3.50 Stars. That was quite the ride. I was super excited about this book. If you’ve followed my reviews for any time period, you will know how much I love paranormal anything, plus book horror. So naturally, all of Grady’s books have looked right up my alley but unfortunately, I just have not had the time to read them. I did watch My Best Friend's Exorcism, and didn’t really care for it, but I heard many people say the book was so much better so it’s still on the list to read eventually. Anyway, when I saw this new book, a book about a haunted house by Grady, I thought the stars aligned because even better than a haunted person, is a good old fashion haunted house. I could not request this book fast enough I was so excited. It is not until two weeks ago that I read the blurb right before I was ready to start the book that I realize that this wasn’t really a modern Grady spin on an old school fashion haunted house story, this was Grady’s spin on object possession, aka creepy f@cking dolls/puppets.

I don’t know what it is about old dolls with dead eyes, but I think I watched too many ghost, reality shows about those real dolls that are supposedly cursed or have demons attached or whatever but I just can’t with them. I mean they made movies off of these real dolls they are so scary, heck I couldn’t even watch the new Chucky show since possessed dolls bother me so much now, while I remember back in the day watching Bride of Chucky with no issues, just to support Jennifer Tilly like any queer gen Xer young woman would. How was I, with this possessed doll phobia, going to read Grady’s new book when I knew he was going to push it to the max? Well this is why this review is a bit late because I could not decide what to do. I finally decided to read it and if it was to much, skim or DNF. I’m happy to announce that I was able to read the whole thing. There were two scenes I did fast read, but I was able to get through everything. The horror wasn’t scary per say, it was intense and weird and the book actually had a vibe of Chucky, but the story was completely different.

When it came to the story itself, I thought it was okay. I liked Grady’s writing and found it very easy to get lost in the book, even with a subject I actively disliked. Besides the horror parts, the main storyline really is about the relationship of a brother and sister who don’t get along and in fact can’t stand each other. You find yourself instantly siding with one character, and you soon find out that there are always two sides to every story, and I thought Grady did a really good job on showing that. There are some twists and turns in this book and while they are not too surprising, they are definitely fun to read. In the end, I don’t think people will claim this is Grady’s best, but I do think it was an entertaining slightly above average read. If you are a Grady fan or love Childs Play, Chucky, or just creepy dolls and puppets, than this just might be the horror book for you.

My thanks to Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How To Sell A Haunted House was a campy horror story about a haunted house and creepy dolls. It was so nostalgic, and definitely reminded me of the 1988 movie Child's Play.

I was able to listen to the audio version which I think softened the horror, I definitely didn't think it was scary, just more creepy. What I didn't expect is a wonderful story about families and siblings. Damaged relationships from incorrect assumptions was a good reminder about how important authentic and honest communication is.

There was a wonderful cast of supporting characters, and Barb was my favorite. Her role was small but memorable and so funny. I wish there was more of her.

I don't think I've ever read a book that has combined horror and a heartfelt family drama so well. I know that this is the most creeped out by a book I've been since middle school. This book really impressed me.

Hendrix's writing sucked me in from the first chapter and all of the characters we're introduced to are unique and well developed. I could picture the people and places easily and never felt like any parts of the book were too long and drawn out. Most importantly, I was truly creeped out. I read a good amount of horror and enjoy it, but most of the time I enjoy the books as more campy than scary. This one had me watching something cute or funny before I was able to go to sleep. I can't wait to go back and read Hendrix's previous novels.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to Berkeley and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to the publisher for the digital ARC. I have really mixed feelings about this one. The first part setting the story up is really solid. The family drama is compelling. I think these are some of the best characters I've read from Grady Hendrix.

To me a lot of the haunted house plot felt like a bait and switch. The building of suspense worked great, but I absolutely hated the reveal. But then the resolution made me feel emotional. I don't know. 4 for the first half, 2 for the second.

Thank you @berkleypub for the free book and @prhaudio for the audio version as well. I read this with a group and with @letstalkbookspromo.

