Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

34 reviews

acwhite's review

dark funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Drug use, Blood, Self harm, Eating disorder, Animal death, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Vomit

Moderate: Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Slavery

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!

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Car accident and Child death

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Eating disorder

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

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

mallory10100's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

based on the cover, i expected this to be a campy fun horror, but it was actually quite disturbing. pay attention to content warnings!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Excrement, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Addiction, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Ableism, and Gun violence

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infertility, War, Confinement, Racism, Medical trauma, Classism, Child abuse, and Bullying

i recommend this for spooky season!!

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

_chelseachelsea's review

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

After being pretty disappointed by The Final Girls Support Group, I’m happy to say this Hendrix novel was a winner. My Best Friend’s Exorcism is delightfully twisted, darkly funny, and surprisingly moving. It’s a nice blend of retro horror and coming-of-age flick that highlights Hendrix’s surprising talent for getting inside the heads of teenage girls.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Animal death, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Forced institutionalization

codexqueen's review

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, and Vomit

Moderate: Rape, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, and Adult/minor relationship

abyssgazesalso's review

dark slow-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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Drug use, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Gore, Cursing, Biphobia, Rape, Death, Racial slurs, Body horror, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

carrotmix's review

dark emotional funny 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

3.5

This book is super tense and super cute and perfectly captures the 80s teen horror movie vibe it was going for. Most of the story is tense enough to make it hard to put down, though it does drag a bit in the middle. Still, I think it more than makes up for it. Definitely recommend for any fans of pulp horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Rape, Animal death, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Drug use

kelldel's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

Docking a point because Grady Hendrix is a coward for

not letting them kiss

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Cursing, Bullying, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Self harm, and Vomit

Moderate: Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Car accident, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, and Homophobia