Horror is usually not my genre but I tend to like everything by Grady Hendrix. I have mixed feelings about how many stars to give his latest. The writing and character development were phenomenal as I’ve come to expect. The premise and puppets were a little harder to swallow. 4 1/2 *

One of Hendrix's great strengths in writing is his ability to both horrify and entertain. While reading this book I was on the edge of my seat, afraid to turn the page; all the while chuckling here and there at his whip-smart talent for dialogue. The characters are thoughtfully written, and their development over the course of the novel is organic and raw. Family secrets have a way of eroding as they drip down. Can these two siblings put aside their differences and rebuild the trust that was lost, before it's too late?

Louise returns to her hometown after her parents die. She had forgotten about her mom's creepy doll and puppet collection. She does not get along with her younger brother Mark and they argue about selling the house and their inheritance. We learn about the terrible events that drove them apart. Soon they will be fighting for their lives in their childhood home when an evil presence makes itself known. This book has many creepy scenes and how the author turns an unbelievable toy into a terrifying villain is impressive. This is one of my favorite horror stories and I'll not soon forget Pupkin!

This book didn't end up being what I expected at all, but because Grady is such a thoughtful writer and reverent horror fan, it was still a fun, campy nailbiter. I really appreciated how wildly Mark swung in my esteem over the course of the book, and I think the family dynamics were as interesting as the scary stuff.

And I'm just gonna say it: Grady writes women better than any man writing horror, full stop. It's not like he deserves a cookie for portraying women as people or anything, but I do think it's worth highlighting that I'm never stressed that something misogynistic is gonna happen, or that the story will hinge on gendered violence. It's one element he doesn't borrow from 80's pulp horror, for which I am grateful.

To me, this book spiritually has more in common with My Best Friend's Exorcism and, to a lesser extent, Grady's other earlier books. Fans of Southern Book Club or Final Girl Support Group are, I think, going to find some of the absurdist mega-80s aspects of this book a little silly. But that's kind of what I love about it.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. This is my honest review:

How do you cope with grief? With incomprehensible loss? When a tragic accident takes the lives of her parents, Louise returns to South Carolina to deal with the fallout- the funeral, their wills, and inevitably, the selling of the house she grew up in. Complicating matters is her rocky relationship with her slacker of a younger brother, Mark, who insists on doing things his way. All Louise wants is to go home to her young daughter and forget this tragic nightmare. But as she sifts through the things left behind in her parents’ house, ghosts of the past come to the surface, threatening the life she has so carefully built and endangering everything she holds dear.

Horror is an outlet- taking our fears and amplifying them. When done well, it evokes an emotional response beyond simple terror- it holds a mirror to humanity. It can provide commentary. It can resonate with us. It can cause us to reflect. And yes—for many of us horror fans, it can provide that delightfully creepy and addictive hit of dopamine that causes us to linger just a little longer before turning the lights out.
Grady Hendrix has been steadily making a name for himself over the last decade. I have read every book he has put his name on, and while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the last few he wrote, this book felt like coming home. Hendrix so masterfully blends horror and humanity in his work- from themes of friendship to motherhood to trauma- and now, grief. In How to Sell a Haunted House, the scares are plentiful, but the heart of the story is about the acceptance of loss and the importance of confronting the past. And yes—there is a terrifying possessed puppet to boot.

Like all of Grady Hendrix’s books, there is an intrinsic fun campiness that is outshined only by his brilliant wit, storytelling, and the compassion he makes you feel for the characters. This is Hendrix at his best. The first time I’ve ever shed tears over a horror novel. This author is tearing down the genre’s walls and showing us that horror is so much more than jump scares and evil clowns. Grady Hendrix is a national treasure, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Don’t miss this book!

This was great-everything I like about Grady Hendrix’s storytelling! I hate puppets and dolls, so I found the whole premise to be completely creepy. I thought the dynamics between family were well thought out and I liked the entire roller coaster of the story. I never really know what I’m going to get with a Grady Hendrix tale, but I always love the humor, horror, and insanity that it inevitably contains. 4.5 stars

An adult brother and sister who can't stand each other want to sell their deceased parents' house. There's just one problem: the house is either haunted by a malevolent entity or someone or something connected to the house is possessed by a demon.

With his signature wit and his delight in the supernatural, Hendrix offers a frightening, yet entertaining novel for horror fans. Without giving away too much, here are three things to remember: Trilogy of Terror is one of the scariest movies ever, sometimes you have to take extraordinary measures when dealing with the supernatural, and puppets are creepy as hell.

Now this was an interesting ride.

I hadn’t been interested in an Grady Hendrix Novel for a bit, but this one feels like a Grady Hendrix at his horror loving best.

This book had all the things about Grady Hendrix is writing that I love: his ability to do real character development, his ability to tell the story of a family on several levels, and make you feel like you know the family dynamics that exist. His ability to make you understand a town and it’s dynamics is here in spades.

The other thing I really like about Grady Hendrix writing is that he is really not afraid to go there as a horror writer. There are jump scares and freak out moments and full on “I didn’t need to hear that or think that or see that ever again” moments.

