I’m going to have to add a differing opinion here. I was a teenager in the second half of the 80’s. To me, this entire book is a spot on trip down memory lane, complete with exactly how teen girls acted in that time and I honestly have no idea how Grady Hendrix captured that, being a male, and not a teenage girl in the 80’s. Whereas you found a few 80’s references but nothing to compare to Ready Player One, I found this book absolutely brimming with 80’s nostalgia, and all of it was pure perfection. Someone who didn’t grow up then is going to miss 75% of the references even if they are an 80’s buff. Like you have no idea what it was like when Reagan took on the war against drugs, or Geraldo had his big satanic documentary and we were all being told people were poking us with needles and giving us AIDS. These things happened! Or the reminder of Hot Dog on a Stick and their ridiculous uniforms, the clothes from Benetton, what we all did to make our hair stick out like that, Halley's Comet, all the sayings we had, the music we listened to and what it meant to us. Every page of this book is high school in the second half of the 80’s. Every single page. To me, that is the main point of the book. That, and comparing it to the slasher/horror/scary movies we were all obsessed with. Seeing Freddy Krueger in the theater! This book is like a time capsule. If you weren’t in high school in that time, you’re going to miss more than half the point. It’s still going to be a good book. But you’re not going to get it. I loved every second of it. I love Grady Hendrix, and this and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires are two of my favorite books of all time. He has a WAY of capturing exactly how people were at a certain point of time. And it’s unlike any other author I’ve read.

This book was a fun read. The best part was when bro-exorcist just bailed, like I’m going to get my dad, the frail old actual exorcist and then just doesn’t come back 😂

My Best Friend’s Exorcism had me hooked from the start because the opening chapters took me back to the coming-of-age, first-person narrated books I read as a young girl, like, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” The overall nostalgia of the entire story was such an accurate walk down memory lane, and the vibe of the book reminded me how the most mundane things could be so very important to the emotional well-being of a tween/teenager. Your social life could be doomed by a zit, or set on an upward trajectory if an older, cool kid said a few words to you in front of your classmates. The best friend relationship between Abby and Gretchen was entirely believable and understandable as they’d entered each other’s lives and clicked at a time when the companionship was badly needed. And as a young tween/teen, your immediate world is your forever, so I understand why one friend would fight like hell, or fight hell, for the most constant and important person that exists in their everyday life. The relationships in the book, all of them, were portrayed in a way that was honest about the complexities that reside in normal human interactions. No one is perfect yet we learn to forgive and keep loving them. Even though old friends might let you down, there’s a deep-seated loyalty that remains. Parents especially are not perfect but most do their best, though to a kid, it can seem like it’s not enough. Life is messy and frustrating at times, but try being a teenage girl who is struggling to convince all the responsible adults around her that something bad has happened to her best friend who’s no longer behaving in her right mind, and she needs them to trust a wild theory and help her. That is a tall order in this particular situation. A well-written story that I enjoyed a lot and was able to finish in less than two days. The ending was satisfying and left me quite content. SPOILERS BELOW Not an uber scary story, but the most disturbing parts were when the possessed version of Gretchen was talking to and/or threatening Abby. That tapeworm business was narsty! It seemed that Margaret’s weight loss issue and Glee’s unrequited love drew upon the magazine articles Abby and Gretchen loved to share, and their obsession with The Thorn Birds (same kind of theme). The tidy resolution to Brother Lemon’s sacrificial confession was perhaps too easy when contrasted with how the justice system actually works, but I give it a pass since I like that neither were really penalized with a serious conviction for their actions, or scapegoated any more than you would normally expect when it’s the wealthy versus middle or low-income classes. The one event that I think needed some kind of explanation is what actually happened to Gretchen the night she went missing (but maybe it’s the author’s intention to purposely not fill in the blanks?). Even if she can’t remember or it doesn’t need to be deeply detailed, if there really was a demonic possession, there could’ve been some reference by Father Morgan or Brother Lemon that even casually explained what made someone vulnerable and under what conditions a demon can seamlessly slip into a human’s psyche. Heck, even Andras could’ve bragged about it at some point. But then again, was Gretchen possessed by a demon, or just traumatized by something else awful that happened to her that night? There are enough breadcrumbs to take you down a different, equally as harrowing route. Maybe because it was the era if satanic panic, demonic possession was the path easier for some of the characters to follow.

