272 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915 | 978-969-3460 | Store Hours: Sunday -Wednesday 9am - 6pm Thursday-Saturday 9-8
“Imagine returning to the hometown you couldn’t wait to leave, then staying in a haunted house while you’re there. Now imagine horror, humor, and entirely believable characters. Grady Hendrix does it best. I’m crazy about this book!”
— Robert Hawthorn, Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle's Children's Books, Mendocino, CA
This was my first Grady Hendrix book, and I can't WAIT to dive into his backlist... though I'm low-key worried I won't love anything as much as I love this one.
Outside of "ooh, a spooky house!" I went in completely blind. I had NO IDEA about the particulars, which heavily involve a thing that deeply unsettles me. I LOVE being scared... so I found this surprise delightful, even as I was cringing with dread. I don't want to say too much, in case I spoil it for folks who also love a good creep out.
How to Sell a Haunted House expertly tows the line between sleep-with-the-lights-on horror and over-the-top camp horror.
It is a slow burn, so if you are looking for scary action right from the get, look elsewhere. The really creepy stuff doesn't start happening until you've been given a really in-depth sense of who Mark and Louise (and their extended family) are as people. I was completely invested in their story, their frustrating rivalry, their weirdness. It made the story feel... heartbreakingly human. BUT when that scary shit starts, boyyyy it does NOT let up!
The way this book addresses insurmountable grief, generational trauma, loss, and acceptance is so beautiful and poignant. The last 30 or so pages had me openly weeping. It was a deeply cathartic cry, and never in my dreams did I think I'd have that from a book about fuckin' [REDACTED].
A tremendous achievement. I struggle to find a single flaw. - Jessie