Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - We Sold Our Souls

this book took me a long time to finish, i just could not get myself to pick it back up once i’d stopped.
around the 60-70% mark it got a lot better, but its a fight to get there.
i’ve read some grady hendrix before, and i’d definitely say he has much better books to read.

Content Warnings

jays_fairytales's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

3.5

First of all, I feel it’s important to note that since reading A Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires in January, I’ve read pretty much all of Grady Hendrix’s bibliography (with How to Sell a Haunted House, his newest release, being the exception). Suffice it to say, Grady Hendrix could release his tax release and I would read it.

I left We Sold Our Souls until second to last because I knew from the synopsis it wasn’t going to be my favorite. Growing up Christian, there was a point that I bought into all that satanic panic and the scary blurred lines between the devil and heavy metal.

What I was not expecting was for Hendrix to put write my childhood fears so clearly into this novel. Unlike the more classic horror elements of his other works (slaying vampires, performing exorcisms, fleeing a slasher, surviving a haunted house) this novel focuses on conspiracy theories and real life horror.

For me, the best of this book was the relatable 40 something year old female protagonist who was once a rock star going on an emotional journey and falling in love with music again. A girl with a guitar has nothing to apologize for.

This book did take a while for me to get into - I think it was because while the first few chapters had lots of action and interesting twists, there were moments on the main characters journey where the tension dipped and took me out of it.

The ending (like almost all of the Hendrix’s novels) did leave me feeling unsatisfied. I tend to like a tidy ending and Hendrix likes to leave you thinking about the implications of an open end.

Definitely read the trigger warning son this one.

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horrorhayleigh's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

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cinderrunner's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

It is honestly impressive how metal, in essence not even just subject matter, this book is. I will admit, i wasn't overly impressed when i first started. I felt like it was taking too long to actually get anywhere. The plot doesnt really get rolling or exciting til maybe halfway through. I felt myself wishing Hendrix spent more time on them as a band and developed their connection a little better so their relationships had more omph. But the longer I read, the more the plot revealed, the more into it I got. Specifically around page 182 (in the edition I own) Kris starts playing guitar with a girl on the street and she talks about why she plays and the things that drive her. I read that passage and wanted to start snapping like i was at a poetry reading. If you are an artist of any kind, someone who really gets the drive to create for the sake of art not fame or money, the themes in this book are gonna hit home. Definitely recommend for you. Especially if youre an artist who is in alt subculture. I've only read 3 Hendrix books so far and can only recall the plot of this one and Final Girl Support Group enough to comment on them. But something I don't think people give Hendrix enough credit for his the social commentary and psychology behind some of these books. I get its easy to look past it with the camp factors and horror elements. Yet, its a really powerful part of the books when you notice it and it keeps making me rate them higher than i expect to. We Sold Our Souls would have been a 3 star read until the themes around society, its ambivalence to suffering, our obsession with shallow crap that doesnt matter, our selfishness, our obsession with treating the famous like gods, etc started becoming clearer to me. I love the full circle moment of ending on Melanie the way the book opens on Kris. Really wraps up the overall message of the book incredibly well. CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS ONE PLEASE! ESPECIALLY IF SA IS A TRIGGER FOR YOU.

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Of all of Grady Hendrix's novels, I expected this one to be my favorite before I had read any of them. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, but it is not my all-time favorite from Grady Hendrix, it definitely falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.
"We Sold Our Souls" follows a young woman named Kris. In the 1990's, her band, Dürt Würk, was ready to make it big and finally have their chance at fame. Unfortunately, everything fell apart one night, a night that no one in the band seems to remember. Now, in present day, one member of the former band is a musical idol and set to go on his farewell tour. Kris, sick of her horrible life, decides finally to confront him and get to the bottom of what happened decades ago and uncover why Dürt Würk never made it.

This novel is just like every other Grady Hendrix in the sense that he has his own special brand of comedic horror. This story is graphic, has violence and death, but it is still funny past all of the blood and gore. I really loved Kris as a character. She presents herself as real and authentic. Her dreams were shattered, and she was left to pick up pieces she should not have had to do. She struggles with dealing with the failure of her youth and she feels trapped in a terrible life she never wanted. But, once she finally gets that inspiration to fight for herself and her beloved band, she will stop at nothing for answers. Her whole character arch really takes you through a myriad of emotions and you cannot help to root for her.
I also really enjoyed the metaphor of "selling your soul" for your art. Without giving too much of the story away, someone in the band has sold his soul to become successful. I think this is such an interesting idea and discussion because fame tends to really cloud even the best person's judgment. Purists want the art to matter above all else, so when someone sells their soul, meaning they sacrifice their art for success, some people are outraged. But, at the same time you want to respect the hustle and the ambition to make it in this world because of their art.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Grady Hendrix's books, and I look forward to continue enjoying more from him!

Content Warnings

wirewrappedlily's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

Content Warnings

erin_a_ziraphale's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-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

Metal, rock, music, legends and a world that is out to burry you when you no longer are a useful tool, the dreams of boys that blaze everything on their path, take no survivours and destroy all the women on their way.
This one of the weirdest books I have ever read in my life, if you are willing to ignore BIG flagrant issues it has handling mental illness and conspiracy theories that dip too much into Q-anon terrotory making them valid

No Mr. Hendrix, my mental illness doesn't make me or other mentally ill people "magic" or "more attuned to hear the cry of troglodyte", my meds aren't for mind controling me, in fact they keep me from tearing my hair and my sking with my nails! and Capitalism™️ sure sucks, but racist, misogynistic, antisemetic conspiracy theorist DO NOT AND WILL NEVER HAVE A POINT

this a solid read for anyone digging a good eldritch horror read or for any music lovers that ever dreamed of becoming legends, really.
.
How does a sparrow destroy a mountain? One pebble at a time.

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