the power of friendship. A perfect balance of Halloween spooky, 80s nostalgia and satanic panic nonsense and a beautifully honest portrayal of coming of age and female friendships through your life. 

It made me laugh, swell with pride and tore at my heartstrings. This book had everything. What a perfect spooky season read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

fernyfh's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, 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.

---

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

lucimolri's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

3,5. La verdad me ha sorprendido bastante! Después de la decepción de The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires no me esperaba que este me fuera a gustar. La razón por la que no le doy 4 estrellas es porque me da mucha rabia cómo están escritos los personajes antagonistas, pero por lo demás ha estado muy bien (el capítulo 22??? 

la forma en la que describe todo lo de los gusanos buf buuuff

  Que maravillaaa, casi poto en el coche). Mis dieces a la narradora, lo hace genial!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Child death and Car accident

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

---

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

gabbishy's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

The book was recommended to me by a coworker, and it was nothing like what I expected in the best possible way! The cover caught my attention immediately of course, and I was quickly sucked in by the characters, story, and writing. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I doubt it will be the last! A very captivating story about two best friends and the supernatural experience they shared.

My Best Friend's Exorcism was also my first horror-type novel, and I think the author was very successful in creating an atmosphere of suspense. I found myself genuinely creeped out several times while reading.  As a former teenage girl, I found the way the main character was written to be spot on!  It's easy to relate to and root for her while at the same time shaking your head at her whenever she does something dumb.

I honestly loved this book, and my only complaint relates to the ending...

I think the author hinted at/teased a lot of moments that made it seem like Abby and Gretchen had romantic feelings for each other, and I think it could have been very powerful if that had been carried through to the end since it was a point of conflict within the story and ultimately a part of the book's climax. It felt like something was being built up that was never resolved, so the ending felt disappointing to me in that aspect.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

goodgolleemissmollee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I liked this book way more than I expected to. It was so good! I loved the spookiness, and the amazing friendship between Abby and Gretchen. 

There were a few parts that really shook me and upset me

Max dying, Alex drugging and raping those girls and not facing any repercussions for it

But this book was so good!! I really really enjoyed it overall! Nice to have a happy surprise of enjoying something more than I thought I would rather than being disappointed and bummed like I have experienced a lot recently

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Rape, and Alcohol

kyrstin_p1989's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.0

A cute and creepy book about 2 teenage girls and their love for one another overpowering even the most powerful of demons. I loved that the titles of each chapter were a 80’s song title. The characters were lovable even when they were being jerks. The story, while unbelievable, was fun and lighthearted and made me think of a campy 80’s horror film. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, 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

---

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

sammba's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship