Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

144 reviews

apat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

Very stressing in a good way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

alisiakae's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Classism

ericaaaaal's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Moderate: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Cultural appropriation

shaun_dh's review

dark funny tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This was good, but it was way too long. It’s hard for me to believe horrors need to be longer than 280-300 pages. The 80s vibes were immaculate, but, reading this in 2024, it’s hard to read the slurs used and the misinformation around the AIDS epidemic—even if it’s accurate to how ppl acted in the 80s

The horror was really good and gross and I enjoyed reading this, even if I don’t love that it’s a slow burn

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement and Medical content

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

vidalia_reads's review

dark emotional funny medium-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

 Would your friendships survive the ultimate inside attack from the depths of Hell?

My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a refreshing breath of hot Florida air, with a lingering stench at the end. This book is a fantastic read for any fan of the Exorcist or Mean Girls. Hendrix does a wonderful job of blending teen drama with the horrors of demon possession. You’ll be asking yourself if this is a normal phase for teenage girls, is it PMS, or is it Satan? Set in the 80’s this book has a totally tubular playlist of the hottest hits to keep your ears occupied as you flip through the pages.
Main characters Abby and Gretchen have been inseparable since fourth grade, but will their friendship survive high school? Will they survive High School? Grady Hendrix does a wonderful job blending together a story of perfectly placed references and jump scares that will have you wondering if you should turn out that light.
Be warned that some of the language and slang is accurate to the time and may not be politically correct now. This novel is a fantastic horror read, and an even better story of the strength of friendship that has me excited to listen to Phil Collins. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

This book is set in the 80's a lot of the slang and terminology is no longer politically correct. As well as this being a horror novel that comes with the regular gore and mistreatment.

willybee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide attempt

chicaso's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

machi_mochi's review

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Self harm, Blood, and Alcohol

renpuspita's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

  The premise and execution of My Best Friend's Exorcism remind me of Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampire. A female heroine vs a big baddie in the form of man. Although, I think Hendrix might use the basic of Exorcism for Southern since this book released first. However I reduce the star because

why the dog die? WHY and WHYYYY Hendrix? Is that scene necessary? IS IT????? .

Just like Southern and Horrorstor, I admit that Hendrix is one of few male authors that their book I'd read that can write female characters. Exorcism's heroine is literally a teenager and the 80's setting kinda bring nostalgia although the said nostalgia is more like songs that I know (Like a Virgin, Against all Odd). Reading this book test my patience, because the way Abby, Gretchen, Margaret and Glee written. Because, they ARE teenager. Teenager supposed to be annoying, I suppose. There are some scenes when Abby act so stupid I want to smack her head, but I remind myself, Abby is a teenager. I act stupid too in my teenager era, lel. 

The core of this book is ofc like stated in the title, is the friendship between Abby and Gretchen. Yes, their motto "I love you dearly but not queerly" is kind of problematic although in the end they amend that. The test that Abby and Gretchen endured, especially from Abby's side is extraordinary. Reading the scenes when Abby attacked by demon-Gretchen in which Abby shunned by her friends remind me when in Southern's BC Patricia's sanity also questioned when she accuse James Harris for being a vampire. To said my emotions doing a roller coaster is an understatement. Just like Horrorstor, this book also filled with many 80's things, such as band poster, radio logo, pamphlet, etc. 

As for the exorcism, we got the exorcism. BUT, not the way I imagine at first. The demon got banished by

the power of friendship and love between Abby and Gretchen

, it's so campy to read and left me dumbfounded. As per Hendrix's tradition, so many disturbing scenes to read. The scene when Margaret throw up something something disgusting will make me questioning any diet supplements and it's make me shudder just for imagining it. Contrary to Horrorstor and Southern BC, the creepiness factor is not much so if you don't like ghost, this book don't have ghost in it. Only demon, a nasty demon that love to bring discord and chaos. The 80's setting also mean there's racism like the scene when Abby tell Margaret that she look like Ethiophian because Margaret is so thin because of her sickness make me go WTF. Yeah, so many offensive things happen so proceed with cautions and please check the TW/CW list first.

If I ranked Hendrix's book that I had read, this book ranked the third. Southern BC still number one for me, followed by Horrorstor. If you want to read about horror that have possession on it with at least a decent exorcism scenes and the roller-coaster emotion that follow, My Best Friend's Exorcism might be right up of your alley. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

Minor: Rape

dobbyssocks421's review

dark funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Cultural appropriation