Thank you to Let’s Talk Books Book Tours, author Grady Hendrix, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley. I appreciate the #gifted ecopy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Where the hell do I even start with this book. Jesus. I’ll never look at a doll or a puppet the same way ever again. Thank God I have boys, so we don’t have any dolls laying around our house anywhere 😱

1. Creepy AF puppets 😱
2. Family drama 😱
3. Squirrels 😱
4. Ghost Dog 😱
5. A Mother’s Nightmare 😱

1. Mark and Louise lived a life full of the imaginary world with their mom who made puppets for a living and their dad who just went along with it. Once they are forced to come back home, those Mother Effing puppets become things of nightmares 😱

2. It always seems like a death in the family brings about some type of conflict. Mark and Louise’s adversity definitely began earlier on in life, though. As the story progresses, we (and they) learn the real reasons behind their animosity. Then, let’s just add a “little” violence into their lives and see what Louise is forced to do to Mark 😱

3. Squirrels. I mean a taxidermy Nativity scene made of squirrels is creepy enough, but then…..just wait…... 😱

4. What do kids who grew up in this household do when their parents won’t get them a dog…..create an imaginary one of course…..but is the damn thing imaginary? 😱

5. Louise ultimately has to deal with saving her daughter’s life. Just when Louise and Mark think life can finally move on…..they find out how wrong they truly are and Poppy becomes a more pivotal character. 😱

And yet, with all of that, Hendrix is still able to add a dose of humor to this story. This is one you just have to read for yourself to experience the true bizarreness of it!

The book begins with Louise and her 5 year old daughter, Poppy, living in San Francisco - 3000 miles away from her hometown of Charleston, NC. Louise has a history of familial dysfunction and is still trying to heal from it when she receives a call from her estranged brother Mark. He informs her of their parents' passing two days earlier and Louise, filled with grief and confusion, decides to fly home to help sell her family home and gain some closure.
Things are nothing as they seem she soon realizes. Mark and Louise embark on a dysfunctional sibling rollercoaster ride that is basically removing their parents' existence from their home. It's filled with their mothers projects and art, and all of her father's studies. But something is wrong - her moms purse is on the table, her crippled father's cane is on the floor, and the tv is left on. They left unexpectedly and Louise is determined to find out why.
The first half of this book is slow, and it's perfect. You really learn about the dynamics of their family, and their history. The character development is really great and I felt like I was learning about my own family: I relate a lot to Louise and Mark. I was disappointed at first as was expecting the horror aspects to be immediate. But as I kept reading I was enjoying the build up - the small creepy occurrences or the inconsistencies I was noticing. It was addicting.
The second half of the book is utterly terrifying and left me looking around my dark room in fear and hyper awareness. I had to start reading in the living room with my family around me so I wouldn't feel as scared. The ending: OH MY GOD. The scariest parts I felt were over and then would realize there's still 35% of the book left.
It was a rollercoaster - I could always see the end until something new would happen. As well, the actual ending was beautiful. It was horrifying and raw and emotional.
This book scared me in ways I can't explain - not even because of the paranormal aspects, but because of the raw emotions and experiences the characters in this book have. The childhood trauma, the parental favoritism, the rivalries, and the adulthood experience of both Louise and Mark.

That was a ride! Creepy doll haters, this is probably not for you, but I think most scaredy cats (me!) can handle this one. There are some absolutely breathtaking moments throughout this, and the author's note for context on what he was thinking when writing this made for some interesting thoughts throughout.

This sh!t was bananas from start to finish. It’s so immersive you’ll be looking over your shoulder, investigating every shadow as you read or listen. The unsettling atmosphere just builds and builds. The book starts with the death of Louise and Mark Joyner’s parents in South Carolina. Louise and Mark have been estranged for years, and their parents’ death seems to push their strained relationship beyond the breaking point. She agrees to leave behind her five-year-old daughter for a few days to bury her parents and settle their estate.

Their mom had spent years building up a successful puppet business, so the house is filled with handmade dolls and puppets. And after reading this, you’ll want to burn all of these things in your own house.

Mark and Louise are immediately at odds over the house and the estate, but as inexplicable things start happening to them, they turn to each other for help. It starts with moved dolls. Television turning on. Bumps in the walls. And things… escalate quickly. Taxidermied squirrels are creepy enough, but the author manages to take it to an extreme level of creep.

The storytelling is so unique. You want to hate Mark so much– he’s an absolute dick. But as we uncover more about his past, we gain clarity and perspective that changes our views. (Mostly.) It’s almost all told via Louise’s perspective, but we get a mega Mark chapter filled with backstory (and narrated by a separate actor!) that is absolutely fascinating.

Just when you think the story can’t get weirder or creepier… IT ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY DOES. And… having a five-year-old… we got to a part that almost made me run away screaming HARD PASS… but I persisted. And dammit if that ending was worth it. Nightmare-inducing weird, but yeah, worth it.

Thanks to Let’s Talk Books Promo, Berkley, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I want to thank Berkley and Let’s Talk Books book tours for providing me with a review copy of How To Sell A Haunted House. Even though a copy of the book was provided to me, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

I read this book without reading the synopsis first. I typically like to go into books without any outside influence to sway my opinion on them.

I was very surprised when I read the synopsis after reading the novel because the synopsis above reads more like an first draft book pitch than the synopsis of the book I just read.

The first thing that threw me off is the mention of the coronavirus pandemic, which I am almost positive was not mentioned in the novel at all. The author’s note at the beginning of the book does briefly mention the pandemic and grief.

Second, the synopsis says mentions covering mirrors with newspaper and I do not remember reading anything about that either.

The synopsis had no impact on my rating or enjoyment of the book, I just wanted to bring it up because I thought it was bizarre

How To Sell A Haunted House is my first Grady Hendrix book, ever. After reading and loving Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey last year, I’ve been craving another haunted house book. While the title claims a haunted house, I wouldn’t say that this book is about a haunted house. It is a book about grief and possessed objects.

The book itself is broken up into sections that follow the stages of grief. I really loved that touch and was a reminder that while all of these strange paranormal things are happening in the book, it is still about the loss of Louise and Mark’s parents on top of a haunted house.

This book was not just creepy, it was downright horrifying for some scenes. I will include a list of content warnings at the end if you are interested.

Mark and Louise’s relationship really irritated me. Especially when they were fighting over their parents’ items and house. I’ve always heard that things get messy when people pass away, but I was legit getting second hand embarrassment over their argument.

I will say I really did enjoy the character arcs for Louise and Mark as individuals and how their relationship changed throughout the book as well. It was really satisfying to see the change happen before my eyes in a believable way.

I was very pleasantly surprised with the ending. I really was not expecting what happened, which is good. I would say that the unpredictable plot twist/ending is a big factor to why I needed up giving the book such a high rating. I had a few theories while I was reading about how Hendrix could have potentially wrapped up the storyline and a lot of them seemed far fetched. The ending that Hendrix gave us just made the most sense and I can’t believe I didn’t think of that the entire time. I was very shocked but also like yeah, that tracks.

Overall I was very entertained the entire time I was reading this book and I will be adding Hendrix’s backlist to my TBR asap.

My final rating is 4.5 stars

Content Warnings: parental death, grief, blood and gore, bodily injury, self harm.

Happy Release Day to How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix! Grady Hendrix’s reign of the horror novel genre continues in this new release with his brilliant style, outrageous storylines & humor, but each book is obviously different & can clearly holds its’ own.

How to Sell a Haunted House is morbid, ridiculous & outrageously horrific in that curiously entertaining, can’t-look-away type of way. There are spooky noises, dolls, creepy messages, puppets & a haunted house, oh my. I plan to keep this vague because it will create a terrifyingly captivating story.

Estranged siblings, Louise & Mark, are brought back to their childhood home when tragedy strikes their family. Dysfunction surfaces as their opposite lives & personalities try to come together to put their parent’s home on the market. However, their family home & the contents inside aren’t quite ready to let them go yet. Get ready for a wild adventure as the duo attempts to survive this house

First, this novel surprisingly elicited a lot of feelings out of me as I felt empathy for the horrid situation. But then, it absolutely threw me for a loop as I truly began to understand the story & henceforth, the shock, mayhem & hilarity arrived. I’m such of fan of the author & their fantastically vivid storytelling capabilities that play out like a movie in my head.

If you are looking for a horror novel to take you for a ride, I highly recommend How to Sell a Haunted House!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains death of loved ones, car accident, gore, violence & injury,

I have also posted this on Amazon, but I am waiting for the review to go live.

I usually love a Grady Hendrix novel but the creepy dolls in this were... a lot. I did enjoy the exorcist aunties but the backstory of how the demented puppet came to be also didn't entirely add up. The ending is okay but getting there was challenging.

Previous fans of Grady Hendrix will enjoy and newcomers! A horror title that is unique and will have you looking at puppets with the new found knowledge that you always knew they were creepy. There are a few plots twists that I definitely did not see coming and it was a true scare to read all the way through. A quick read for horror fans but completely worth it!

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix delivered a creepy tale with dolls as siblings try to prepare their parents’ home for sale after they died unexpectedly. A twisty, atmospheric tale that will have you keeping the lights on.

✔️ Creepy dolls whose eyes follow you across the room

✔️ a twisted backstory about a childhood girl and her favorite toy

✔️ Evil entities and shocking twists

✔️ imaginary pets

✔️ chase scenes involving axes

I listened to The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and was curious to try this author again. How to Sell a Haunted House was a twisty, atmospheric tale with suspense, gore and fear filled moments.

The story involves Louise, a divorced mother of a five-year-old who gets the news from her estranged brother Mark, that her parents have died. She really doesn’t want to go home and leave her daughter with her ex, but she flies home to help Mark bury their parents and clean out their home. The home is filled with her mother’s dolls and puppets. When they arrive in the home, things don’t feel right and the attic hatch is nailed shut.

The story that unfolds shares some strange moments in their childhood as things in the home seem to move around. The story took on some dark tones and the more they tried to clean out the home, the more things escalated.

The pacing was well done as the buildup and suspense grew. By the time we knew what was going on, Hendrix threw another twist into the tale and plenty of horrific moments. You’ll never look at puppets or dolls the same. LOL I would love to talk more about some details and events, but don’t want to spoil it for you. Let me just leave you with this; if you are a fan of some of the darker Goosebumps episodes, you’ll love How to Sell A Haunted House.

This story was unexpected. I went in eagerly hungry for a haunted house, what I got instead was a major plot twist. This story is set in a house, but in its unique premise, it’s not your run of the mill haunted house story. That made reading this story surprising, but also, a little confusing. I feel like the title was misleading. If you go in with an open mind, knowing that this story will not be about a haunted house, but about a certain object within the house, you’re in for a treat. In true fashion, this story is gruesome, visually violent, and at the core, depth and development of the characters within. You’ll hate their choices, you’ll root for their successes and you’ll curse their hardships, as they battle a disturbing (something) that just won’t die.

Just a heads up..if dolls and puppets don’t give you the creeps right now, they will after you read this book!

The title does clue you in to what this book is all about. In addition to the scary dolls, you also get some serious family secrets, sibling rivalry and the fantastic setting of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

This book is entertaining, dramatic, and spine-chilling.

I am very happy I read this on vacation and not in my own home because I fear I would not be sleeping for a few days.

Reminds Me Of: All Hallows, Girl in the Lake, Home Before Dark, The Collector, Thornhill

Three Reasons You Should Read This:
1) If you like Grady Hendrix campy horror style, you will enjoy this new edition to his lineup.
2) If you mess with creepy puppets and other paranormal elements in your horror, this is for you.
3) Under all the camp and paranormal activity, there is a deeper message about grief and family.

One Thing You Should Know Before You Pick This Up:
This deals with a lot of heavy family baggage! Lots of grief, lies, family drama, generational trauma, etc. So just check out warnings and reviews before picking this up if you might be sensitive to this.

Content Warnings:
Death of a loved one, Violence, Injury, Death, Paranormal Violence, Grief, Family Trauma, Family conflict, Blood/Gore,

Favorite Quote: “Sweetheart,” she said, “I once battled a warlock in Summerville. There is nothing you can say that will shock me.”

Soundtrack:
The Funeral - Band of Horses
Kill of the Night - Gin Wigmore
Dark Parts - Perfume Genius
Don't You Forget About Me - Rufio
Bring Me to Life - Evanescence
What I've Done - Lincoln Park

Brother and sister find out that their childhood home is haunted via their mom's creepy doll collection. This book kept me turning the pages.

Tropes: paranormal, suspense, death, haunted house
Triggers: Death of a family member

I will be honest, I have no idea what to say about this story without giving too much away. I have heard of Grady Hendrix before but this is my first book I have read about him and it will NOT be my last.

This is not a story you read before bed, read it in broad daylight and stop at sunset, then I suggest reading or watching something lighthearted because then you will not have dreams about this book. Hendrix has a way of writing that just takes you to that moment, which sometimes you wish it did not. I mean that in a good way.

This story deals with Louise going home after the death of her parents. But going home means having to face not only the fact that she lost both her parents, but also dealing with her brother Mark, her family and the thing she dreads the most… the house she called home when younger. It means dealing with her fathers academic papers and her mothers obsession with puppets.

Yes you heard me, puppets! That should tell you exactly how creepy this story will be. With every chapter a new revelation is unveiled and a new portion of the story comes to light but their is also twists around every corner.

If you are looking for a creepy, suspenseful, haunted house story then this is the story for you but like i said do not read at night unless you want to dream of creepy puppets.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

In true Grady Hendrix fashion this book brings the WTFs - big time. Family drama, out-there characters and totally wild storylines - mixed with nostalgic vibes and plenty of dark humor. Honestly, I’m not sure I fully have words for what I read - but not in a bad way.

Louise’s parents pass away in an unexpected accident and she’s tasked with returning home, sorting out the arrangements with her estranged brother Mark and going through the process of emptying her parents home to prepare it for sale. Scary right? That’s not even the half of it. The house is full of many unconventional items (handmade puppets and taxidermy squirrel nativities to name a few)…and energies?…that aren’t as sold on putting the house on the market (see what I did there?). This one is definitely a wild ride.

As this book got creepier I thought I was in for some psychological horror, unreliable narrator, descent into madness stuff—<em>oh, we're not supposed to be clear on if bad stuff is really happening or this main character is losing it and is going to start killing her family</em>, I thought. Then the protagonist's realtor cousin cleared things up very directly by explaining the house of the title was unsellable as it was one hundred percent, canonically, literally haunted. This absolutely delighted me! And the novel only continued to delight—my expectations were often turned on their heads in really interesting ways. I laughed a lot, but also found myself truly touched by the unapologetically gore-filled, creepy-puppet-centered, loyally horror-genre tackling of grief, isolation, painful family dynamics, and the ways grief and trauma can be passed down through generations.

“A puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor.”

Horror fans, rejoice!!! Another binge-worthy book coming in hot from Grady Hendrix! I so enjoyed reading this good old-fashioned haunted house story. It’s action-packed and feels like watching a horror movie. Super entertaining and definitely reminded me of My Best Friend’s Exorcism. I like the relationship between the siblings, where once it was fractured but slowly mended as they deal with the ghosts of the past and present. The puppets and dolls creeped the hell out of me and I truly cannot imagine housing hundreds of them!!! Possessed puppets, dolls that seemed to follow you everywhere, and taxidermied squirrels dressed in Nativity Scene coming alive?!?! Yikes!!! Scary stuff but this is written by Grady Hendrix, so expect to be enthralled despite the que horror scenes!

There’s just one chapter that I thought was kind of dragging and could have been shortened a bit, but otherwise I thoroughly loved the whole book, even with all the gore and hair-raising antics of the puppets and dolls. Don’t be deterred by the title, it’s not as scary as it sounds. As mentioned, It’s more on the spectrum of entertainment rather than nightmare-inducing kind of horror story. Though I must admit that Pupkin the Puppet screaming Kakawewe gave me goosebumps every single time! If you’ve enjoyed the author’s previous books, be sure to add this to your tbr. 🎎🪆🤡

How to Sell a Haunted House is only the second Grady Hendrix book that I’ve read and loved this one too! I read The Southern’s Book Club for Slaying Vampire s with my book club and loved his writing style. Thank God this one didn’t have a cockroach crawling in someone’s ear! I love how Louise and Mark bickered throughout the book just like normal siblings do when they are both young and older. I felt that Nancy favored Mark probably because of what happened between Mark and Pupkin while at college. At one point I had to stop reading the book because I was in the dark late at night reading on my kindle. The book freaked me out. probably because of all the puppets. I still can’t watch or read It. I did love the fact that Mark included the puppet world to Nancy and Eric’s funeral. It was differently out there, because t was quite entertaining. I also liked the Louise and Mark’s family especially Aunt Honey. I think everyone has an Aunt Honey in their family.

This is one of the strangest books I've ever read and I love it so much.

I don't know how someone manages to write Child's Play on steroids while also writing a meaningful commentary on death, grief, and family, but Hendrix did and I am thoroughly impressed.

I am most impressed by the imagery of this book, honestly. As wild as the events were, the writing put the pictures in my head the whole time and I could picture it as if it were a movie playing in my head. I've had off and on opinions about Grady Hendrix's writing, but this one does not disappoint in the slightest. I will recommend this to everyone I possibly can because I just love it so much.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me access to this.

Another fantastic campy horror novel by Grady Hendrix! I can’t believe he managed to make me cry over a murderous clown puppet. Creepy, fun, and unique… this one is definitely a stand out story.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.