I am not a huge horror reader, but after reading Grady Hendrix’s THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, I am definitely a Grady Hendrix fan! So I was excited to receive an advanced copy of his latest book!

After the sudden death of her parents, Louise returns to her parents’ Charleston, South Carolina home to take care of the funeral and her childhood residence. However, Louise and her younger brother Mark have very different ideas about the best way to handle their parents’ affairs! This leads to several heated arguments, and I cringed thinking how embarrassed I would be in Louise’s situation. Add to that, there are strange things going on in her parents’ house and there are dolls and puppets everywhere! But the scariest is Punkin!

I love how Grady Hendrix can tie seemingly unrelated events together! The story starts out being told from Louise’s perspective, then it switches to Mark’s point of view. Then, after I discovered Louise’s dark secrets, and fully understood her aversion to the dolls, I learned that Mark is hiding some even darker secrets!

If you haven’t ventured into the horror genre yet, I recommend you try a Grady Hendrix novel! If you love audiobooks, , Mikhaila Aaseng do an excellent job narrating this one!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. Grady Hendrix is back to form, melding truly creepy scenes with really heartfelt depictions of family and grief.

"This is where we grew up. It's not The Shining."
"It's Shining-adjacent." Mark said in the gloom.

This book has some very disturbing imagery and scenes. I could never have watched this as a movie, but as a book, I enjoyed it.

When Louise has to return home to help take care of business after the sudden death of her parents, she isn't excited to see her brother. She isn't excited to deal with her moms hoardes of puppets. She isn't excited to have to leave her daughter behind. Little does she know how much the process of saying goodbye will change her life and relationships.

If you want a creepy book with lots of puppets, then check this one out. Maybe just don't read it home alone at night 😂

This is truly a creepy story. Estranged siblings, Louise and Mark, have to learn to work together after their parents suddenly die in a car accident. Their parents' estate includes dolls, lots and lots of dolls, and lots and lots of puppets, who might have their own ideas about how the estate should be handled. I gave this book three stars because it was really hard for me to read. I was often stressed out and found myself not picking up the book because I knew it wouldn't be relaxing. Someone who has less fear of dolls coming to life would enjoy this more than I did.

This was a crazy wild ride and not just a haunted house but haunted freaking puppets and dolls! Personally I think growing up with a mom that has so many puppets and dolls under one roof is already frightening but when they take a life of their own – holy smokes. I will admit the first part of the book, while slightly invested I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. I am a huge true horror fan, have been most of my life, and possessed dolls are not usually something that frighten me much. This was like Child’s Play turned puppet on crack and it was absolutely amazing. When I say it’s a wild ride, once this book gets wound up, it really wound up and took off never letting go with all kinds of very disturbing events that nightmares are made of. This was my first book by this author and I highly recommend to all horror fans out there!

Grady Hendrix had once again made a fantastic horror novel with interesting and believable characters. I like that Mr. Hendrix leaves little bread crumbs at the beginning of the book, which shows you that something is wrong with the house, which builds good tension. There is also a good mix of horror, violence, and creepy elements that feel well-balanced. I also really liked the characters in the book. Even though it was strained, the brother-sister relationship felt real, and I enjoyed all the side characters. The themes of dealing with loss and how to move on after losing your parents were well done and gave depth to the characters and their struggles. I recommend this book to those who have liked past Grady Hendrix, creepy dolls, and realistic characters dealing with loss.

Grady Hendrix is awesome! Hendrix writes stories that give a real look at families and relationships, and manages to put a supernatural spin on it without making it a "horror" novel. I became a huge fan after reading The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. How to Sell a Haunted House does not disappoint. The bickering and fighting between the siblings is spot on ( and entertaining), the creepiness factor of the dolls and puppets is perfect, and the setting of Charleston and the surrounding area gives it a southern gothic flair that makes this a fun book to read. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the e-
ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Ok, so this is my very first book by Grady Hendrix and I’m not sure what I just read!!
I was impressed with the sarcasm and humor throughout this horror book. The family dynamic between Louise and her parents and her non-existent relationship with her brother, Mark was strange and surprisingly made me love the book even more. I did enjoy how Louise and Mark’s relationship developed over the course of the book. There’s definitely some *weird* gory parts in the second half of the book.