This book however is much heavier on the different ways that siblings from the same parent said can I have a completely different perspectives in memories on their childhood. The relationship between Mark and Louise was totally interesting to me,

This book however is much heavier on the themes of families and the secrets that families keep, but also, most interestingly, in the different ways that siblings from the same parent said can I have completely different perspectives and memories on their childhood‘s. The relationship between Mark and Louise was totally interesting to me, from the beginning to the end.

This book is blessedly free of any issues of uncomfortable issues of race that we and white saviorism that we found in his previous blockbuster hit. I’m happy to say this is just a horror-filled romp with a ton of heart.

Now, let me say that this definitely is not for everyone. It is a scary book, and it had several things in it that had me staying up at night and literally wanting to put my Kindle into into the freezer. But it was a very very fast read and I enjoyed it all the way through.

It is very curious to me why this wasn’t released in early October instead of when it is apparently now going to be released in the third week of January 2023. Something must have gone wrong in the supply chain to make that happen because this is just the perfect book for fall reading.

I would highly recommend placing a pre-order with your in the bookstore and I would highly recommend once you receive it, tucking it away until October of next year. You will be in for the fright of your life.

As much as I love We Sold Our Souls, I think this might be Grady Hendrix’s best book yet. It’s a great mix of haunted house/ghost story and a look at the trauma of family secrets. It continues Hendrix’s tradition of aiming for both the spine and the heart - scaring you while making you care about these characters that he’s putting through hell. It certainly didn’t hurt that creepy puppets and dolls are high on my list of what scares me in a horror story. There are moments here I won’t ever forget, from Pupkin’s screams, to the puppet avalanche, to that “In the Hills, the Cities” style puppet golem. A great book.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. If you love campy 80's horror, you will love this book! This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! This had a haunted house, creepy dolls, puppets, possession and a good spooky time!! Grady Hendrix has a wonderful way of making horror spooky but still fun and enjoyable. Its not so overly intense that you need to sleep with the lights on. There are some parts in this book that are gross and will make you skin crawl but in the best horror way possible.
The only thing that I wished there was more of was an explanation on the death of two of the characters. I wish we would have gotten a clearer picture of exactly what happened to them,
However, overall it was completely enjoyable and I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to review this book!

OK Grady Hendrix, you got me. I was not expecting the turns this book took. Not the family drama, secrets, and certainly not the pull the sheets up to your chin horror. First, Louise and Mark are two siblings in a dysfunctional family. There relationship can not be worse. Neither are likeable or in the right. When their parents are killed unexpectedly in a horrific car crash, the decision to sell the house brings to the surface disturbing family history. Pupkin is the creepiest puppet ever. I kept turning pages and thinking OMG what is happening. This is a perfect book for the fall/spooky season.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the review copy. This is my honest review.

Oh man!!! This book is like an 80s horror movie in written words. I absolutely loved it. There’s just so much nostalgia in the pages and the story was great as well.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. What in the heck did I just read, Grady Hendrix! This was a total WTF book for me, suddenly I was 10 years old again watching the Puppet Master movies back in the late 80s/early 90s and as much as I hate puppets, I couldn't put this book down. When Louise and Mark's parents die, it is up to them to clean the house out, but will they be able to, something or someone is stopping them, with terrifying results. Is Pupkin, their mom's puppet really the cause of trouble? Cause of course a puppet could never be evil, right...?!

It was a good book, but I just really really hated Mark. I know that we were not supposed to like Mark, but I disliked him so much, that it kind of ruined the book for me. Other than Mark, it was a quality book.

To say siblings Louise and Mark have a dysfunctional relationship is an understatement so when they’re forced to clear out their deceased parents home nothing goes well. Neither want to deal with their moms collection of creepy dolls and puppets. Especially when they start to remember the hand puppet Pumkin and all he has done.

While I find Louise and Mark interactions unpalatable, the horrifying and scary scenes are written to perfection and I’ll never look at a doll or a puppet the same way. A thrilling and scary ride.

Who doesn't like some puppet terror mixed with family drama? It's a fun read, wacky and creepy. I'm sure it will be popular.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Okay Grady! This one was right up my alley since my grandma has a “doll room” at her house that always scared me as a child - never thought I’d be so terrified of puppets and dolls as an adult tho! Pupkin is truly the stuff of nightmares - I would love to see a rendering of how the author envisioned him bc he is messed up in my own brain…also in my head, Pupkin’s voice sounds like Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Truly chilling. So weird, so creepy, so perfect for Halloween!

5 we’ll deserved stars
This is Grady Hendrix best book to date! This is not an opinion, it’s a fact.
The family dynamics, the horror, the grief…all of it. I read this in one sitting in about 5-6 hours. I wish I could pick it up again for the first time.

I’m a big fan of Grady Hendrix, but not so keen on creepy dolls and puppets. Yikes! The conclusion of the story surprised me in a delightful way.

After checking NetGalley for this book every day for at least 2 months I finally got it! It was everything I wanted and more! Grady has not written a book i haven’t loved. I will be staff picking and recommending like crazy!