Jaime Reviews ~ My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
By Grady Hendrix
Published on May 17, 2016
Published by: Quirk Books
Source: Edelweiss/Netgalley
Published by: Quirk Books
Source: Edelweiss/Netgalley
Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fifth grade, when they bonded over a shared love of E.T., roller-skating parties, and scratch-and-sniff stickers. But when they arrive at high school, things change. Gretchen begins to act . . . different. And 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?
My Best Friend's Exorcism...
I just finished this one yesterday, and let me me tell you... I loved every single minute of it. It was strange and weird and unique and a little bit crazy, and for me it was absolutely perfect! Grady Hendrix, you have a new fan!
Abby and Gretchen are best friends. They have been since Abby's birthday party in fifth grade when Gretchen was the only one to show up. Since that day, they have become inseparable. Years later, Abby, Gretchen and their other two friends, Margaret and Glee decide that they want to use LSD, just to see what happens. Hours later, after a skinny-dipping gone wrong, Gretchen goes missing, Abby searches all night long, but they don't find her until the next morning. Gretchen isn't at all herself, but Abby thinks she just needs to sleep. Little does she know, things are getting ready to change in ways she could never have guessed.
The relationship between Abby and Gretchen is one of the best things I have read in YA fiction to date. The love these two girls share is something that can't be shattered, not matter the tests thrown their way. And there are some huge tests. Gretchen turns into an horrible person, and yet Abby never once gives up on her. And Gretchen doesn't stop believing that Abby can save her. This depiction of friendship, of such an unbreakable bond, made this book a top-notch read.
Pacing, plot, characters, world-building, writing, characterization... all of the things that get mixed together to make a story, were all done to almost-perfection in My Best Friend's Exorcism. The 80's setting was incredibly nostalgic! And the creepy was downright creepy, just maybe not in the way I was expecting.
I adore this book, y'all! So much. I really hope that you will give it a shot.
Jaime Lynn
