My Best Friend's Exorcism: A Novel Hardcover – Illustrated, 17 May 2016

It is 1988 in Charleston and Abby & Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. When an evening of skinny-dipping with friends goes so badly wrong that Gretchen disappears for a while, life turns terrible for everyone concerned, not least Gretchen herself who becomes moody and irritable and then a whole lot more. As the clues begin to mount up, Abby realises everything boils down to whether their friendship is “powerful enough to beat the devil?”I loved Hendrix’s “Horrorstor” and bought this with high hopes, but kept putting it off, worrying that it wouldn’t deliver on its promise (the storyline and the wonderful cover art, making the book look like an 80s-era VHS horror movie case). Yes, it is a horror novel (there’s a certain sequence with a worm that will stay with me for a long time) but it’s also a love letter to the 80s (it’s nice to spot the references but none of them feel shoehorned in) and, more than that, a heartfelt, melancholic, joyful look at childhood friendships and how they cope into adulthood. Abby and Gretchen are very different in lots of ways but the ties of friendship keep them together, even as events in the book try to rip them apart. I loved the characters and their interplay, I loved the long periods where Hendrix explored their lives at home and school and I loved the coda, which brought a lump to my throat. Well written, with good pacing and an excellent use of the locations, this works on a lot of levels (the friendship and 80s angles would have been enough for me) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.

From the moment I saw the cover of My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I knew it had to be mine and I knew I would love it. I was totally right to judge a book by its cover. My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a touching, thrilling tale, full of terror. A battle between the bond of female friendship and the devil.Best ReadWhen you want to be transported back to your teenage years to an awesome 80s soundtrack.I read this over Christmas and I savoured every single page. Every so often we come across a book that speaks to your soul, My Best Friend’s Exorcism was one that spoke to my soul. This book brought me back to the past and for some reason it reminded me of the Facts of Life – slightly gritty content and four girls with completely different personalities. Adding to that is the awesome 80s vibe running throughout, each chapter is an 80s song and the soundtrack for Abby and Gretchen’s lives.Though the main focus is on best friends Abby and Gretchen, other friends Margaret and Glee are also impacted in this tale that starts off as a sweet tale of friendship and growing up. The tale soon turns sour, bloody and evil. After a night of experimentation with the girls, Gretchen is changed from the friend Abby grew up with.Abby is determined to figure out what’s going on with Gretchen, leading her down a dangerous path that includes befriending a dodgy ‘exorcist’.In summary, I loved this from start to finish. My Best Friend’s Exorcism is not just a horror, it’s about friendship and doing everything in our power to save the ones we hold dear. Surprisingly, the ending left me all blubbery, but I’ll leave you to read it and find out more for yourself.

REALLY enjoyed this book. There's a cool 80s vibe running through it, a friendship I cared about, and the exorcist and the exorcism were... unique. And I thought having seen the definitive exorcism movie in The Exorcist this novel wouldn't have much to offer. Wrong! While it's relatively light on horror in terms of body count, it achieves a lot with a sense of things spiralling out of control, some shocking actions, tension, and the main character being alienated and cast out. Although the slimming scene and... a scene I won't mention... was grim! I like how the exorcism had consequences, even if there was essentially a literal get out of jail free card at the end. I think I could read this again.

This is a tremendous story. Consider the subject, consider the time when it's set, consider the culture. This book is as close as I've found to watching Friday 13th as a young boy and being terrified but watching it now, just enjoying the throwback and memories.It's written as if it's 1988 now and you have no problem seeing every piece of double denim, every tab and hearing every song. At the heart though it's just a really good story and, not that I'm guessing this happens, Netflix or Prime; this is screaming out for a 8 episode show! Just make it!Don't expect Shakespearean prose; this is a book that knows exactly what it is and, for once, you can judge a book by its cover!Recommended a million times over for anyone who's ever enjoyed Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare On Elm Street.