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?
Horror Book Review Blog: My Best Friend’s Exorcism
Coming off the heels of Paperbacks From Hell compelled me to read another book by author Grady Hendrix. It was either Horrorstor or My Best Friend’s Exorcism. I chose the latter.
The book’s cover art, a makeshift retro 80s horror VHS case caught my attention. I had to have it! At first glance, I assumed that the VHS design was a product of a clever marketing department made to take full advantage of this wave of 80s nostalgia fever that has invaded both the small and big screen (see: Stranger Things, Beyond the Gates and even IT along with a slew of others). Furthermore, the title and the cover art led me to believe that this was young adult (YA) fiction. I mean, c’mon, My Best Friend’s Exorcism – really? If that title is not screaming to the youth of our generation, “Look at me, buy me,” then I don’t know what is. Nonetheless, I made the purchase even though I am not part of this generation of youngins. But, to be fair, I am at heart and, again, I had to own this because of that cover art! Besides, I was born in the 80s!
I let the book sit on my shelf for a little while before picking it up and reading. When I did finally start to read it, I put it down again and let it sit – again. The problem? I set myself up with far too many expectations:
1.) Being that the book’s title had the word exorcism, I was expecting it to be semi-scary. Yes, there is a scene early on in the book that was creepy but, not really scary, at least not to me.
2.) I expected the tone to be less, how should I put this, light?
3.) And this was my biggest problem – I did not give the book a chance.
That third problem is what prompted me to pick it up again. And I’m glad I did. My expectations led me down a path of retreat. I misunderstood everything about it, initially, and came to the realization that this book is not meant to be one that would keep me up at night but, rather, I discovered that it was about friendship with a dab of horror sprinkled throughout. The horror aspect gets turned up (big time) more towards the book’s conclusion. Grady Hendrix took me on a ride through the eyes of Abigail Rivers who suspects that her best friend Gretchen Lang is possessed by a demon. Is she? I won’t spoil it, but while reading the book, I was convinced that she was possessed at one point only to question whether or not Gretchen was indeed possessed or not. It’s not until the end that all is revealed. And this is what really made me enjoy the book because just when I thought I knew where it was going, Hendrix pulled the rug from right under my feet and took it elsewhere unexpectedly. By the book’s conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised by the way it made me feel. And when a work of fiction allows me to feel something, it has done its job.
To say that My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a literary masterpiece would be a fallacy. However, Hendrix’ writing is brilliant in that he can establish a multitude of tones including, horror, humor, tension, and drama without once taking you away from the story and keeping you engaged. How he can write from a teenage female’s perspective is beyond me, but I believed every minute of it. The dialogue read like female teenagers, and their actions were things that kids would do – the naivety, the yearning for adulthood, and the stupid mistakes and the consequences that they befell because of those ludicrous decisions and actions. I went to school with some of these people! Also, kudos to Hendrix for naming each chapter after a popular hit song from the 80s.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book in that, again, it took me for a ride that I was not expecting. And I judged this book by its cool cover and expected something less than what I got. Definitely, put this on your to-read list. Will it change the way you see things? No. Will you have nightmares? Absolutely not (although the climax may, to some). But it will make you laugh, maybe even cry but, more importantly, it will keep you engaged and entertained.
