My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Reviewed by Christy H.

            My Best Friend’s Exorcism is about two best friends – Abby and Gretchen – and how they navigate their sophomore year of high school in 1988.  Oh, and Gretchen’s demonic possession.

I love horror, I love the 80s, so this seemed like a perfect fit.

            Gretchen and Abby have been best friends since Gretchen was the only one to show up for Abby’s 10^th (and E.T. themed) birthday party. In high school, they are a part of a foursome that are constantly together but none of them have Gretchen and Abby’s tight bond. In fact, when Gretchen disappears in the woods one night, only to return naked and dirty the next morning, Abby is pretty much the only one deeply concerned. Although never being a teen girl himself, Hendrix somehow nails the all-or-nothing connection of female friendships during adolescence.  Gretchen and Abby spend almost every waking hour together or on the phone for their well-timed chats (11:06 pm every night.) Abby’s loyalty and tenacity is admirable. When Gretchen starts to act strangely, and her other friends abandon her – Abby doesn’t. When Abby gets in trouble at school, or Gretchen’s parents bar her from every seeing Gretchen again – Abby doesn’t give up.

I really enjoyed this novel. Each chapter is named after an 80s song, and the time period is woven in well. Nothing too over the top but just enough to have fun with it. Hendrix’s writing is fairly cinematic; I could see this as a movie. (When Gretchen walks into school with a drastic new look I could practically see the slow motion.) The thing that hit me the most though is that it’s actually pretty heartwarming. It all comes down to a girl’s love for her best friend, and how that love literally saves them both. I read this book often before bed, and I would have dreams of old high school friends. When I finally reached the conclusion I cried. A lot. Which I most definitely did not expect. The exorcism scene in particular has a sweet twist on a familiar trope. While there were a couple of minor things I would’ve taken out if I could, they didn’t cause negative feelings overall. This is the first book I’ve read by Hendrix, and I liked it so much that I’ll keep an eye out for his other work. Now I’m going to go text my best friend.