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degroovy's reviews
11 reviews
Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Sour Candy is a very quick but very fun read. It really taps in well to elements of cosmic horror that's quite well done for the story's length. It was really shocking and scary to read about how humans are basically birthing vessels for these otherworldly, nordic-esque gods. And it's really inventive the way people are drawn in by eating the offered sour candy acting akin to a sort of Eucharistic body of Christ or Indiana Jones Blood of Kali type of thing where you're drawn in under a a terrible dark spell and by the time you realize it it's too late.
It was gifted to me by my girlfriend on Valentine's Day, who I know is reading this review right this very moment, and it was a really entertaining, swift book that's a perfect read for a holiday of sweetness and candy. Not to mention you can easily finish it in one sitting. So thank you Bri for the wonderful gift on Valentine's Day about how we're all just being harvested by extra-dimensional gods ❤️
It was gifted to me by my girlfriend on Valentine's Day, who I know is reading this review right this very moment, and it was a really entertaining, swift book that's a perfect read for a holiday of sweetness and candy. Not to mention you can easily finish it in one sitting. So thank you Bri for the wonderful gift on Valentine's Day about how we're all just being harvested by extra-dimensional gods ❤️
The Showers by Dylan Sindelar
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The Showers is a bundling of the the parts of the creepypasta original "The Showers" by Dylan Sindelar. Parts I & II, which are the most famous and well known parts of the story, are a decently fun, atmospheric presentation taking place in the middle of nowhere. As a midwesterner myself, I have to say that the great, vast, nothingness that can be the midwest is an untapped well of terror. So it's a perfect setting for some strange cult, demon, god activity stuff that goes on in The Showers. It's fun to see the main character of Jack find such an identity in the concept campfire stories so that when he finds himself wrapped up in his own sort of horrific campfire story, it feels like a stinging, ironic outcome akin to the boy who cried wolf.
However, Parts III & IV completely let the story down and honestly taints the first part for me. It feels the need to explain things but also not explain anything at all. The characters are all extremely unlikeable and make random, rash decisions. Not only that but the writing is really all over the damn place with events that feel very poorly written and disjointed. That was a bit of an issue in the first two parts but it was a little easy to overlook because of an original setting that sort of lent itself to speculation. But if you're going to do sequel pieces there has to be something to add and expand and unfortunately this is not that.
So if you're going to read The Showers, stick to and enjoy the first two parts and let the second two parts disappear into the ether, you'll enjoy it more in the long run that way.
However, Parts III & IV completely let the story down and honestly taints the first part for me. It feels the need to explain things but also not explain anything at all. The characters are all extremely unlikeable and make random, rash decisions. Not only that but the writing is really all over the damn place with events that feel very poorly written and disjointed. That was a bit of an issue in the first two parts but it was a little easy to overlook because of an original setting that sort of lent itself to speculation. But if you're going to do sequel pieces there has to be something to add and expand and unfortunately this is not that.
So if you're going to read The Showers, stick to and enjoy the first two parts and let the second two parts disappear into the ether, you'll enjoy it more in the long run that way.
With Teeth: Horror Stories by Christian Wallis by Christian Wallis
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
With Teeth is a horror anthology by frequent R/nosleep author Christian Wallis and the strength of his imagination is on full display here. The compendium bundles up a R/nosleep post in the form of the story Pretend Play as well as twelve other ghastly, ghoulish stories, all of which felt strikingly original. I never thought I would find myself terrified of a mobile church building but here I stand. Wallis is creative, visceral, and quite good at crafting a good horror tale of both grounded or existential origins.
