My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Great 80s references, but overall just a mediocre read.

I read The Final Girl’s Support Group back in August and was disappointed. I heard a lot of people say that this book was way better, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Well, where I agree that it was better than Final Girls, it wasn’t Earth shattering good. I was left wanting more.

I thought the premise was great. Following a sister-like friendship grow from 4th grade all the way to high school where the proverbial poop hits the fan. After one night of some bad choices while Abby and Gretchen are spending the night with their friends Glee and Margaret, everyone’s world gets turned upside down.

The progression of Gretchen’s issues was the highlight of the entire storyline. I can definitely appreciate the time and energy that went into the development of the plot to create a you-left-me-no-choice climax. Woven throughout are the beliefs, attitudes and stereotypes that were found in a time period that occurred 35 years ago! Phil Collins and E.T. got their fair share of love in this one. And believe me when I say it was 80s overload. For the first couple chapters, I loved it. Brought back all sorts of memories, but when it kept going, I started feeling that all the book was going to be was one long string of 80s references. Thankfully, they did slow down after a while.

The characters were just not really memorable. Gretchen had the most depth, but that also led to the exorcism which was a scene that was more ridiculous and unbelievable than anything else. No comparison to The Exorcist.  

After having read these two books of his, I’m wondering if this is just Hendrix’s style - over the top with unreliable narrators. When imagining Abby’s voice, all I could think of was nails on a chalkboard. She was whiny and desperate. Glee always felt more like the pushover friend. The one who didn’t really didn’t do anything by her own accord. Margaret was just selfish and arrogant. With everything that happened to this group of friends, I didn’t feel connected enough to really feel for them. Don’t even get me started on anyone’s parents. I wanted to slap them all.

Pacing overall was effective and reasonable, moving through one moment to the next. However, it felt that every transition included Abby whining and no one listening to her. Every single adult had the “I know better” and “you’re just a kid” attitude that after a while just got irritating. As a parent, I was really frustrated with the denials and the coverups and the pretending just for the sake of images. I admit that it fits with the time period and this uppity, private school community, but ugh, overkill.

There were some subtle things that I thought were a great touch. I loved the presence and symbolism of the owls throughout the second half of the book, and Good Dog Max. This is the one character that I did have feelings for. I mean, how can you not love a good, innocent dog?

The best scene of the book was when Abby visited Margaret while she was sick in the second half of the book. It was gross and disturbing and just ewww, but it was the most engaged I was at any point in the book. 

Even though I am a little ambivalent about the book, I do admit that it is an interesting storyline and a testament to the power of friendship. Currently in production to be released as a motion picture directed by Damon Thomas, this is a story that has great potential on the big screen. I will happily attend a night at the theater to watch it. It may be one of the few times that I like the movie more than the book. 

Where does this book land on my bookshelf?

Sadly, I’d probably put it on the bottom shelf. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I finished it and wasn’t angry that I spent time reading it, but I’m going to have to wait a while before I pick up another one of Hendrix’s books. There were moments where I thought things were turning around, but it just went back to the absurdity. It’s not that I’m against absurdity, but it was just presented in a way that made me think that I was supposed to take things with a serious tone. I just didn’t get it. However, I give credit to Hendrix for the solid conclusion that didn’t leave me with any questions about the future of the characters.