Book #23 - Grady Hendrix - How to Sell A Haunted House Reviews

 How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix is the perfect mix of dark humor, creepiness, and suspense. I found myself flying through this book, I couldn’t put it down. 

Louise unexpectedly must return home to Charleston after her parents tragically die in a car accident. She meets up with her estranged brother at their childhood home to get it ready to go on the market. Strange, skin crawling incidents begin to occur. Is Louise sleep deprived? Stressed? Or is this really happening? 

 

Fans of The Poltergeist and Stephen King movies/books will love this story. I would love to see it made into a movie or scripted series! 

 - Bailey Sickeler

What happens to a brother and sister who have a strained relationship when both parents die suddenly together?  Will their relationship become mended, or stay broken?  When the siblings find out from the reading of their parents will that one gets nothing except for haunted puppets that were created by their mom and the other gets everything else, will they learn to live peacefully together, or will they be forced to face what happened in their youth in order to mend their relationship?  Read ‘How to Sell a Haunted House’ to find out what happens to Louise and Mark on their journey of trying to sell their deceased parents haunted house. 

- Heather Petish

I’ll be honest, scary movies and books have never been super appealing to me, but in the past few years, I’ve found that I really do enjoy getting spooked every once in a while. It’s not unusual now for me to watch a scary movie (during the day, with the lights on of course) or open up a thriller or suspense novel.  However true that may be, I was not prepared for the journey that How To Sell A Haunted House would take me on. This book went beyond my expectations in so many ways!

The start of the book was pretty uneventful, almost boring.  But by the time I was just a few chapters in, I was begging for less events and details, because I was getting seriously creeped out.  Dolls in general don’t scare me.  I’m a child of the 80’s, and like many girls my age I collected American Girl dolls, and now my own daughter does the same.  But it’s the porcelain dolls that really creep me out.  The ones with the blank stares and unblinking eyes.  So when those were introduced in the beginning of the story, I knew it was only going to get worse.  And by worse I mean better and more creepy. Puppets I’m usually okay with too….but the description of Pupkin….and that voice…I have nightmares about that voice….and though I’ve never seen the movie Saw (too much blood for my taste), I do know what that puppet looks like, and that’s how I view Pupkin.  Which is incredibly terrifying.  

The plot and setting of the book was fantastic. Since I already know some of the lore in Charleston, and how ghosts are not only part of its past, but present as well, it was the perfect place for the story to be set. The characters and character development was perfectly paced.  Having an annoying brother that I’m not super close to myself, I instantly felt connected to Louise, and her dislike of Mark.  I loved seeing how their annoyance grew, and it really added to the story.  However, I feel that one of my favorite parts of the book was when we got to hear Mark’s history with Pupkin, which while some may think is a little over the top, I think it was just what the story needed to really convey just how influential Pupkin could be.

I don’t want to put any spoilers, but I will say that there was one part where I definitely think the story could have ended, and I would have been perfectly satisfied as a reader.  I love cliffhanger endings, but only when they really work, and this novel is one of those cases.  That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy how much further the story went, and the ending that was given was equally as satisfying.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to curl up with my teddy bear and hide from all my daughter’s dolls.

- Brook Tindale

 

 

Horror fans might come to Grady Hendrix’s latest book for the delicious

creepiness of demonic puppets and a house filled with dead-eyed dolls. Make no

mistake, there are thrilling horror moments. But, wait. There’s more. Hendrix is

offering more than the fun of a haunted house (and this book is fun. The

Velveteen Rabbit discussion alone is worth picking up this book). Like Poe’s House

of Usher, this haunted house is not merely literal. Hendrix is working, skillfully, on

more than one level. This is a horror novel with emotional depth. The framework

of two siblings having to clean out their family home works so well. Hendrix puts

his readers into this house. And this house is a major character. I know this

house. I’m thinking all readers have been in this house - or one very much like it.

Only a writer who really knows his craft knows which details to include which so

perfectly give you a family’s history. Hendrix doesn’t have to explain with lengthy

expositions on who Mom was, on who Dad was. It’s all right there, in the house.

The same is true for the sister and brother. Count me as a reader who appreciates

a writer who knows how to create a haunted house that is so much more than

creaking stairs and bumps in the attic. Hendrix knows how to scare us beyond his

grinning puppet (and this puppet IS scary). Plus, the dark wit in this book. Yes, it’s

delicious, also. Treat yourself. Read this book.

- Phyllis Martin Tallent 

Aren’t all haunted house stories really about family secrets?

I thought I was reading a ghost story, but Grady Hendrix has managed to pull reflections from me to haunt me first. This story is as much about generational trauma as it is about a haunted home.

Being a high achiever and still being ‘second’ in the family to a lost but lauded brother, I immediately related with Louise. I, too, have a brother who manages to suck all the air and energy out of the room, even when he’s not there. Talk about haunted. But just like with me and my brother, there's two sides to this story of sibling resentment, and nobody sees how the puzzle pieces fit together until they actually sit down together and look at them.

As Grady draws us in, we meet the Joyner family in flashbacks and present day, and all the resentments and repression they’ve been holding. This story isn’t just about the haunting of things not said or remembered, so soon the dolls and stuffed animals and taxidermy squirrels start to move. It was at about this point that I called my mom and pushed her into reading this book, too; a real mother-daughter bonding moment. I may have even tried to convince her to pull out the creepy dolls her sister sent her years ago to ‘get in the mood’. 

I know to expect a wild ride with Hendrix, but it’s his little details pulled together along with the story that bring his action to tempo. I’m not sure I needed to imagine what taxidermy squirrels clawing at my stomach feel like, or feel my heartbeat raise at the thought of being chased by a puppet, but I certainly felt that right along with Louise. 

If you are like me, and you aren’t super crazy about puppets, reader beware, because this book is haunted by one creepy puppet. Imagine a ghost with the full wrath of an angry 5 year old, put some fabric and a creepy clown face on him, and you’ll meet Pupkin the homicidal puppet. He can move on his own and possess people, and even command an imaginary dog, so watch out because he’s certainly watching you behind the pages. Kakawewe!

And for you parents, if you thought just getting your non-possessed child through TSA was a hell, Grady has a special nightmarish scene just for you.

What a legacy for Louise’s mother to leave behind to her children, and a good reminder to us all to consider not leaving things undone for others to clean up. The moral of this story seems to be that nothing stays buried forever unless you actually put it to rest. 

For me, I think I’ll be encouraging my mom to maybe give those creepy dolls away sooner than later. I’m not so sure my brother and I could face our parents’ haunted home together and only lose an arm.

- Jessie Tallent 

To start I have to say, this was a wild ride and I loved it. From the start of the book, I knew Grady was going to take us somewhere creepy and I couldn’t wait to see just where that was going to be…

 

Louise is heartbroken to find out both of her parents died in a car accident. She’s also horrified that her brother, Mark, who she’s estranged from - didn’t call her until the next day. Could you imagine? Here they are after years of disagreement having to come together to sell this “haunted house”. 

Strange, unexplainable things start occurring, and Louise and Mark soon realize that the house is haunted…by a puppet (Pupkin) and dolls that their mom made, including a nativity squirrel scene. As we slowly start to realize it’s because of years of generational trauma that cannot be undone quickly.

 

This is even more reason, my one day children won’t have dolls or PUPPETs now in the house. If you want a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, this one is for sure for you. Check it out when it’s released January 17^th. Thank you to Grady and his publishers for giving Shelf Indulgence Book Club and early peak. 

 

Brittany Petish