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amysbooknook's reviews
802 reviews
The Magic Cottage by James Herbert
4.0
This was a well written and atmospheric book. A loving couple move into a run down cottage in the middle of nowhere to escape the manic rush of London's lifestyle. The cottage was described beautifully, especially all of the nature and animals outside. I enjoyed the couple dynamic and the eeriness of the surrounding woodland. The pacing was slightly slow at times and I found that the middle section of the book dragged ever so slightly. But overall this was a spooky fun read that I would definitely recommend for those who are fans of slowly paced haunted house stories!
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
4.0
Blog post: https://amysbooknook.co.uk/2021/02/03/example-post-2/
“But mostly, she remembers what happened to Gretchen and how everything got so fucked up back in 1988, the year her best friend was possessed by the devil.”
― GRADY HENDRIX, MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM
My Best Friend’s Exorcism follows the coming of age story, and friendship of Abby and Gretchen, two high school sophomores in South Carolina. During the summer of 1988, Gretchen (don’t worry this is not a spoiler, it’s literally in the title) is possessed by the Devil! No one will believe Abby, but she knows Gretchen better than anyone, and Abby knows something is wrong. Thankfully, there happens to be a friendly neighborhood exorcist that just might be able to help…
So where do I begin? Well, overall I did enjoy this book. The way Grady Hendrix sets the scene is immaculate and the world building is immersive, you truly feel like you are in a 1980’s summer horror flick, with references to huge hair, Stevie Wonder, and a “crapped-out Volkswagen Rabbit”. The characters are well developed, and I found myself truly empathizing with Abby at times. Even though Gretchen displayed cliché signs of possession (vomiting lots of green stuff. talking in different voices, etc…), I found myself thoroughly gripped throughout. The pacing was excellent, there wasn’t a moment in which I found myself wanting the story to speed up. I also found the juxtaposition between the almost child like perspective and sometimes horrific content very immersive.
However, with all of that being said, I just wanted…more. I read A LOT of horror, and demonic possession is one of my all time favourite genres, so perhaps I went into this book with too high an expectation. But there wasn’t a single moment in which I was remotely scared, which was a big disappointment for me. Gretchen succumbs to a classic series of possession illnesses, with bad breath, a sour smell, and yellow crust round her mouth (ugh) to name a few. However, once she is past those stages, Gretchen simply becomes the mean girl at school. I was hoping for some truly horrific scenes to go down in this book, but instead I felt like I was reading a high school drama. And this for me, is what let this book down.
Conclusion:
Overall, I would recommend My Best Friend’s Exorcism for those readers who do not have high expectations when it comes to horror. It was entertaining, immersive and snappy. (3.5*)
“But mostly, she remembers what happened to Gretchen and how everything got so fucked up back in 1988, the year her best friend was possessed by the devil.”
― GRADY HENDRIX, MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM
My Best Friend’s Exorcism follows the coming of age story, and friendship of Abby and Gretchen, two high school sophomores in South Carolina. During the summer of 1988, Gretchen (don’t worry this is not a spoiler, it’s literally in the title) is possessed by the Devil! No one will believe Abby, but she knows Gretchen better than anyone, and Abby knows something is wrong. Thankfully, there happens to be a friendly neighborhood exorcist that just might be able to help…
So where do I begin? Well, overall I did enjoy this book. The way Grady Hendrix sets the scene is immaculate and the world building is immersive, you truly feel like you are in a 1980’s summer horror flick, with references to huge hair, Stevie Wonder, and a “crapped-out Volkswagen Rabbit”. The characters are well developed, and I found myself truly empathizing with Abby at times. Even though Gretchen displayed cliché signs of possession (vomiting lots of green stuff. talking in different voices, etc…), I found myself thoroughly gripped throughout. The pacing was excellent, there wasn’t a moment in which I found myself wanting the story to speed up. I also found the juxtaposition between the almost child like perspective and sometimes horrific content very immersive.
However, with all of that being said, I just wanted…more. I read A LOT of horror, and demonic possession is one of my all time favourite genres, so perhaps I went into this book with too high an expectation. But there wasn’t a single moment in which I was remotely scared, which was a big disappointment for me. Gretchen succumbs to a classic series of possession illnesses, with bad breath, a sour smell, and yellow crust round her mouth (ugh) to name a few. However, once she is past those stages, Gretchen simply becomes the mean girl at school. I was hoping for some truly horrific scenes to go down in this book, but instead I felt like I was reading a high school drama. And this for me, is what let this book down.
Conclusion:
Overall, I would recommend My Best Friend’s Exorcism for those readers who do not have high expectations when it comes to horror. It was entertaining, immersive and snappy. (3.5*)