There were really only one or two stories I really disliked, all the rest of them were at worst fun, at best terrific. If you like eldritch gods, dark forgotten and forbidden places of the world, creatures from other dimensions, forlorn arctic wastes, or terrors from the deep sea then I strongly recommend you check this anthology out, it's a fast, entertaining read that will stick with you. My list of favorite to least favorite stories are as follows:
The Bunker
The Hunt
My Eldritch Friends
A Better Place
The Workshop
Pretend Play
Annedale
Zolg
The Temple in the Lake
The Dealer
The Derelict
A Private Exhibition
Pompilidae
There were really only one or two stories I really disliked, all the rest of them were at worst fun, at best terrific. If you like eldritch gods, dark forgotten and forbidden places of the world, creatures from other dimensions, forlorn arctic wastes, or terrors from the deep sea then I strongly recommend you check this anthology out, it's a fast, entertaining read that will stick with you. My list of favorite to least favorite stories are as follows:
The Bunker
The Hunt
My Eldritch Friends
A Better Place
The Workshop
Pretend Play
Annedale
Zolg
The Temple in the Lake
The Dealer
The Derelict
A Private Exhibition
Pompilidae
The Third Parent by Elias Witherow, Thought Catalog
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Third Parent is an adaptation of the famous Tommy Taffy story and a significant step up in quality from The Black Farm, another Elias Witherow book which I've read recently. The writing and characterization are all around better than The Black Farm all while retaining Witherow's trademark extreme horror roots.
He manages to take his original story and breathe new life into it by not only giving it a new setting all while keeping the original story's events in mind, but also weaving in new lore that reaches proportions of cosmic horror in a way that I deeply, deeply enjoyed. The character of Tommy Taffy is a frightful, horrific, original creation who does receive an explanation for his being in this story but not in such a way where the horror of him is spoiled; to me, it made him even more memorable of a character.
Additionally Tommy Taffy is a clear allegory for s*xual, domestic, and physical abuse as well as cycles of grief and generational trauma and while it was anything but subtle, it was spelled out in a way that I really somehow keyed in on and identified with. Being a survivor myself it made the story not only much more poignant but also very, very scary. Books don't really keep me up and night and neither did this one but there were definitely a few passages that made me very frightened of Tommy Taffy in the moment and that, I think, is a testament to the skill of Elias Witherow.
However, while characters are better written, it still fails a few of its chief players, most notably Liz. The way Liz exits the story was so sudden, abrupt, and honestly, unwelcome that it really took me out of the moment. It was the very definition of fridging a female character for the development of a male character and it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Afterward, the main character hardly thinks about her and she's hardly mentioned except in one or two sentences and it kind of just left a sour taste in my mouth the entire rest of the story that had nothing to do with the extreme lit. It would've been much more impactful to develop her further and then have her exit or better yet, keep her around and have two people break the metaphoric cycle of trauma. Witherow is excellent at creating original worlds, enemies, and lore but really needs to make his female leads more than just props of the plot.
But, despite more lacking character work, this novel is really engrossing and I whipped right through it. I would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.
He manages to take his original story and breathe new life into it by not only giving it a new setting all while keeping the original story's events in mind, but also weaving in new lore that reaches proportions of cosmic horror in a way that I deeply, deeply enjoyed. The character of Tommy Taffy is a frightful, horrific, original creation who does receive an explanation for his being in this story but not in such a way where the horror of him is spoiled; to me, it made him even more memorable of a character.
Additionally Tommy Taffy is a clear allegory for s*xual, domestic, and physical abuse as well as cycles of grief and generational trauma and while it was anything but subtle, it was spelled out in a way that I really somehow keyed in on and identified with. Being a survivor myself it made the story not only much more poignant but also very, very scary. Books don't really keep me up and night and neither did this one but there were definitely a few passages that made me very frightened of Tommy Taffy in the moment and that, I think, is a testament to the skill of Elias Witherow.
However, while characters are better written, it still fails a few of its chief players, most notably Liz. The way Liz exits the story was so sudden, abrupt, and honestly, unwelcome that it really took me out of the moment. It was the very definition of fridging a female character for the development of a male character and it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. Afterward, the main character hardly thinks about her and she's hardly mentioned except in one or two sentences and it kind of just left a sour taste in my mouth the entire rest of the story that had nothing to do with the extreme lit. It would've been much more impactful to develop her further and then have her exit or better yet, keep her around and have two people break the metaphoric cycle of trauma. Witherow is excellent at creating original worlds, enemies, and lore but really needs to make his female leads more than just props of the plot.
But, despite more lacking character work, this novel is really engrossing and I whipped right through it. I would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture
The Black Farm by Elias Witherow
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Black Farm is an adaptation of the R/nosleep story "Feed the Pig". I have to commend Elias Witherow: his world building and imagination are extraordinary. The horrific nightmarish world he creates in the Black Farm is extremely vivid, deranged, disgusting, and terrifying not to mention really quite original. I'm not sure if I've heard or seen a concept similar to it. It's clear Witherow is quite passionate about the world and lore constructed here. Some of the scenes he crafts are so blood curdling in horror and disgust that it's impossible to look away. There were many stand out scenes to me but one of the first ones I think of is where the titular character loses his limbs, is bound in barbed wire, and pulled along like a hellish pet until he gags himself on mud and dies to release himself from the torment. As wretched as it was, it was impossible to look away for it was so unique and engrossing.
However, a big drawback is his characterization. In short, it's flat, reductive, and at times just odd. We're supposed to sympathize with Nick as he overcomes otherworldly challenges while he struggles to find his wife in this twisted world, but the way he's written honestly makes him come across very sociopathically and it was fairly off putting at times. Not only that but Jess herself is little more than a whetstone for which to sharpen the characterization of Nick against. She has no personality, does very few independent actions, and only functions to make the main character wallow in self pity and attempt to take responsibility for her actions and choices as though she's a child with no inhibition. It really wasn't fun to read.
The prose didn't bother me too much but this novel is extreme horror lit so expect torture, mutilation, and abuse in the least of things. Most of it wasn't an issue for me, it seemed to fit in with the black reality where all these characters exist. There are a few times though where it dips into unnecessary gore and shock for the sake of gore and shock. The first thing that jumps to mind is when the main character ingests the body of an angel so he can be transported back to reality and the way he brings his wife with him is by vomiting it back into her mouth for her to swallow. It was just a little over the top and silly when a simpler, less hackneyed route couldn't been taken.
Despite the characters being less than lackluster I still say I enjoyed this book and it's worth a read. It really showcases Witherow's sense of imagination and creativity, I really couldn't look away or stop reading at some parts, it just drew me in far too much. So don't expect high character writing or overly snappy prose but do expect and nasty, frightful, interesting original story.
However, a big drawback is his characterization. In short, it's flat, reductive, and at times just odd. We're supposed to sympathize with Nick as he overcomes otherworldly challenges while he struggles to find his wife in this twisted world, but the way he's written honestly makes him come across very sociopathically and it was fairly off putting at times. Not only that but Jess herself is little more than a whetstone for which to sharpen the characterization of Nick against. She has no personality, does very few independent actions, and only functions to make the main character wallow in self pity and attempt to take responsibility for her actions and choices as though she's a child with no inhibition. It really wasn't fun to read.
The prose didn't bother me too much but this novel is extreme horror lit so expect torture, mutilation, and abuse in the least of things. Most of it wasn't an issue for me, it seemed to fit in with the black reality where all these characters exist. There are a few times though where it dips into unnecessary gore and shock for the sake of gore and shock. The first thing that jumps to mind is when the main character ingests the body of an angel so he can be transported back to reality and the way he brings his wife with him is by vomiting it back into her mouth for her to swallow. It was just a little over the top and silly when a simpler, less hackneyed route couldn't been taken.
Despite the characters being less than lackluster I still say I enjoyed this book and it's worth a read. It really showcases Witherow's sense of imagination and creativity, I really couldn't look away or stop reading at some parts, it just drew me in far too much. So don't expect high character writing or overly snappy prose but do expect and nasty, frightful, interesting original story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture
Freddy vs. Ash by A.S. Eggleston
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
If you were a horror fan in the mid two-thousands, there's a good chance you're familiar with the proposed "Freddy vs. Jason. Vs. Ash", a sequel to "Freddy Vs. Jason" that would have married together the Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday for 13th, and Evil Dead franchises, connections that had only been teased with mutual easter eggs between the three. Unfortunately, due to studios' lack of cooperation, the project never left development hell and was permanently shelved, the ideas adapted into a now-OOP comic book run.
