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

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

Once again, Grady Hendrix has delivered a masterpiece.

How to Sell a Haunted House was not what I was expecting, I was expecting a creepy haunted house story, but I got a possessed doll story with an imaginary dog instead; I loved it! I don't know how Hendrix does it, but he balances creepiness with humour perfectly. And How to Sell a Haunted House was full of creepiness, fun, and a lot of family trauma.

At the start of the story, I was fully expecting to despise Mark; however, he turned out to be a decent person and brother. The big turnaround in character was due to the different perspectives Louise and Mark had experience growing up with a creepy doll. It was interesting to see how they saw their childhoods and certain events differently; if the family had a more open dialogue with each other, they might not have been so distant in the future. And it was perfect seeing Mark and Louise reunite and work together, finally building that sibling bond they needed.

Mark's backstory about his short-time at BU was an addition that shockiling brought this book together. At first, when I reached the BU backstory chapters, I was worried that it would drag the story; however, it added the layers we needed and developed Mark's character further.

Although Louise turned out to be a bit of an unreliable narrator at the start, she certainly was one resilient woman; despite all the physical trauma she went through, Louise still kept going. And like with Mark's BU backstory, Louise's early childhood backstory was necessary to help us understand why she was distant from her family; again, it added the layers that the main story needed.

The family dynamic in How to Sell a Haunted House was fascinating. It was nice to see Louise and Mark's extended family and how they fit into the Joyner family dynamic; Mercy added plenty of needed comic relief. Plus, the introduction of Barb was fun; we needed more Barb, even though, technically, she wasn't family.

The ending of How to Sell a Haunted House was faultless, and I am glad the main characters survived the events; okay, maybe someone lost an arm. I appreciated not having to experience the emotional trauma of losing a main character I liked. 
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