Some of my favorite quotes…

“This is where we grew up. It’s not The Shining.” “It’s Shining-adjacent,” Mark said in the gloom.”

“Louise started to giggle. She couldn’t help it. This nice, clean restaurant, everyone acting normal, Mark acting normal, but a puppet had tried to kill her and she wasn’t normal anymore. She laughed harder.”

Highly suggest reading if you enjoy books about:
• Haunted Houses
• Creepy dolls and/or puppets
• Creepy humor
• Horror with some gore

Something in Louise and Mark's childhood home is not what it seems. Is it the strange noises in the attic? The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of their parents? Or is it the creepy puppets who seem to have minds of their own? A presence is standing in the way of the estranged siblings selling the house -- a presence with seemingly evil intentions.

The title "How to Sell a Haunted House" feels misleading for this newest release from Grady Hendrix. There are many interconnected storylines about grief, dysfunctional families, sibling rivalry, lost childhoods, and the power of repressed emotions and regrets.

"How to Sell a Haunted House" is a slow burn, and my one complaint is that sometimes the different plot lines pulled so far away from each other that it was somewhat jarring to return to a previous place in the story. Long flashback passages helped with context and exposition but seemed almost too separate from the main narrative.

I appreciated the authentic exploration of the generational damage family secrets can cause and the evolving sibling dynamics built through dialogue. It has a campy, creepy feel from start to finish - and Hendrix proves he is a master of paranormal storytelling.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Peguin Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

I've never watched one of those haunted doll or haunted puppet movies or one of those teen slashers. I've not watched any horror movies except that spinning head one and wished I hadn't watched that one. But I did enjoy two of Grady's books, kind of, sort of, skipping over grossness when it appeared. So I decided to give this story a try but I'm just too far off the fan base to feel invested. I do like some haunted house stories but this is something else.

Louise is living across the country from her childhood home, her parents and her brother. She relationship with them is laden with guilt and resentment. When she gets a phone call that her parents are dead, she wastes no time going home, though. As much as she dreads going home she knows she must go.

Louise's brother, Mark, seems to have fared even worse than she has with the moving on from their past, which is actually a part of their present. They need to sell their parents' house but that stalls almost before it starts. Louise and Mark can't stop fighting, extremely weird things keep happening, and the horror with house and their past is ramping up quickly. Is it the house, the contents, the people or all three of those things?

It was hard to care though. Louise and Mark aren't very nice people. They may have their reasons and a puppet named Pupkin may be at the head of them but the story is too long and drawn out for me to care enough. At the same time, I know this is a story that others will like a lot. It's funny and horrific and may bring back memories of other haunted objects if that's your kind of thing. I'll be happy to never hear or see the name Pupkin again.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

They say possession is nine-tenths of the law, but what if said possessed are stuffed and of the animal variety? And so goes the latest tale from the twisted mind of author Grady Hendrix in How to Sell a Haunted House.

Louise returns home as she discovers her parents have died in a car accident. Leaving behind her young daughter and returning to her childhood house are the last things Louise wants to do, but she also knows it’s necessary. Back home, she encounters her brother Mark, to who she’s been estranged for years. They say that time heals all wounds, but in the case of these siblings, nothing could be father from the truth.

With very different views of how to move on, the pair are forced to face the difficult task of cleaning out and selling their childhood home. For Louise, a sale means much needed closure, but for Mark who never really left his hometown, cutting his losses is easier said than done.

As the two bicker about boxes, it slowly becomes apparent they have bigger fish to fry. Tasked with cleaning and selling a house is one thing, but when the contents of the house start staging their own revolt, it becomes clear there’s forces behind the scenes, pulling the proverbial strings.

In How to Sell a Haunted House, Hendrix brings his trademark blend of humor and horror. I enjoyed the campiness of My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and the late night, retro B movie vibes his writing creates in general. For me, the first half of this story was interesting, but the second half was a little too outlandish, almost feeling like two separate books. I’d still recommend this to fans of campy horrort with a splash of familial dysfunction thrown in.

