Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

45 reviews

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

jacob_dion's review

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, and Violence

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

chezler24's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

 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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Death, Medical content, and Body horror

jessicalarson125's review

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Animal death, and Blood

Moderate: Medical content, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Drug use, and Sexual 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

ootoom's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

4.0

What do Phil Collins, a 6 year old can of Coka-Cola, and Jesus Christ have in common? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Body horror

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Drug use

aseel_reads's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a wild ride. It definitely felt authentic to the 80s, which was such an interesting (and not as great) time. I find it hard to rate the book any higher because of the subject matter but I did like the ending about friendship. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Violence, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Rape, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

lostinworlds's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Animal death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Drug use, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Body shaming

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia

Minor: Medical content

daniraewrites's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Easily one of the best horror novels I've ever read, one of the best novels of any genre in fact. Grady Hendrix writes the intensity of female friendships with such intimacy and realism. Coupled with sickening body horror and genuinely terrifying demonic possession I could barely put this book down, especially in the final third. Well worth reading, but a read of the trigger tags wouldn't hurt if you are sensitive to any horror themes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Body horror, Blood, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Stalking, Infidelity, Alcohol, Medical content, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Alcoholism