It seems A.S. Eggleston wasn't satisfied to that end and took it upon herself the make her own sequel sans Jason. It's clearly not a very well known outing, especially being an unlicensed work; I'd only heard of it on a few random threads but I knew I had to check it out.
If you're looking for a high end, sharply edited sharply edited production with compelling characters, you will be disappointed. The original characters are thin, there's at least one spelling error on every single page, and it runs about 100 pages too long. However, if you're looking for levity, gore, and good laughs, this is the place to be. In her author bio, Eggleston notes that she's a big fan of horror and it truly shows. She absolutely nails the characterization of Freddy and Ash, especially Ash - there were so many quips and character beats that made me either laugh or think, "Oh, yeah, that's definitely something Ash would do/say" and while the story occasionally treads water, you can predominantly see that Eggleston is having a lot of fun.
She knows her franchise history, too, with a good handful of references to the Evil Dead, Elm Street, and Friday the 13th movies sprinkled throughout. It's such a damn cool treat to see Ash living in the Elm Street house, walking through Westin Hills, and sleuthing through the Springwood power plant boiler room searching for the Necronomicon.
If there's a word to encapsulate this book I would say "fun". There's so much ridiculously entertaining action and a few genuinely creepy moments, it's hard not to like this book in spite of its various flaws. So if you're an Elm Street or Evil Dead fan, you really shouldn't miss this outing. You'll have to put up with some pretty weak OCs and rough grammar/writing, but in my opinion it's worth it because what it lacks in general composition, it makes up for in heart, which definitely earns a groovy from me.
It seems A.S. Eggleston wasn't satisfied to that end and took it upon herself the make her own sequel sans Jason. It's clearly not a very well known outing, especially being an unlicensed work; I'd only heard of it on a few random threads but I knew I had to check it out.
If you're looking for a high end, sharply edited sharply edited production with compelling characters, you will be disappointed. The original characters are thin, there's at least one spelling error on every single page, and it runs about 100 pages too long. However, if you're looking for levity, gore, and good laughs, this is the place to be. In her author bio, Eggleston notes that she's a big fan of horror and it truly shows. She absolutely nails the characterization of Freddy and Ash, especially Ash - there were so many quips and character beats that made me either laugh or think, "Oh, yeah, that's definitely something Ash would do/say" and while the story occasionally treads water, you can predominantly see that Eggleston is having a lot of fun.
She knows her franchise history, too, with a good handful of references to the Evil Dead, Elm Street, and Friday the 13th movies sprinkled throughout. It's such a damn cool treat to see Ash living in the Elm Street house, walking through Westin Hills, and sleuthing through the Springwood power plant boiler room searching for the Necronomicon.
If there's a word to encapsulate this book I would say "fun". There's so much ridiculously entertaining action and a few genuinely creepy moments, it's hard not to like this book in spite of its various flaws. So if you're an Elm Street or Evil Dead fan, you really shouldn't miss this outing. You'll have to put up with some pretty weak OCs and rough grammar/writing, but in my opinion it's worth it because what it lacks in general composition, it makes up for in heart, which definitely earns a groovy from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder
Cold, Thin Air: A Collection of Disturbing Narratives and Twisted Tales by C.K. Walker
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
When it comes to horror I love supporting small authors, especially authors who have migrated their works from Creepypasta or R/Nosleep to printed format. C.K. Walker is better recognized as the author of the infamous R/Nosleep story "Borrasca".
Here is an early compendium of some of her original works, and contains one of her other R/Nosleep originals, "The Lost Town of Deepwood, Pennsylvania". It definitely feels like this is the beginning of a writer's career for better or worse. There's an equal presentation of fresh concepts and tired concepts, short stories and longer stories, solid writing and poor writing. There's some memorable outings such as a simple story of scratching through walls that is not at all what is seems and comes with a horrible revelation, there's some satisfying moments such as revenge against a sexual assault perpetrator, and there's some really corny outings such as a story that ends something to the tune of "and I was the killer all along". Too many stories took a last minute twist that, in my opinion, made the story significantly less interesting, Paradise Pine is a perfect example.
Despite the quality waxing and waning, I would say that by the end the time is well spent and there's a general upward trajectory. There are at least three more volumes so I'm quite interested in seeing if the quality of the author's writing sharpens. My list of stories from best to worst is as follows:
The Lost Town of Deepwood Part 1
The Afterlife Experiment
The Glen
The Disappearance of Emily Morgan
Death at 423 Steerborn Street
Paradise Pine
Gin and Toxic
The Creek
Betsy the Doll
Who Killed Jacob Bennett?
The Lost Town of Deepwood Part 2
June 10th, 1999
Paradise Pine
Here is an early compendium of some of her original works, and contains one of her other R/Nosleep originals, "The Lost Town of Deepwood, Pennsylvania". It definitely feels like this is the beginning of a writer's career for better or worse. There's an equal presentation of fresh concepts and tired concepts, short stories and longer stories, solid writing and poor writing. There's some memorable outings such as a simple story of scratching through walls that is not at all what is seems and comes with a horrible revelation, there's some satisfying moments such as revenge against a sexual assault perpetrator, and there's some really corny outings such as a story that ends something to the tune of "and I was the killer all along". Too many stories took a last minute twist that, in my opinion, made the story significantly less interesting, Paradise Pine is a perfect example.
Despite the quality waxing and waning, I would say that by the end the time is well spent and there's a general upward trajectory. There are at least three more volumes so I'm quite interested in seeing if the quality of the author's writing sharpens. My list of stories from best to worst is as follows:
The Lost Town of Deepwood Part 1
The Afterlife Experiment
The Glen
The Disappearance of Emily Morgan
Death at 423 Steerborn Street
Paradise Pine
Gin and Toxic
The Creek
Betsy the Doll
Who Killed Jacob Bennett?
The Lost Town of Deepwood Part 2
June 10th, 1999
Paradise Pine
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Murder
Tales from the Gas Station, Vol. 1 by Jack Townsend
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A book that plays with the concept of the liminal space of a gas station that's also the dimensional crossroad for strange, silly, spooky, and murderous happenings. The writing is fun and very tongue in cheek though a few times it kind of dips a bit too far into cringy millenial humor - I didn't really care for the Brick Roscoe segments nor the Dark God's dialogue at the end. It also seems to lose just a little steam toward the end as far as the humor goes. All in all, it's still a really worthwhile read.
Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Dead Eleven disappointed me in a lot of ways. I was immediately drawn in by the interesting retro looking cover, which is how I usually pick up most of my random buys. I thought the idea of an island obsessed with the 1990s bolstered by a unique way of telling the story through newspaper snippets, flashbacks, text conversations, etc could yield an interesting cult-like story.
Unfortunately it all just pretty much turned out to be a gimmick that was under baked and really didn't have too much weight on the plot. The characters are also paper thin, I feel like the book is telling us why we should be rooting for Harper, Lily, and Willow but not SHOWING us why we should, they don't progress in any definable way and I found them extremely forgettable.
I also thought the pacing was pretty rough, every time I put it down I had a very, very difficult time finding the willpower to pick it up again. It was especially bad around the middle of the novel with information that we already know being rehashed through various mediums for at least 150 pages or so. I really feel like if DE had been better edited there might be a somewhat more interesting, better paced quick mystery but it's easily at least 100 pages too long and by the end it was a real slog to finish. There are some tense scenes that are done fairly well so I do want to give credit to the author but a lot of the tension vanishes fairly quickly within a few pages.
Unfortunately it all just pretty much turned out to be a gimmick that was under baked and really didn't have too much weight on the plot. The characters are also paper thin, I feel like the book is telling us why we should be rooting for Harper, Lily, and Willow but not SHOWING us why we should, they don't progress in any definable way and I found them extremely forgettable.
I also thought the pacing was pretty rough, every time I put it down I had a very, very difficult time finding the willpower to pick it up again. It was especially bad around the middle of the novel with information that we already know being rehashed through various mediums for at least 150 pages or so. I really feel like if DE had been better edited there might be a somewhat more interesting, better paced quick mystery but it's easily at least 100 pages too long and by the end it was a real slog to finish. There are some tense scenes that are done fairly well so I do want to give credit to the author but a lot of the tension vanishes fairly quickly within a few pages.
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The first thing that grabbed my attention about this book was the cover. The VHS throwback aesthetic on the front, back, and spine immediately jumped out from all the rest on the table at Barnes & Noble and reeled me in. Not only that but it also really set the stage for the rest of the story.
My Best Friend's Exorcism is a fun, exciting, scary romp through a classic '80s ghost/demon story that pays homage to its roots without overindulging in nostalgia, a balance that's difficult to strike. All throughout, the prose is snappy, utilizing very palpable, very effective descriptors, metaphors, and similes. It wastes no time in enjoying the familiar tropes of its genre without burning paragraphs; the 1980s setting and linguistics were in top form and the way in which high school life was described was so accurate that it gave me flashbacks, which was the TRUE horror of this story (for me).
The characters are very well written and are easily the best part of the story throughout. I wouldn't say they grow and evolve and have a grandiose character arc but you're seeing them all in a very specific slice of time and the way in which everyone acts and reacts is consistent with how they're presented. The book immediately starts strong by introducing the two main girls and expands on their relationship as the book goes on. They feel alive as real world things that would be of concern to teenagers in the 80s are seeded in. Things like difficult home lives, acne, the drudgery of homework, the disbelief and social isolation surrounding r*pe accusations, all while struggling to grow up in picture perfect neighborhoods where appearance matters more than fact.
On that topic, I really enjoyed the way in which demonic possession and the way it's handled by the characters in the story mirrors the real life public denial toward survivors of r*pe as well as survivors of sexual or religious trauma. It was a clear parallel and a very effective one at that.
Even though I enjoyed the characters a lot, that's not at the expense of the book's plot, there were plenty of moments that had me gagging. Scenes like throwing up feathers, the expulsion of enormous tapeworms from a character, and the murder of a family dog are all described so well and yet are so fleet in word, each moment not taking up more time than it needs to all while enhancing the horror of the moment. And thanks to how quickly the book pulls you into its characters, even the quieter moments are enjoyable and even relatable, such as when Abby gets isolated from Gretchen and the rest of her friends as she starts to realize what's going on or when Abby, in a fit of rage, destroys her momentos of Gretchen, not just standing in as a metaphor for her friendship, but her relationship to the past as well. It was quite sad to me.
All these wonderful ingredients coalesce into a climax that it's equal parts scary, gross, powerful, and sad...but also a little familiar. If you've seen a movie involving an exorcism, I'm afraid you've seen the climax to My Best Friend's Exorcism, unfortunately. Abby links up with a naive preacher who's looking to make Gretchen his first big religious score and treats her condition more like an event than the horror it really is. And in the climax, his flaws are exposed. From there Abby takes over the exorcism but instead of calling to a God she doesn't believe in like the preacher, she prays to all the past, most tender moments of their friendship, believing in the strength of their bond. So, while it is a climax that is commonly trod ground in so many exorcism stories, the thorough character work steps in to give a nice little wrinkle to the formula. In the end, though, the preacher faces a redemption all his own, sacrificing himself in an unexpected way for Abby.
As for the demon itself, I'm not going to spoil too much but I would say Grady Hendrix has done his homework, especially with the vomiting of feathers and the presence of owls.