When I first started reviewing books, I really shied away from the horror genre. I always thought to horror as ‘slicer dicer’ or ‘zombie’ books and it just wasn’t my thing. But I quickly came to discover that the horror genre has really grown in popularity and variety over the years and I have branded out into more and more horror as time has gone one. I especially love ghost stories so naturally the title of this book grabbed my interest. Plus I have read Grady Hendrix in the past and know that his books always seem to stick a good balance between horror and something for the more mainstream readers who maybe want to try something in the horror genre.

The horror genre isn’t for everyone. It’s truly a niche genre and either it’s your thing or it isn’t. For me, I acquired a love for the horror genre though with that said, I don’t love all the traditional horror authors. For example, I have tried to love Stephen King, but I simply do not. I personally prefer my horror novels to have some cross over in other sub genres—for example, Simone St James is a favorite of mine. She writes paranormal horror but also factors in things like a murder mystery.

I am always on the lookout for horror authors who make the genre more accessible for new readers or fans. For me Stephen King is just not my thing and his books are often lengthy and daunting. His books were my only exposure to the horror genre for a long time and I honestly never wanted to read horror books because I feared they were all like that. But after finding some other horror authors that blended other genres really made me love the genre as a whole. That’s why I was so excited for this book!

Summary

Your past and your family can haunt you like nothing else… A hilarious and terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Final Girl Support Group.

Every childhood home is haunted, and each of us are possessed by our parents.

When their parents die at the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic, Louise and Mark Joyner are devastated but nothing can prepare them for how bad things are about to get. The two siblings are almost totally estranged, and couldn’t be more different. Now, however, they don’t have a choice but to get along. The virus has passed, and both of them are facing bank accounts ravaged by the economic meltdown. Their one asset? Their childhood home. They need to get it on the market as soon as possible because they need the money. Yet before her parents died they taped newspaper over the mirrors and nailed shut the attic door.

Sometimes we feel like puppets, controlled by our upbringing and our genes. Sometimes we feel like our parents treat us like toys, or playthings, or even dolls. The past can ground us, teach us, and keep us safe. It can also trap us, and bind us, and suffocate the life out of us. As disturbing events stack up in the house, Louise and Mark have to learn that sometimes the only way to break away from the past, sometimes the only way to sell a haunted house, is to burn it all down. (Summary from Goodreads)

Review

This book has a lot of family drama and frankly a lot of emotional things to unpack. I had a hard. time reading this one at the beginning. From literally the first page there was a lot of emotional things to process and it was a challenge like maybe it should have come with a trigger warning challenge. But then I remembered that I was reading horror and it’s supposed to make people uncomfortable to some degree or another. And I think you need to read this book with dark humor in mind. Most of Hendrix’s books definitely have a dark, edgy humor to them that sometimes might be lost on the casual reader. Which is exactly what I mean when I say horror isn’t for everyone. I personally love a dark humor, I mean my whole life could be written in dark humor so I love it but I am also aware not everyone enjoys that. But if you do love dark humor in my opinion there is no one better than Grady Hendrix. He has such a great way of incorporating dark humor in his novels and I so enjoy reading them for this reason,.

Fans of classic horror will find a lot to love in this book. When I say classic horror, I am meaning like the 1980s style horror movies with creepy possessed dolls style horror. But at the same time, this book explored family themes and relationships that just happened to include horror elements. I also thought this book had very modern feel. I know that as we move from the pandemic, the question becomes how do we address the pandemic in upcoming things like books, movies, and tv etc. Do we even acknowledge it in books? Do we ignore it? Call attention to it? Who know what the answer is but I love that this book included the pandemic in it’s storyline. I thought that added a lot of ‘realness’ to an otherwise fantastical story.

