Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

40 reviews

jackieyvette's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I can say that a million times over about this book and never get tired of repeating it. Wow.
I've read a book by Grady Hendrix before and loved it (The Final Girl Support Group), and thought might as well pick up the next one to see if it was a one off or if Grady Hendrix. I can say with my whole chest, Grady Hendrix is the real deal. This book is exciting, dark, cryptic, loving, etc. The list goes on.
Louise and Mark are a perfect pair. They are what siblings are. They're loud and antagonistic, but also soft and caring and most of all forgiving. I didn't expect the book to open on fighting siblings and not end with a sweet reunion, but the way this was done left a warmth in my heart that might never leave. The family love doesn't stop there though. This family is filled with strong and amazing women who rally to any occasion that comes their way. At the heart of this book is a true look at a family dynamic that I think every one can relate to. Every family has their secrets; it's just a matter of time before they come to head.

Now let's talk a little about Pupkin. He was the perfect antagonist. Creepy and ghoulish and vindictive and I rooted against him again and again until I didn't. He gave his all. The things he did were dreadful (Louise at the Calvins', Mark at BU, Poppy) but when you find out where this all roots from you feel his little puppet pain. His little voice saying 'Not fair' will stick with me and linger on for a while. I hope Pupkin feels at peace in Tickytoo Woods.

This is a book I can see myself reading over again in a couple of months, but always wishing I could read again for the first time.


Crying score: Yeah. Horror can be sad, don't I know it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Alcohol, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Cursing, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Fatphobia

somebodys_fool's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Grief

theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Violence

maggieilona's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Gore, Medical content, Car accident, Child death, Mental illness, and Violence

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Well, that was something. This week, I learned what a radical puppet collective is, and I really wish I hadn’t. 😅 This book was CREEPY! Grady Hendrix is a mastermind. I was instantly transported into a world reminiscent of that in a classic King novel; Pet Sematary, anyone? For me personally, the story didn’t actually begin to pick up until about 200 pages in. I am totally okay with never reading the phrase ‘Kakawewe!’ again. Shit was terrifying. Also, why was the ending of this book so emotional? I mean that in a good way… it was an element that I had not expected from a horror novel. My fourth Hendrix read and while it was not my favorite, it was definitely worth my time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Car accident, Self harm, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Mental illness

julieyael's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

3.5 stars but rounded up

This is a book that I took time to really appreciate. 
The first half of it (that’s the first 200 pages!) were just ok. It’s a bit slow and I did not care too much for the characters. 
For a moment, I even thought about not finishing the book, because I felt that this was not what I expected from the story. 

But then it becomes more intriguing and you feel that there is more to it. 
When you enter the last third of the book, it becomes hard to leave it. 
I wished the slow part of the begining was not that long, because it’s all well written and you feel the creepy atmosphere building up. 

In the end, the book kept its promises, it’s a fun and creepy horror novel, with a good dose of paranormal, and a light touch of gory details (very light, but I guess it can be triggering for some people)

So I would recommend it, if you are ready to spend some time on the first part which is less exciting and a bit long to my taste. 
The second half of it really deserves a good 4 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Car accident, Physical abuse, Child death, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Vomit

mademoisellemonalisa's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I'll never look at puppets the same way every again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror

amputation of a limb, mental illness, haunted dolls and puppets

vercopaanir's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Not what I expected based on the reviews I’ve seen!  Some of the dialogue tags were repetitive and annoying to me as I listened to the audiobook version, but the story was compelling and captivating even when it didn’t totally make sense to me.  

How did Pupkin bring Spider to life!?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Child death, Cursing, Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, and Gaslighting

karly_ackley's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Blood, Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Car accident, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness

boundforinfinity's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Child death, Car accident, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail