Staff Pick
I picked this up because I read Horrorstör and liked Hendrix's style, but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Based on Horrorstör, I thought it would be kind of goofy, and even though it could have tilted that way, it's the perfect blend of funny and scary. Hendrix did two things really well with this book: 1) he created a friendship and took us gracefully from its beginning to its end; and 2) he wrote a possession story that was both scary and original. Recommended By Emily F., Powells.com
First off, I have to say I don't usually read a lot of horror books. But I saw this one and knew I had to read it. It's about a teenage girl and her best friend in the 1980s. One of them is possessed and it's up to the other one to help. The story wasn't as "horror" as I had expected, but I'm completely okay with it. I wasn't looking for a super scary book. It does have moments that will freak you out, though. I really enjoyed the design of the first few pages. They're supposed to look like a yearbook from the 1980s, which is such a clever idea. I also loved how the chapters were titled after '80s songs. The story itself starts out a bit slow, but if you stick with it, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Recommended By Hannah B., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. Through the years, they have bonded over E.T., roller-skating, and a shared love for pop music. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act...different. As the strange coincidences and bizarre behavior start to pile up, Abby realizes there’s only one possible explanation: Gretchen, her favorite person in the world, has a demon living inside her. And Abby is not about to let anyone or anything come between her and her best friend. With help from some unlikely allies, Abby embarks on a quest to save Gretchen. But is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?
Review
“My Best Friend's Exorcism possesses you with that perfect 80s horror vibe from sentence one and doesn't let go until the truly moving ending. A great mixture of nostalgia and terror — If only Wes Craven was still around to film this!” Fred Van Lente, author, Action Philosophers, The Amazing Spider-Man
Review
"...few writers are better equipped to find imaginative ways to serve as a gateway author between a mainstream readership and full-on, boundary-exploding horror fandom than Hendrix. His ability to fuse the fantastic into the familiar recalls the heyday of Stephen King." Fangoria
Review
"Hendrix was outrageously inventive with his debut novel (Horrorstör, 2014) and continues his winning streak with a nostalgic (if blood-soaked) horror story to warm the hearts of Gen Xers." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
A heartwarming story of friendship and demonic possession. The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act...different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries--and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil? Like an unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist, My Best Friend's Exorcism blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of '80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller.
Synopsis
An unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist that blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of '80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act...different. She's moody. She's irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she's nearby. Abby's investigation leads her to some startling discoveries--and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?
About the Author
Grady Hendrix is a writer and journalist and one of the founders of the New York Asian Film Festival. A former film critic for the New York Sun, Grady has written for Slate, the Village Voice, Time Out New York, Playboy, and Variety.
Grady Hendrix on PowellsBooks.Blog
We Sold Our Souls is my heavy metal horror novel, and while I’m not a natural metal head, I learned to love metal while writing it. This is probably the darkest book I’ve written, and it was a huge stretch that took me down a rabbit hole and out the other side. This is a list of the key songs that took me down, and lifted me up, while writing it...
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