Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

83 reviews

peskilanim's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Excrement, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Body horror, Rape, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Drug use

izypup's review

emotional inspiring sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

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

dark funny hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

kellygracejackson's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, Body horror, Eating disorder, Excrement, Sexual assault, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Violence, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

yesica's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

2.0

What I liked:

I liked the way Gretchen's parents reacted to the hearing about their daughter possibly being raped. Its a way of showing how not all parents react the same.

Thought out the story we see how much Abby cares about Gretchen's well being I also like how realistic her reactions to what was going on were. You sadly doing find a lot of realistic reactions in Horror novels.

What I didn't like:
What immediately took away 2 stars for me was

how casually the group of friends talked about one of the brothers drugging  and raping girls in the back of his car.

Overall:
Overall this book made for an okay audiobook to listen to while in the car or while doing chores but I could not bring myself to actually sit down and read the actual book.
Even though I did not always enjoy the book and reading it felt like a chore at time I will admit that it did have a very satisfying and realistic ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, and Vomit

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Gun violence

triggs4780's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Violence

lexbox's review

adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Fun feels like the wrong word to use, but this book was a fun, quick read, not too dark (as far as exorcisms and demons go). If you’re looking for your standard exorcism fare with 80s nostalgia flair and a cast of mean girls, this is the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Vomit

Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence and Domestic abuse

amelia_horseman's review

challenging dark funny 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Death, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Blood, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

hailey_horror's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Violence

ninubean's review

dark funny tense 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? Yes

4.75

There were some really corny moments, but sometimes the 80's are corny. I've been reading some duds lately and this book made me realize those books have bad editing/writing. Gary Hendrix made me feel like I was watching an entire movie and by the third act, I couldn't put it down. I'm a big fan of 80's/90's horror movies and you could probably spot the tropes a mile away if you are too; it never took away my enjoyment of this book, though! Hendrix's blending of horror and teen drama tropes of the time kept me totally hooked.

Many bizarre characters and moments had me laughing out loud. At the same time, many moments felt so real that they made me teary - Abby's helpless discovery that the world is unfair and, despite it all, doing all she could to fight against it, not for herself but for her best friend. Some of Abby's panicked, misguided decisions had me cringing, but then I thought to myself 'What else could she do?' 

It's everything I want in a horror comedy - absurd, tummy-twisting, and just enough heart to bring it home.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Animal death, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Gun violence