Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault and drug use

It’s terror time again!

I just love the fall, especially October when all the ghosts, ghouls, and gourds have a chance to come out and strut their stuff. That said, what better time is there to talk about My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. (Not my real best friend’s exorcism, now that was scary…)

Buckle up you 80’s nostalgia aficionados, because this one is for you! 

It’s the 80s. Big hair is in and so is satanic panic. I know, scary. But nothing that can’t be overcome with the power of friendship.

Our main girl, Abby, and her ride or die, Gretchen, have been best friends since the 3^rd grade. The kind of friendship that could’ve only blossomed at the hand of Steven Spielberg and E. T. themed birthday parties. Be it sneaking out to the movies, sticking it to the mean girls, or getting part-time jobs, Abby and Gretchen have stuck together through thick and thin. But that’s all about to change. After being lost in the woods for a night, Gretchen starts acting strange. Is her unsettling change from bestie to full-blown Heather have to do with sex, drugs, or something more sinister? It’s up to Abby to find out.

I am not going to lie, I had high expectations for this book. With titles such as The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, The Final Girl Support Group, and We Sold Our Souls, Hendrix’s has made his name synonymous with the horror genre—and with that comes a lot of baggage.

I was expecting this book to pay homage to 80’s horror movies and exorcism/demonic possession film tropes—priests in their robes yelling “the power of Christ compels you,” twelve-year-old girls vomiting profusely as their head makes a 360, and demons yelling about something salacious your mother did in hell. You know, the basics. And while Hendrix does play with some of these tropes, I was left wanting a bit more—especially from a book that’s cover looks like a VHS tape and that’s chapters are complimented by 80’s songs. Also, for a horror novel, this story was lacking a bit in gruesome, haunting, and tension filled scenes.

But lack of witty references and horrific scenes aside, this book is still a quick and enjoyable read, setting itself apart from its iconic, demon-ridden predecessors by driving home its main theme of friendship.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism primarily takes place in high school—a place where, let’s face it, a lot of friendships form solely out of some twisted, primordial sense of survival. And throughout its pages, this book makes a case for the importance of friendship in overcoming some truly horrific experiences.

This story uses the main conflict of demonic possession to have a deeper conversation about the very really and very heavy topic of sexual assault. For a good portion of the book, Abby believes that the cause of Gretchen’s affliction is that she was raped the night she got lost in the woods. And many of the conversations that happen between friends, family, and faculty around the topic are very unsettling—much of it resulting in disbelief or dismissal, which too often happens in real life.

Sometimes, when we’re up against something truly horrific, it’s the support of another person that makes all the difference. That is what’s at the heart of this book.

Despite its heavier topics, My Best Friend’s Exorcism also has its lighter, comedic moments that really highlight the ups and downs of Abby and Gretchen’s friendship. Plus, the addition of a body-building exorcist was a lovely touch.

With the exception of Abby, Gretchen, and the body-builder for Jesus, the other characters in this book could have used more development, some of them falling just short of being three dimensional. This is especially true for the parents, who are barely present and slightly antagonistic. I also would’ve liked more of an explanation as to how Gretchen gets possessed. I believe she just stumbles upon a demonic shrine or alter, which is fine, but I would’ve loved to have seen something a little flashier and gaudy.

Overall, I give My Best Friend’s Exorcism 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was a good read, and I recommend it for all of you looking for a something to spook up your October.