Book Review: My Best Friend’s Exorcism

[osprey_archer]

My friend Becky is on a Grady Hendrix kick, so I read My Best Friend’s Exorcism, which is about two high school girls in 1988 and features the MOST eighties-homage cover that someone in 2016 could possibly make.

The book as a whole is extremely an homage to the eighties (to the point that I actually didn’t get a lot of the references, which mostly doesn’t matter but sometimes does) and also extremely high school. I loved Gretchen and Abby and their friendship, and while I can’t say I loved some of the grosser scenes (THE TAPEWORM GOD HELP US ALL. they were certainly very effective! The whole book makes possession horrifyingly vivid: you can really feel Abby’s helpless terror as Gretchen goes more and more off the rails and Abby can’t help her, in fact at some point is no longer allowed even to speak to her.

The exorcism itself is fantastic, an amazing climax, so tense and chilling. But the ending went off the rails a bit. Fortunately, it isn’t bad in a way that spoils what came before it, but given the high quality of the book until then, it was sad to see it dribble out leaving a lot of loose ends untied.

Two of the loose ends particularly bothered me.

The first is that I wanted a bit more from Abby’s reunion with the exorcist. Last time she saw him, he came into the courtroom to take the rap for a whole bunch of crimes of which Abby stood accused (kidnapping Gretchen, etc.), and the time she saw him before that, his attempt at an exorcism fell apart when Abby refused to let him pour boiling water down Gretchen’s throat. (!!!!)

Now, you can sort of guess why he did both these things - the exorcism wasn’t going well so he got mad and broke out the boiling water, and then afterward he felt guilty about almost killing Gretchen and so turned himself in for crimes he hadn’t committed - but it felt bizarre that Abby didn’t actually ask.

The second is that - okay, so. Throughout the book, Abby and Gretchen have the catch-phrase that they love each other “dearly but not queerly.” However, at the height of Gretchen’s exorcism, a moment of raw emotional truth, Abby tells Gretchen, “I love you dearly and I love you queerly.”

And then this is never referenced again in any way.

It’s not that I necessarily wanted them to get together. In fact, I love redemption by platonic love! Friendship all the way! But once Abby says “I love you queerly,” the book really needed to do something with it, even if that “something” is having Abby think about it and decide,“You know, I do love Gretchen queerly, but our relationship has been so damaged by this possession thing that I don’t think I want to pursue a romantic involvement with her.” Or whatever. There are plenty of other possible angles. But, again, something.

Or else you could love out the “I love you queerly” line, although that would require cutting the mantra too, because “I love you dearly but not queerly” is basically setting up a domino that’s begging to be knocked down. But once you’ve knocked down the first domino, you’ve just got to have some other dominos, you know? You can’t just knock down one.



Quibbles aside, I did very much enjoy the book, and I’m planning to continue exploring Hendrix’s oeuvre. Any advice about his other books? In particular, do any of them seriously up the gore and general ick factor? I could handle the level in this book (although, again, THAT ONE SCENE), but if there’s one where there’s significantly more I might skip it.

Comments

[aurumcalendula]

Throughout the book, Abby and Gretchen have the catch-phrase that they love each other “dearly but not queerly.” However, at the height of Gretchen’s exorcism, a moment of raw emotional truth, Abby tells Gretchen, “I love you dearly and I love you queerly.”

And then this is never referenced again in any way.

That's so frustrating!

[cyphomandra]

I think that particular scene is a peak but I do have a reasonably high gore tolerance.

I liked The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and We Sold Our Souls a lot. Horrorstor was too much gimmick, not enough character, and I stalled out on Final Girl Support Group 20% in, but that may well have been me rather than the book. I haven’t read his latest yet but am looking forward to it.

I really like his nonfiction writing about horror as well.

[threeplusfire]

That one thing also freaked me the hell out!!!

I think We Sold Our Souls is really good and I don't remember it being very gory. I think Horrorstor is more gross/weird and not as much character. But I think We Sold Our Souls really has the vibe when you think music is going to save your life and change everything.

[rachelmanija]

Agree on all counts. I suggest We Sold Our Souls next - it's less gross and it's really good, with a fantastic middle-aged ex-metal band heroine.

I did not like The Final Girl Support Group, but I LOVED his nonfiction book Paperbacks From Hell.

[rachelmanija]

I read this and had nearly identical thoughts.

https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2418228.html

[osprey_archer]

Right? If you're going to go there, you have to do something with it. Anything! Anything at all!

[osprey_archer]

Do you need to know anything about 70s and 80s horror fiction to understand Paperbacks from Hell? I have read Stephen King's Misery and maybe some Caroline B. Cooney books that fit that category and that's it.

[osprey_archer]

That particular scene is simply SO MUCH.

I've heard multiple "mehs" on Final Girl Support Group, so I might skip that one. I liked My Best Friend's Exorcism but not so much that I feel the need to become a Grady Hendrix completist.

[osprey_archer]

Maybe I'll try We Sold Our Souls next... Hmmm. Hard choices!

[osprey_archer]

Yes to all the other loose ends you mentioned, too! Someone really needed to do a continuity pass on this book... A lot of these things could have been dealt with, like having Abby twig that if Gretchen wasn't talking to Andy, then perhaps she had been talking to the demon before the possession happened. (Love that idea. It would have been great to explore. One of the creepiest moments in the book for me was the bit where Abby is talking to the real Gretchen on the phone and then demon-wearing-Gretchen-as-a-meat-puppet storms into Abby's room and sucker-punches her.)

But the one that most needed some follow-through is the switch from "dearly but not queerly" to "dearly AND queerly." Something! Anything! Gretchen may not remember it, but ABBY knows that she said it!

[rachelmanija]

Not at all. It's basically "This is what 80s horror was like."

[rachelmanija]

I know! It's a big moment of self-revelation for Abby, and then...?

[asakiyume]

Assuming there were editorial cuts or whatever ("whatever" could also encompass the author's change of plans or even forgetfulness), I wonder what the author's unarticulated head canon was with that switch from but to and in that tag phrase. From what Rachel says in her post, it sounds like you learn that all Abby's later relationships are het, but--butbutbut--what did she MEAN in that moment?! Like the author must have had some intention, you know?

[osprey_archer]

One can but presume that Grady Hendrix had an intention, but possibly he was writing in a fugue state and it all just came out and he didn't bother to go back and realize that he needed to tie up that loose end somehow? Who can say.

[silverusagi]

I remember starting The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires but it was too gross for me. I don't even remember what the scene was (something with a raccoon, maybe?) but the description just kept going on and on, and I decided I was out.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, I'm always cautious with horror because you just never know it's going to do that. Important to go in with the knowledge that you can tap out!

[ethelmay]

If it turned out it was a fucking typo I would be furious.

[lokifan]

Throughout the book, Abby and Gretchen have the catch-phrase that they love each other “dearly but not queerly.” However, at the height of Gretchen’s exorcism, a moment of raw emotional truth, Abby tells Gretchen, “I love you dearly and I love you queerly.”

And then this is never referenced again in any way.

It’s not that I necessarily wanted them to get together. In fact, I love redemption by platonic love! Friendship all the way! But once Abby says “I love you queerly,” the book really needed to do something with it

Omgggggggggggggggggggggggg totally agree on all counts

[osprey_archer]

It definitely feels like Hendrix got carried away by the momentum of the scene, and then somehow forgot about that moment. But surely someone should have pointed it out in edits! You gotta DO something with it, man!