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

4.0

When Louise’s parents die suddenly, she’s forced to confront not only their deaths, but also what to do about the house they’ve left behind - a house full of academic papers, art projects, puppets, and painful memories.

Making matters worse is her brother, Mark, who’d rather hire someone to clear out the house, sell it for whatever he can get, and never see Louise again. That last part at least Louise can get on board with.

But their parents’ wills complicate the process, forcing the siblings to work together to sell the house. And as they take inventory of their parents home, it quickly becomes clear that something is wrong with that house and something might be wrong with their family.

Horror is not a genre a venture into often, as I often find it hard to be scared when I’m controlling the pace of the story, and sometimes the scarier scenes come off more comedic in my mind. I had the same problem with this book, though there were a few moments that genuinely made my skin crawl.

I was able to forgive some of the campier scenes because I was so invested in the characters. The author does a phenomenal job crafting a realistic sibling dynamic between Mark and Louise, and I loved how as the story progresses we’re able to see how much Louise’s perspective has limited her from really knowing her family.

If you can stomach a little horror, check this one out. It certainly took me by surprise, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else this author had to offer.