I liked this book quite a bit and thought it was really original. This is only the second time I have picked up a Grady Hendrix book, but it will definitely not be my last. I was hooked by this story and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening in this house. I really loved the fact that there is a thread of humor woven throughout the book. This was definitely one of those books that could be almost impossible to set aside.

When Louise learns that her parents have died, she goes to California to help her brother Mark settle the estate. To say that I didn’t care for Mark at the beginning of this book is a huge understatement. Louise and Mark clash over just about every decision regarding their parents’ death, funeral, and how to deal with their belongings. Mark wants to get rid of everything and sell the house as soon as possible but it quickly becomes obvious that something more sinister than a bunch of dolls is going on in the house. But if you are looking for creepy dolls….this book is full of those!

I really liked the way that the relationship between Louise and Mark grows and changes over the course of the story. It was great seeing them work together as a team. There were some pretty intense scenes in this book and I have to admit that one scene made me cringe a bit which rarely happens. I was very curious about how everything would be resolved and I was impressed by just how satisfying the ending was.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Jay Aaseng and Mikhaila Aaseng did a great job with the story. The bulk of the book was read by the female narrator which made sense since most of the book is from Louise’s point of view. I thought that they both did a great job of bringing these characters to life. I definitely believe that the narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend this book to others. The story was a little different than I expected but that wasn’t a bad thing. I was completely entertained by this story from beginning to end and am quite relieved that my mother’s home is not full of creepy dolls. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work soon.

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is an excellent horror novel that quite frankly creeped me out! There’s something about dolls and puppets that always gives me the chills and the ones in this book are utterly TERRIFYING. I’m actually surprised that this book had such an effect on me. His books are normally not scary to me so going into this one thinking it would be a thrilling read rather than a spooky one surprised me in the best of ways! I highly recommend it to 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 who enjoy a book that will get under your skin. Theres a little bit of gore, but its not too over the top and not blasted throughout the novel so just remember that when you’re picking this one up. The saw scene made me gag LOL.

If you enjoy haunted house stories, the movie Childs Play or Annabelle, and books that will make you as nervous as the characters feel then make sure to grab this book. It’s got some great undertones of grief, family drama, and secrets scattered throughout the book that all come together in the end.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Horror Novels
• Child’s Play and the Annabelle Movies
• Books that dive into grief and the problems with secrets

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley books, and Mr. Hendrix for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I’ve never read a book by Hendrix before although I’ve heard lots of good things about the Southern vampire book club book from customers at work. I’m also sort of a lightweight when it comes to horror (especially movies). Psychological horror is the most frightening to me but when it comes to physical horror I would probably rate dolls and puppets pretty high on the scale. I’ve *never* liked dolls, and frankly if this book were to be made into a movie I don’t think I’d be able to watch it. It’s that frightening.

Louise and her estranged brother Mark reunite following their parents’ death in a car accident, to sort out the funeral details and to handle the estate. Neither one of them are particularly likable characters, but nonetheless it’s not easy to watch them walk into a house that’s quite obviously haunted. Their realtor cousin Mercy outright tells them that it is unsaleable due to its “creepy” factor alone, let alone the clear signs that a haunting was happening. Louise’s deceased mother was a puppet and doll collector (don’t forget the taxidermied squirrels; strong “Wednesday” vibes here) and every inch of the house is jam packed with creepy staring eyes. Why on EARTH Louise would stay in the house instead of a hotel is absolutely beyond me. One of the puppets, though, in is a class all by itself. I’m glad I was only reading about Pupkin and not watching it (ie as in a movie). The characterization of Mark and Louise is really well done; they are both completely unlikeable at first but as more and more secrets come out, they’re more understandable (even if you still wouldn’t befriend them).

I found this to be compulsively readable. Even as I read between my fingers, hiding from Pupkin, I was squeezing it in to all my free time. Definitely planning to finally read Southern Vampires asap. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a creepy but oh-so-fun haunted house story. This is my first Grady Hendrix novel, and I look forward to reading more. The book took its time setting up the story but you quickly get drawn in. Highly recommend to lovers of haunted house books!

My first Grady Hendrix book did not disappoint! I love it when a story takes it time in the beginning as this one did, so that you can really get into the story, and then all of that build up actually pays off! I regret not knowing going in that puppets would be involved, as those scare me like nothing else, but I pushed through the visceral rejection of being afraid and it was worth it.

Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite horror authors- so thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book is filled with everything most of us are creeped out by but to such extreme that one is chuckling as well as being freaked out. Haunted creepy puppet with a sing song voice that can exert control over its human puppeteer…. make believe pets that are somehow real, circular saws, relatives that think they are exorcists… a mother who is a Christian storyteller puppeteer and of course worst of all having to work with a deadbeat sibling to solve the problem. Family secrets can kill even generations later.
This was a fantastic read.

Though it did get off to a bit of a slow start and there were some flashbacks that felt drawn out this is my favorite Grady Hendrix book so far.