The ending was wonderful and bittersweet and had me thinking off all my dear friends, the ones I frequently contact, and the ones who could use a bit of warming up so to speak. I greatly enjoyed the final chapter. But I'm also not entirely sure if that was how the story should've ended. It's fairly realistic and believable...but in a book that lovingly plays into tropes and knows what it is, I can't help but wonder if there's a slightly more fitting ending somewhere out there in the ether.
All in all it was a really entertaining read. Only once or twice did I feel myself directly called back to the pages to figure out what would happen next. But when I did make the time for it, it kept me in my seat.
My Best Friend's Exorcism is a fun, exciting, scary romp through a classic '80s ghost/demon story that pays homage to its roots without overindulging in nostalgia, a balance that's difficult to strike. All throughout, the prose is snappy, utilizing very palpable, very effective descriptors, metaphors, and similes. It wastes no time in enjoying the familiar tropes of its genre without burning paragraphs; the 1980s setting and linguistics were in top form and the way in which high school life was described was so accurate that it gave me flashbacks, which was the TRUE horror of this story (for me).
The characters are very well written and are easily the best part of the story throughout. I wouldn't say they grow and evolve and have a grandiose character arc but you're seeing them all in a very specific slice of time and the way in which everyone acts and reacts is consistent with how they're presented. The book immediately starts strong by introducing the two main girls and expands on their relationship as the book goes on. They feel alive as real world things that would be of concern to teenagers in the 80s are seeded in. Things like difficult home lives, acne, the drudgery of homework, the disbelief and social isolation surrounding r*pe accusations, all while struggling to grow up in picture perfect neighborhoods where appearance matters more than fact.
On that topic, I really enjoyed the way in which demonic possession and the way it's handled by the characters in the story mirrors the real life public denial toward survivors of r*pe as well as survivors of sexual or religious trauma. It was a clear parallel and a very effective one at that.
Even though I enjoyed the characters a lot, that's not at the expense of the book's plot, there were plenty of moments that had me gagging. Scenes like throwing up feathers, the expulsion of enormous tapeworms from a character, and the murder of a family dog are all described so well and yet are so fleet in word, each moment not taking up more time than it needs to all while enhancing the horror of the moment. And thanks to how quickly the book pulls you into its characters, even the quieter moments are enjoyable and even relatable, such as when Abby gets isolated from Gretchen and the rest of her friends as she starts to realize what's going on or when Abby, in a fit of rage, destroys her momentos of Gretchen, not just standing in as a metaphor for her friendship, but her relationship to the past as well. It was quite sad to me.
All these wonderful ingredients coalesce into a climax that it's equal parts scary, gross, powerful, and sad...but also a little familiar. If you've seen a movie involving an exorcism, I'm afraid you've seen the climax to My Best Friend's Exorcism, unfortunately. Abby links up with a naive preacher who's looking to make Gretchen his first big religious score and treats her condition more like an event than the horror it really is. And in the climax, his flaws are exposed. From there Abby takes over the exorcism but instead of calling to a God she doesn't believe in like the preacher, she prays to all the past, most tender moments of their friendship, believing in the strength of their bond. So, while it is a climax that is commonly trod ground in so many exorcism stories, the thorough character work steps in to give a nice little wrinkle to the formula. In the end, though, the preacher faces a redemption all his own, sacrificing himself in an unexpected way for Abby.
As for the demon itself, I'm not going to spoil too much but I would say Grady Hendrix has done his homework, especially with the vomiting of feathers and the presence of owls.
The ending was wonderful and bittersweet and had me thinking off all my dear friends, the ones I frequently contact, and the ones who could use a bit of warming up so to speak. I greatly enjoyed the final chapter. But I'm also not entirely sure if that was how the story should've ended. It's fairly realistic and believable...but in a book that lovingly plays into tropes and knows what it is, I can't help but wonder if there's a slightly more fitting ending somewhere out there in the ether.
All in all it was a really entertaining read. Only once or twice did I feel myself directly called back to the pages to figure out what would happen next. But when I did make the time for it, it kept me in my seat.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry