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hailey_horror's review
- 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
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
katiebella_reads's review
- 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
Tigger Warning ⚠️
* dead abused animals
* rape talk
* Demon Possession
Summery
Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since they were 10yrs old. It's the summer of 1988, and as teens, they are coming into their own. Growing up and doing all the things they have always been told not to. They are young. They are honor students. They are invincible. Until they aren't.
Gretchen is from the right part of town. Her parents belong to the right social clubs. They go to the right church. These kind of things don't happen to people like them.
Something is definitely wrong with Gretchen, but only Abby seems to understand that it's so much more than teenage angst. Gretchen is changing. Acting strangely. This isn't Gretchen.
My Thoughts
Wow!!!! I loved it. The 80's child in me couldn't get enough. It is written exactly like the old style horror movies before the world was all AI and CGI. When movies were gritty and you could feel the fear of the actors. When you could relate to the bumps of an old car on a dirt road because it was really being driven, not special effects. This book is corny and cheesy in all the best ways!
Abby is the perfect example of a true high school teenager. Imperfect skin, worrying about her grades, and just trying to fit in. She is real and authentic. She shows true friendship to the extent she is willing to go to to save the people she cares about, even when it seems they no longer care for her. The author wrote her with such clarity that I could picture her walking down the school halls, hanging with friends, and bopping along to the soundtrack of life. It was easy to empathize with her. She is likable. She grows as the book goes along.
There is no doubt that Hendrix can write! This is the second book in a week that I have read by him, and as soon as I finished, I jumped online to order another. He protays horror in the way it should be done. The way I remember it growing up. Hitchcock and The Omen sprinkled in with some vibes of the movie The Craft. All the nostalgic feels with this read while keeping me turning pages and a breakneck speed. Goosebumps all grown up.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
heyjaneysmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Self harm, and Vomit
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
ynadavis's review against another edition
- 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
0.5
Like it's so easy to compare him to Riley Sager in the men using androgynous names to write exclusively female main characters club but at least Sager doesn't include discussion of sexual violence against literal children in all* of his books?
* Don't come at me if it's not ALL of them, this is book three of three at this point and I'm over it.
Graphic: Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Slavery, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
sapph22's review
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Ableism, Eating disorder, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt
jojoana's review
- 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? No
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Eating disorder, Gore, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
aseel_reads's review
- 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
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
- 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
4.0
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Unabridged
This was such an entertaining read. The relationships, both toxic and pure, was such a fantastic study of high school life, but added in sinister atmosphere with the whole possession plot (which reminded me of Jennifers Body mid way through).
It wasn't really that scary but the scene with Good Boy Max the dog made me feel sick.
The manipulation of Gretchen as she became deeper consumed by her demon was interesting to see, especially when no one else could see what was happening other that Abby.
I thought the ending about friendship was so sad and true and it wrapped up perfectly, with closure, as I like my stories to do.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
msbedelia's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Vomit, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia
emry's review
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death