What I have liked about the Grady Hendrix books I've read so far is that they are horror but they are all about something more. In this case a family's secrets and generational trauma is manifested, we get to explore siblings and how two people who grow up in the same home can be so different and have different memories. We also see how unaddressed grief and trauma can tear a family apart. The horror story was just an interesting way to deliver these bigger themes.

I don't need to love the characters in my books and I definitely didn't love Louise and Mark although I can see a little of my oldest child self in Louise. But I appreciate they both were able learn and listen to one another, that might be a barrier for some. But I think if you make it through the moments of flashbacks where you learn about some real formative moments you can get past that.

DNF at 20%. I went into this a bit skeptically with mixed feelings after having read Southern Book Club's Guide, which I thought had some issues with how it represented race and gender and class.

There were parts of what I read here that were unexpected and made me laugh, and there was a lot that just felt slow. I wasn't resonating with the main character either, though her time inside the parent's weird house was my favorite part of what I read.

When I hit this description of one of the work crews, my interest waned considerably.
"They did look dainty: three small Latin men with immaculate haircuts,"
...it's choice of the word Latin plus the other diminutive words turned me off from this.

I hate putting a rating on a book I didn't finish...but did want to share the review.

I was wondering why the new Grady Hendrix book wasn’t released during spooky season.⁣
⁣
But I get it now. ⁣
⁣
It will probably take me until October to shake the nightmares.⁣😳
⁣
Murderous, violent dolls and puppets … this story is hell doused in gasoline. Disturbing. Twisted. Trippy. PUPKIN. 🤡 These psychotic toys make Chucky and Pennywise look like Rainbow Brite, and they are not happy about their home being sold by Mark and Louise after their parents are tragically killed. The only way to escape this terrifying past and the dolls who haunt them, may be to just burn the whole damn thing down and run like hell.⁣
⁣
With all the trademark Hendrix campy vibes, this dark and demented story of childhood trauma is like a hallucinogenic horror show straight out of the toy box - and I loved every freaking minute.⁣
⁣
I may not sleep for years, but it was one hell of a fun ride - and totally worth it.⁣ Read it if you dare.

I haven’t read anything like this before. Such a creepy book. Starts off a little slow but once it picks up, it's a wild ride until the end. I feel like he channeled his inner Stephen King for this one!

Idk how he does it but Grady manages to make his books both horrifying and humorous. This one is no different. I loved (was terrified by ) the haunted puppet Pupkin and his friends… I mean what is scarier than a freaking puppet and his doll army???! I’ll definitely be recommending this to horror readers at my store!

Following the unfortunate deaths of their parents, estranged siblings Louise and Mark reunite in order to plan the funeral and figure out what to do with their childhood home. Their strained relationship becomes the least of their problems as they unearth long-buried memories associated with their mother's enormous collection of puppets and dolls and try to figure out why, exactly, the attic is boarded up...

I have to hand it to Grady Hendrix, his stories rarely play out the way I expect them to; though there are some "well, obviously" moments in this book, so much of it was a surprise to me. And a pleasant surprise at that! I've never disliked any of the books of his I've read, but I often find myself feeling like they're missing *something* and while this one wasn't perfect, it was quite good and probably my favorite after We Sold Our Souls. I found the journey through the grieving process and mending family ties to be the most effective part of this story, but there are plenty of spooky-fun or downright creepy moments as well. I laughed out loud at a couple bits and highlighted a few passages only to comment "Grady why" or "no thank you" which is a good sign for a horror novel when you're a horror superfan like myself.

At any rate, I'm giving this a solid 4 out of 5 creepy puppets. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

It's been awhile since I've delved into a horror story. How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix was SO creepy and gory. I won't say I loved it because I found some scenes hard to take. However, if you aren't a chicken and have nerves of steel, I bet you will love this book. How To Sell A Haunted House is about Louise who has moved far from home to San Francisco. She is successful and has a daughter - Poppy - who is five. Louise returns home to Charleston after her parents pass away in a car accident for the funeral services and the reading of the will. It turns out that her brother Mark has inherited the house. Mark and Louise have always had a contentious relationship. All Louise gets is her mother's art and creations. So, she decides to make things difficult as Mark can't sell the house until she's got all her mother's art. Only, it turns out there's something very wrong.

One thing I really liked about How To Sell A Haunted House is that it surprised me. I found myself thinking a certain way about the characters but ended up wrong. When that happens, I love it. The story is woven in such a way that I wanted to flip ahead to find out what happens next and how do things play out. Listening to the audiobook, however, I couldn't do that. Also -- the audiobook is engrossing. I was riveted going down the highway listening to this tale of terror and creepy puppets. This is thanks in part to the narration of Mikhaila Aaseng and Jay Aaseng who did great infusing this story with all the right notes. The audiobook is 13 hours long and recommended if you have a strong stomach and can handle things that are scary.

📚Book Review📚

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
Available January 17, 2022
432 Pages

📼Oh, this book took me back to the very late 1980s/early 1990s browsing the “Horror” section of our local VHS video store, which was age-inappropriate at the time. I vividly remember watching Dolls with my bestie, followed by the Summer Camp trilogy staring Angela Springsteen.

🎎This book might be scary for some, but for me it was absolutely a hilarious wild ride. Louise and Mark are estranged siblings who are forced together when their parents die in a freak accident. Mom was really into puppets, especially Pupkin — who is the evil puppet in this story. Louise thought she destroyed Pupkin years ago, but he’s back….

Mark was such a jerk at the beginning, but the “radical puppet collective” scenes were absolutely brilliant and had me laughing aloud on public transportation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you #@netgalley and @berkley for a free e-arc. Opinions are honest and my women.

Clearly there’s a market for inanimate objects like dolls to get possessed and go homicidal based on the recent success of #M3GAN which was made for 12 million and has grossed nearly 95 million in two weeks. So the good news for Grady Hendrix is his book is very on brand at the moment!

Potential Spoilers ahead:
After their parents are killed in a car accident estranged siblings Louise and Mark must bury the hatchet (or axe as it may be) and come together to sell their parents home. The problem is their Mom’s dolls and puppets. It seemed their mom was a regular Jim Henson of the Bible Belt , using her skills towards a puppet ministry that became somewhat of a local sensation. One in particular holds a special place in all their hearts. His name is Pumkin who basically looks like Billy the puppet from Saw and talks in menacing sing songy rhymes.

Now if creepy dolls, masks and weird looking puppets are the thing of your nightmares, you’ll probably want to read this with a well fitted Depends diaper on. For the rest of you? Eh.
Hendrix latest book feels almost like two different ones, the first being a straight forward domestic squabble between siblings with an undercurrent of mounting paranormal activity. The second half turns into The Evil Dead meets Puppetmaster and I to be honest I couldn’t stop laughing. Not sure it was entirely intentional, but it ascends into near farcical levels complete with body batterings, saws, hammers and some strange hybrid monster called Spyder. I ended up liking this more than his last book, but still don’t think he’s come close to #TheSouthernBookClubsGuideToSlayingVampires Thanks to @berkely for the advance copy.

Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite authors for good reason. I love his respect for the horror genre while also lightly adding in satire to keep it fresh. This book is no different. At the heart it is a story about grief, family, and the disappointments of growing up. I can't recommend this one enough.

When the sudden death of her parents (a car wreck on a dark and stormy night), Louise must fly across the country to return to her family home and face her estranged brother, Mark, her past, and the ghosts of her childhood. Yet, when she arrives, she finds that the TV is still on, her mother left her purse, her father his cane, and the attic entrance is nailed shut. All this combined with the eerie atmosphere, countless dolls, and lifeless puppets put Louise on edge as memories of her past come flooding back. And one puppet in particular hums with tension and seems to be the epicenter of past and present unsettling events: Pupkin. Dolls seem to move and things go bump in the night. Now she and her brother must find a way to sell their parent's (haunted) home.
Told in 3rd person from primarily Louise's POV, this book is entertaining and exciting. Louise is a single mother who has always had her feet planted firmly in reality. Whereas Mark seemed to jump from creative pursuit and one poor investment into another. The journey of both as they reflect on their pasts and join forces to exercise whatever is haunting the home is a great characterization of the process of healing. Even the parts of the book are separated into the five stages of grief as readers undergo this process with the MCs. The characters are flawed and make plenty of horror movie errors. Honestly, I love a good horror movie and Grady Hendrix takes on capturing the gore and fear in so many of those campy thrillers. This was Annabelle meets M3gan meets R.L. Stine's Night of the Living Dummy. There are a few points where I marked "THIS IS THE MOST DISTURBING DESCRIPTION I'VE EVER READ" so TW for eye-stuff and pulsing puppet holes...

3.5. This is probably my least favorite Grady Hendrix book I've read, but it still has some of his usual camp and is deeply creepy. I was also glad to see that he still included an inept, deeply unlikeable man in his tale (though Louise ends up being just as unlikeable as Mark, in the end). While I appreciated the exploration of generational trauma and grief that emerge as a result of the story, the haunted house conceit wasn't as strong as I thought it would be--combining it with the creepy possessed objects made it work less well. If you're looking for a more twisted, horrific take on The Velveteen Rabbit, though, this might be the book for you.

First of all, I love the cover and the title. The story itself seemed all over the place. There was a big diversion about puppets that made sense later on but was really losing my interest as a reader. I almost feel this would have made a better movie than a book. Think of Chucky as a puppet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the gifted copy in exchange for a review.

This was such a creepy ride! The puppets, the family secrets- there was a lot to this story and it kept me turning the pages. Even with a little longer length than I was used to, I really enjoyed it and got through it quickly.