What I Read this Halloween 2023
October 2023 has been full of exciting horror— and not just fiction writing! If you want to see the list of horror movies I watched this Halloween— all month long— click here. SPOILERS AHEAD!!
This Halloween, I read Grady Hendrix’s “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”. I know I’m a little late to the party on this book (by about 10 years), but I’m here with a pizza and weed. The book’s bordering on cringe dedication to 80s vibes drenches us in satire and a humor that ripples throughout this classic exorcism story. At it’s core, that’s what the book is— an exorcism story, and so there are certain elements that are required: primarily, the exorcist, the possessed, and the demon, in the end named and conquered. But My Best Friend’s Exorcism’s unique setting in Charleston, South Carolina refreshes the entire feel of the story. However, I am biased, as I love Charleston— I actually started reading the book while visiting Folly Beach in late September, a location also referenced in the book, which is only 20 minutes away. And, unlike some prior iterations of the exorcism story, the exorcist and the possessed are best friends— a dynamic that sets this story apart from the others.
Going into this book, I wasn’t sure I’d like it. As fond as I am of The Exorcist, the whole sub-genre is a bit repetitive. Beyond the same ole story beats, historically, these stories center the Catholic church (I’m not a huge fan). But, in My Best Friend’s Exorcism, the real hero is our protagonist’s friendship with the possessed. As much as Abby repeats words from the liturgy, the same words we’ve heard a million times in exorcism stories— “the power of Christ compels you” and all that— the exorcism only starts to work when she freestyles and calls upon the power of Phil Collins, E.T, and other references to their friendship. It takes Abby professing her deep love for her friend to expel the demon.
The book connects possession with sexual violence deliberately and clearly. The idea that demonic possession shares an intrusive violence associated with sexual assault may not be the most mind-blowing theme nor the most unique, but it’s important to me to see sexual abuse being talked about in popular literature. What surprised me was that a male author took the topic on and didn’t resort to gratuitous gore. The female friendship central to the story was not hypersexualized or stereotypical, lending to the author’s ability to talk about the sexualization that especially teenage girls face.
One of the reasons I picked up the book was because— strangely— of a review I read that said you’d be scared by page 60 and, damn, they were right. Exactly. The book has a few deeply frightening moments early on, though I will admit, the demonic activity does get a little corny towards the end. It’s a book I know I’ll return to again some October down the line— worth a second read.