Personally I preferred The Final Girls Support Group over this novel—-for me it read faster than this one. But this one did tick a lot of boxes for me. Approachable horror, a haunted house, a post pandemic world, and of course complex family relationships. This book read more like a thriller but for me it was a slow burn thriller if that makes sense. I felt like I should have been burning through the pages a little faster than I was, but I did enjoy me time with this book. Grady Hendrix is quickly becoming an exciting author for me to watch grow. I will gladly read more books by him in the future and cannot wait to see what sensational story he cooks up next! Great read.

Book Info and Rating

Hardcover, 400 pages

Expected publication: January 17th 2023 by Berkley

ISBN 0593201264 (ISBN13: 9780593201268)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: horror

Absolutely loved this book! The characters were well written, and the plot twists kept the pages turning. There is laughter and dread. You can feel sympathy for the main characters, and at the same time compartmentalize the trauma they went through as children.

Have always loved a Grady Hendrix book, and this one did not disappoint.

How to Sell a Haunted House is just plain creepy. Given the title and the beginning of the book, I thought this would be a straight forward haunted house story. I should have known it would be a lot more complicated given Grady Hendrix is the author. The book has an overflowing bucket load of family disfunction, a creepy puppet by the name of Pupkin, attempted murders, and an imaginary pet who is absolutely disturbing. The formula makes for some pretty horrifying scenes and an even more troubling glimpse into the characters' family dynamics.

Louise returns home after her parents' death in a car accident. She's reunited with her brother which goes far from smoothly. To put it bluntly, they hate each other. There's so much baggage there that I'm surprised either of them can function. After arguments and fights, the two settle on working together to sell their parents house. From the get go the vibe is creepy. Something is definitely wrong with the place, or rather the things in it. Louis and Mark quickly discover that their family has kept a lot of secrets over the years. They have also kept a lot of secrets from each other. Louise pines to return home to her 5 year old daughter, Poppy, and the sense of normalcy that comes with her life, Mark flips back and forth between the money he will get from selling the house and holding on to the memory of his parents. Neither one of them wants to be in the company of the other.

How to Sell a Haunted House is a surprisingly fast read. I read it in two days, but that is only because once Pupkin made his entrance I had to put the book down. That's what I get for reading a horror book right before bed. The story is pretty intense. I was fully immersed in the story and like any hungry reader, I was desperate to find out what happened. The scary scenes are a bit chaotic which drives the drama and creepy factor. At times parts of the book are a bit campy and even predictable. My only issue is the total unlikability of the characters. From the get go I had a strong aversion to Mark and throughout the book even Louise. I didn't find myself cheering for either of them; however, it did not affect my enjoyment of the story as a whole. I think had I genuinely cared for the characters this would have pushed it to a full 5 stars for me.

Overall, How to Sell a Haunted House is a great read. I enjoyed the experience in a pretty creeped out disturbed way. Pretty certain I will avoid puppets for a while thanks to this book.

Thank you to Grady Hendrix, NetGalley, and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

Louise didn't always hate her brother, but he's always hated her. Their relationship gets thrown into sharp relief when her parents both die suddenly and her brother takes possession of their childhood home and plans to sell it. Not all feels quite right in the house. Between the dolls and the puppets, the feeling of ghosts lingers fiercely in the air. But at when will Louise decide she can't ignore the haunt and still manage to be the adult?

I found this book intensely compelling and difficult to put down. The looming plot, the fractured family relations, and the haunting pacing really worked in its favor. I am not a huge fan of scary books normally, but Hendrix writes like no other. Did the puppets and dolls scare me? Yes. The haunted house? Absolutely. Did I still keep reading in the middle of a class to finish the book? Damn right.

At it's core this book is about family and how they deal with death and the ramifications of bad things. While having the haunted house and the puppets and dolls involved with this added such glorious layers, I loved how it was about the wrongs of the past and the righting of the future, the mending of family ties.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy of How to Sell a Haunted House. You will want to read this one with the lights on! It is creepy and crazy and definitely a bit unhinged so be warned. I'm not sure why I personally keep reading haunted house books when I know they terrify me. This book was no exception plus it had dolls and puppets. Creeeeeepy. If you're a fan of horror, you'll want to pick this one up.