Putting a tape worm in your drink is the most disturbing thing I ever heard 😂

I really enjoyed this one. I was a teen in the 90s, not the 80s but I still was around through most of the 80s and I thought the way Grady depicted everyone was SO accurate for the time. I grew up in a very religious household and went to church camps and bible school and all that growing up, so the vibe of a religious school, the assembly, all the god stuff constantly being spoke about by all of the adults, it brought me back man! I thought it was so well done. I didn't really get a lot of horror vibes either but was for sure grossed out at some points. That tapeworm scene was OMG, lol. Horror or no, it was still very entertaining. The last half of the book and the end is what sealed it in for me though. I loved the way the Exorcism was done. SO fun. And that ending was totally unexpected but really heartwarming and beautiful. So strange to have the book end that way but I loved it. I've read 2 other books by Grady Hendrix, Southern Book Club & Horrorstor. Both of those I think I liked better than this one but I did still give this 4 stars on Goodreads. Super glad to have in my collection, really glad to have read it and I agree, the cover is fantastic! Looking forward to Octobers book! I just ordered it.

Just saw the trailer for the film on prime video and found your book review, great video!!

I'm currently curled up in bed & reading this book! I like it a lot!! The cover is what hooked me- I am a sucker for 80s & 90s nostalgia. It wasn't scary to me, but it is well written & I haven't been able to put it down the last two nights! I absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky, quick read

I'll post my thoughts before I watch the video; it will be fun to see if it lines up at all. I enjoyed this one more than our first choice. It was a light, fun read. I am a bit burned out on people riding the 80's retro wave, but it works here. It felt like the old horror movies we watched back in the 80's. The friendship between Abby and Gretchen was well done, the reader got to watch their friendship grow and we stuck with them until the end of their lives (albeit abbreviated after the main story). On the 'critical' side, a lot happened "off the page". We never find out how Gretchen gets possessed, we never see her changes (except through Abby). I think some good 'horror' was missed here. I hated the bro-exorcist character. He had no reason to exist, honestly. It made no sense he confessed (except for story convenience). It made no sense they arrested him without checking it if was possible he did all those things. It made no sense they released for having 'no witnesses' (he confessed). I would say the book felt just a bit long, and this bro-exorcist arc might have been why. I enjoyed the ending. Even for a fluffy Halloween thrill ride, it managed to have an emotional close. Good pick! Right, let us see what o'le Crabshorts thought.

I started to watch your video thinking I probably won't pick this book up but only after 5 minutes I got hooked on the story and so ordered the book and will finish the video once I read it :)

Great review! I'm gonna jump in on the book club with Kill Creek, but I'll definitely have to read this one as well.

Totally think some of the stuff was way out there like the baby stuff and the "muscle priest? Like🤦 but i thought it a good fun tropey horror lol i have it on Audible too so ide listen again while driving to see if i catch stuff i missed. I do wonder like how her family just went along with her no showering and stuff like were they possessed as well? I kinda missed how they just ignored her while obviously something was wrong? Idk i think i gave it a 3. Just a solid fun read.

Body farm? Lolol, I thought it was a cadaver workshop for their anatomy class! Haha. I went to one before

I just finished the audiobook as it was free on audible! It was fun and entertaining, not spectacular for me overall. But good. As for the audiobook, the narrator was a bit too robotic at times. She kind of sounded like a siri which was weird as hell

Hell yea, the Only Good Indian, I'm looking forward to reading that. For December, it'll be a toss up between Snow or Ghost Story (been wanting an excuse to read that one. I own them both) I enjoyed Best Friend's Exorcism. It does feel like a teen/mean-girl sort of story, but it was a fun read. What I liked best was the 80s vibe. SPOILERS AHEAD . . . The story really kicked into high gear when Gretchen started to sabotage the friends. The white diet shakes she was feeding Margaret... I didn't know where he was going with that, so when we were in the room later with her wasting away, and the giant tapeworm came out, that was the best! I wish there was a little more development with Glee and the teacher-priest. The brother, I forget his name (Margaret's brother) but I truly thought he was part of the possession. At least I think we were led to believe it. I didn't think the boyfriend raped Gretchen or had any involvement with the possession, but I was swearing it was the brother. He was the one there when she went to investigate the shack in the woods. The exorcism was okay. I was surprised at the big dude leaving her there, and the actual Exorcism itself, the last part of it, was kind of cheesy, but I bought it. It makes sense... love conquered evil. I think the field trip would have been appropriate enough. I live close to Philly, and at the Franklin Institute there was a body exhibit where there was a complete display of different bodies all flayed open, and preserved and posed in different positions. It was for general audience, and I pictured something along those lines. I typed this all out while watching the review, so I may already have touched upon something you already discussed

Btw, this book prompted me to read The Exorcist next. I loved that book, so I have you to thank.

Kil creek was good but I really enjoyed the only good Indians.

I really liked this book. (Well the excorcist guy was bit too much.) The worm-thing grossed me out. I'm going to read other Grady Hendrix novels too. Looking forward to Only Good Indians.