HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix

 

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading a new Grady Hendrix book is something I always look forward to. 😊

Louise is a hardworking, overachiever who left her hometown years ago and never looked back. She's also a single mother who lives in San Francisco. When her parents die in a car accident, she's forced to return to her hometown to attend their funeral, sort through their belongings, deal with her brother, and sell the house. However, nothing goes according to plan because her childhood home is hiding as many secrets as her memory...

Wow. This story packs quite the punch and deals with a LOT. These characters are put through so much emotional, physical and mental trauma that I was exhausted by the time I reached The End.

As usual, I couldn't put this down, and reached the halfway point during my first sitting yesterday. Then finished the rest today because I HAD TO FIND OUT where this insane adventure of the puppet kind was going to lead. And boy, it didn't disappoint.

There's so much going on in this book, and just when you think things can't get more batshit crazy, Hendrix cranks it up. The sense of creeping dread hangs so heavy over that cursed house, that every moment Louise and Mark spent inside had me on the edge of my seat. The descriptions were extremely vivid, so I could feel those bleak and dusty rooms closing in, see Nancy's spooky artwork on the walls, and sensed all those claustrophobic dolls.

Not to mention the puppets. OMG. The puppets. 😫

Pupkin was absolutely fucking terrifying. All those family secrets were twisted af, and tied every surreal moment together.

I also enjoyed the interactions and relationship arc between the estranged siblings. This might be a horror tale at it's core about a house haunted/cursed by damaging family secrets and omitted lies, but it's also a sad story about loss and love. About how far someone is willing to go to protect the ones they love, and how they deal with the aftershocks while also trying to process grief.

Loved this disturbing book.



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