★ 6 / 10
It’s a good teen horror movie; at times
Douglas E
It’s a good teen horror movie; at times, it reminded me of Jennifer's Body.
It’s a good teen horror movie; at times, it reminded me of Jennifer's Body.
★ 4 / 10
Srady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism is one
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Srady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism is one of those rare novels that manages to be horrifying, hilarious, heartfelt, and nostalgic all at once. First…
Srady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism is one of those rare novels that manages to be horrifying, hilarious, heartfelt, and nostalgic all at once. First published in 2016, the book captures the spirit of 1980s teen culture—complete with mixtapes, mall culture, and the lingering shadow of the Satanic Panic—while grounding its supernatural elements in something far more enduring and painful: the turbulence of female friendship. Beneath its campy horror exterior and pop-culture humor, Hendrix’s novel is ultimately a story about loyalty, faith, and what it means to grow up and apart from the people you love most.
The novel follows Abby Rivers and Gretchen Lang, two inseparable best friends navigating adolescence in a conservative South Carolina town. When Gretchen begins acting strangely after a night gone wrong, Abby slowly comes to believe that something far darker than teenage mood swings or drugs is at play. What begins as a quirky high-school coming-of-age story gradually transforms into an unnerving, emotionally raw exorcism tale — one that replaces the typical priest-versus-demon dynamic with the unshakable, stubborn love between two teenage girls.
What sets My Best Friend’s Exorcism apart from countless other horror novels is Hendrix’s ability to blend tones. The book reads at times like a John Hughes movie derailed by The Exorcist, mixing pastel nostalgia with body horror, high-school gossip, and genuine emotion. The structure mirrors the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence itself: sometimes absurd, sometimes terrifying, and often both at once.
From its design (the first edition was styled like an old VHS tape) to its soundtrack (every chapter title references a classic 1980s song), My Best Friend’s Exorcism revels in its retro aesthetic. Yet, it never allows nostalgia to overwhelm the story; the novel’s emotional center—Abby and Gretchen’s friendship—remains timeless. Whether you grew up in the 1980s or decades later, the anxiety of watching a friend slip away, of being disbelieved by adults, and of facing forces you can’t explain, resonates deeply.
Stylistically, Hendrix employs a brisk, cinematic pacing. He cuts between domestic realism and grotesque horror with the precision of a filmmaker, grounding even the wildest demonic moments in familiar suburban spaces. He’s also unafraid to inject humor into horror — a quality that prevents the novel from collapsing under its own dread. The result is a tone that feels both sincere and self-aware, like a love letter to both horror tropes and the girls who survive them.
Critically, My Best Friend’s Exorcism has been praised for its emotional authenticity. While it’s full of satanic imagery and supernatural violence, its true horror lies in the mundane cruelty of adolescence: bullying, body image, parental pressure, and the subtle erosion of friendship. By the time the novel reaches its climactic exorcism, readers realize the stakes aren’t just about saving Gretchen’s soul — they’re about saving the bond that defined Abby’s entire youth.
The story’s structure follows a familiar horror arc, but its focus remains personal. Where The Exorcist is about faith in God, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is about faith in friendship. Abby doesn’t rely on holy relics or priests; she relies on her stubborn belief in Gretchen’s goodness, even when everyone else turns away. That shift in perspective transforms what could have been a parody into something unexpectedly moving
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this started out strong but completely butchered it with a ridiculous second half. if you have watched jennifer's body, you'd know what to expect. overall, if you have 90 mins to waste, this wouldn't be the worst way to do it.