I don’t know exactly why I’m having such a hard time writing a review for this book. It’s pretty straightforward! (if weird). Best friends in the 1980s (get ready for some Reagan-era skewering) persevere through the power of friendship over evil. Plus lots of 80s nostalgia (including some contemporary language usage that was definitely common then but isn’t accepted now, so be warned if that might bother you).
The thing about Grady Hendrix is that he knows how to write characters who are realistic and yet also just about to cross over the line into surrealism, without actually crossing that line. The result are characters that live brightly in your mind. They feel like real people, and yet have a sort of cartoon sheen over them. I think he’s a great writer, if you couldn’t tell.
This book is so far my least favorite of his, but that’s not saying much. I’m still giving it four stars. Exorcism and demons has never been a horror trope that really speaks to me, and it is truly unsettling, even in this comedic/campy/surrealist context. It makes my insides shudder with dread. It’s probably all the in-built Catholicism. You can’t wipe that stuff out once it gets in. Anyway, despite this being a story structure that doesn’t do much for me, Hendrix does it right and well, so I enjoyed myself anyway.
If you like stories about exorcisms and kitschy 80s romps, you will probably also like this.
“By the power of Phil Collins, I rebuke you!”
Chipping Away at Mt. TBR, Spooky Season Edition — Book 4/31