Author: Grady Hendrix
Publisher: Quirk
Rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

Retro Vibes, Real Friendship, and the Kind of Horror That Lingers

My Best Friend’s Exorcism pulled me in almost immediately — and honestly, nostalgia did most of the heavy lifting at first. The 80s setting feels lived-in rather than staged. It never feels like it’s trying too hard to remind you what decade you’re in. The references are natural, the atmosphere is believable, and the humor fits right alongside it.

But the real backbone of this story isn’t the setting or even the horror. It’s the friendship.

Abby and Gretchen’s relationship feels authentic in a way that gives the entire book emotional weight. Their bond is messy, loyal, complicated, and real — which makes everything that follows land harder than it would otherwise.

And this book absolutely depends on that emotional grounding.

A Slow Start… Then the Descent Begins

The biggest hurdle for me was the first quarter. It takes a little while for the story to fully find its footing, and the pacing early on is noticeably slower than what comes later.

But once Gretchen’s behavior starts shifting — once the possession element really begins creeping in — everything changes. The tension builds steadily, and the book becomes much harder to put down. From that point forward, I was fully locked in.

Sometimes horror works best when it simmers before it boils. This one takes its time… but the payoff is there.

Unsettling Over Scary — and That Works

This isn’t a jump-scare kind of horror story. It leans more toward unsettling, uncomfortable, and emotionally eerie rather than outright terrifying.

There are moments that stick with you because they feel wrong in a way that’s hard to shake. The dog scene, in particular, is one of those moments. If you’ve read it, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t… you’ll know when you get there.

The tone balances creepy, ridiculous, and emotional in a way that shouldn’t work on paper — but somehow does. That strange tonal blend is part of what makes the book memorable.

A Ending That Understands the Story

The ending felt earned. It doesn’t try to out-shock or out-twist everything that came before. Instead, it stays true to what the book has really been about all along — friendship.

Underneath the possession, the horror, and the retro aesthetic, this is a story about loyalty, growing up, and what it means to stand by someone when things get hard… or strange… or terrifying.

And the book never loses sight of that.

Final Thoughts

The nostalgia and humor are the book’s biggest strengths, and once the story gets moving, the tension and emotional stakes keep it compelling all the way through. The slow start is really the only major drawback.

If you like horror that mixes personality, humor, and heart — or if you just want a strong dose of retro atmosphere paired with genuinely unsettling moments — this is an easy recommendation.

Four stars. Creepy, funny, and unexpectedly sincere.

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