Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - My Best Friend's Exorcism

I could not put this book down towards the end! My co-workers recommended this book, and it seemed like something right up my alley. Friendship, demons, and that nostalgic 80's setting - I mean it's a perfect recipe for a good ol' teen horror flick (nod to the cover for looking like an old VHS tape sleeve). As a reader, we are seemlessly dropped into the 80s and got to watch Abby and Gretchen's friendship start and grow over the years which makes the gut-wrenching, heart-breaking events hit even harder over the course of the the book. [Brief Side Note: I can understand why Hendrix touches on some of the casual racism present at this time so as not to create this fictionalized, sugar-coated 80s that I think so many of us are often presented with. That and the whole satanic panic set the scene for America at this time but, more specifically, this town whose residents are consumed by appearance, judgment, and "moral" superiority. It was shocking to read but I also felt like I should mention it here because it stood out while reading and added to the setting/background.] Friendship is an overaching theme the book starts and ends with. Abby and Gretchen as children often tried to determine best friends vs all right friends vs acquaintances, and, while they don't do this explicitly as they get older, the delineation bewteen fairweather friends and true friends is evident especially after the demon has wrecked havoc on their friendgroup. I was stressed for Abby as her friends, her family, the school, and slowly the entire town turned against her. That was part of the reason why I had to keep reading. I couldn't leave her when her life was slowly going into free fall. As far as endings go, I was pretty content with it. Honestly, I was just relieved it wasn't a sappy "and they all lived happily ever after" ending. It seemed relatively realistic even with the way their friendship continued into their adult years. Despite the supernatural elements, this book just felt REAL and relatable. Going to enjoy re-reading this book in the future.

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christyc's review

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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

2.5

I do think this book is spoiled slightly by its title 😅 like it could at least be called something not as obvious…

I enjoyed the atmospheric descriptions and 80s references but unfortunately that was about it.

It is consistently referenced that Abby is smart throughout the book. Bitch??? No she is not, that girl lacks any common sense or intelligence imo.

I also didn’t enjoy the fact that Max was killed. I thought that was unnecessary - it didn’t really add anything to the story. Sure, it’s probably more upsetting because he was described as such a trusting dog, but it still was not really needed and added little to the story.

Also, there was no need for the Spirit Week part. Like if you know having a Slave Day is problematic, and you even REFERENCE this immediately after saying it, why even put it in there? Plus the constant slut shaming and approach to rape just was not it for me.

A tad disappointed as I was hoping to love this book more than I did. Overall, an okay book but slightly problematic and not something I think I would recommend to people.

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