How To Sell A Haunted House | Grady Hendrix Horror Review
How To Sell A Haunted House
I have got to admit that this is one of the strangest horror books I think I have ever read! This novel was recommended to me by my local librarian; I knew nothing about it except for the rather obvious fact that it was about a haunted house. Boy, was I ever in for a surprise when I started reading!
How To Sell A Haunted House tells the story of Louise, a single mother living in California who is forced back into the company of her brother and kooky extended family when her parents die in a car crash. They need to work together to sell the house, and all her parents bizarre belongings, but there is something at play in the house that has other ideas…
From the start I loved the punchy way in which Grady writes. It was fresh and pulpy, like something I haven’t seen since I read my father’s comics and old 70’s horror paperbacks when I was a teenager. The horror in this novel is described so vividly and so perfectly that it feels real, despite it being rather obviously far-fetched. I could feel that Grady wasn’t taking himself overtly seriously through the very pages of the book and this made me enjoy this rumpus novel even more!
The horror depicted is quite gruesome in places, almost Terrifier-esque, but in others it is absolutely laugh-out-loud amusing and I think this is a beautiful testament to Grady’s range as a writer. Never was I quite too horrified to continue, nor laughing too hard to be scared, so even though this is a lengthy novel, I fell through it at a hurtling pace.
The character of Louise also helps move the story in the right direction. She is very realistically portrayed, her reactions sensible, despite the chaos, and there are tender moments that make readers fall for her even more. I do sometimes get frustrated when authors use female protagnonsts to create depth to the story, especially where emotion is needed, but Louise was very balance and I felt it was right that she was at the centre.
Finally, I must point out the rock and pulp references; I think by now we all know how much I love real-life references in a novel! These were perfectly placed little Easter Eggs that only spurred my reading forward.
Overall, this is an excellent novel that takes the inspiration of Shirley Jackson and Chucky and creates something wonderfully unique and excellently executed. It’s a strange novel, and will not be everyone’s cup of tea. But for a horror fan, a true horror fan, this should be the perfect thing for you. I would rate this 9/10 and cannot wait to read more of Grady’s work.
Grady Hendrix is the author of the novels Horrorstör, about a haunted IKEA, and My Best Friend's Exorcism, which is like Beaches meets The Exorcist, only it's set in the Eighties. He's also the author of We Sold Our Souls, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, and the upcoming (July 13!) Final Girl Support Group!
He's also the jerk behind the Stoker award-winning Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the 70's and 80's horror paperback boom, which contains more information about Nazi leprechauns, killer babies, and evil cats than you probably need.
And he's the screenwriter behind Mohawk, which is probably the only horror movie about the War of 1812 and Satanic Panic.
You can listen to free, amazing, and did I mention free podcasts of his fiction on Pseudopod. He also does a podcast called Super Scary Haunted Homeschool.
