Review By Veronica
My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a fun and scary retro horror story perfect for anyone who likes horror movies.
Favourite Quote:
Her heart shifted into fourth gear. She didn’t know where she was. She had never heard about any buildings back here. There couldn’t be anything inside it, but something in there was moving and Abby couldn’t look away. The darkness inside was deeper. She could see it through the window, twisting around itself, squirming, rolling, undulating. And something was buzzing, a sinister sizzle she could feel through her feet, humming deep underground.
Goodreads Synopsis:
The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act…differently. She’s moody. She’s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Abby’s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries—and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil?
I love, love, love scary movies. Please don’t ask me why, because every time I watch them, I am up all night long because I am too terrified to fall asleep. Do I sleep with the light on for a while? Yes, I do. I really am a sadist because I love watching something that will make me jump or scream. I am a huge fan of the original Exorcist movie and all the Conjuring movies, so when I heard about this book coming out, I knew I needed to read it. I want to tell you that I absolutely loved this book, but I can’t. There is something that didn’t hit the mark with me with this book. I know that horror movies or books can go either way, truly scary or cheesy scary (I love both), but this book is neither. Its characters are gritty and real, and the plot is solid, but something is just off about how it was executed. I found myself detached from the story and not caring about what was happening. Now, that isn’t to say this book is a complete dud; it has some great things going for it.
Firstly, I loved getting to go back to the ‘80s. It brings out this sense of nostalgia and longing to go back to those times. Anyone who grew up in the ’80s or, heck, the ’90s will love all the pop culture references and connect with what it felt like to be a teenager during those times. Abby and Gretchen are wonderful and complex characters. Their friendship is what really stands out in this story. It’s not perfect, but these two stick together through thick and thin. I loved the bond that they had. Their home lives aren’t picturesque, and because of that, they are dealing with some deep and dark emotions at times. It was another plus in my eyes that Abby and Gretchen were dealing with some heavy stuff; it made it easier to connect with them.
The overall story is good. It follows that typical horror plotline. There aren’t any unexpected twists or surprises. I enjoyed the overall pacing of the story. It moved along fast enough to keep me from getting too bored. I didn’t think the story was scary or creepy, which was disappointing. I am interested in watching the movie and seeing if that scare factor comes out better than it did in the book.
