A review by ashtheaudiomancer
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

Grady Hendrix does it again! I was unsure how to feel about most of these characters for awhile, but the longer you read, the more it makes sense, and doesn't, at the same time. We have unreliable narrators who are hiding from their own trauma, but also reacting in ways that are outsized and unfair to the people around them. We have a core cast who is strangely willing to accept the existence of the impossible, including a realtor who straight up says, "Sorry, I can't sell this house, it's haunted." We have childhood trauma affecting three generations of the same family. But overall, while there are creepy puppets and terrifying imaginary friends, mostly this book is about grief. And it's fantastic.

Knocked off half a star bc I'm in the process of trying to move out of my family home and this probably wasn't the best time to read it because of that, but it's not the book's fault.
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