Hendrix has been on the horror radar since his novel, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”, was released in 2016. Since then, he has also written two other horror heavy-hitters: “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires” (2020) and “The Final Girl Support Group” (2021). “How to Sell a Haunted House” was Hendrix’s 2023 release.
The 433 page novel follows single mother Louise after the untimely death of her parents. To get their affairs in order, Louise ends up away from her daughter and back in her hometown of Charleston with her estranged brother, Mark. Unfortunately, upon her arrival, trouble abounds. Not only are the siblings angry with each other, apparently their parent’s house in angry with them too. Louise and Mark must come together one last time to deal with their childhood trauma and cleanse the house (and themselves) of the one thing that seems to have caused it all…a hand puppet.
Though I’d heard of Grady Hendrix and his work before, it wasn’t until this particular book came out that I really considered reading something by him. Afterall, exorcisms and vampires and serial killers are good and all, but nothing really beats a classic haunted house horror. Throw in some unresolved personal trauma, and you’ve got a hit.
Hendrix weaves a tale rife with campy horror and just the right amount of meaningful emotion to balance it out. Anyone with a sibling knows they’re not always easy to get along with, especially when they are the favorite child. Hendrix manages to cover the inherent trauma that comes with being the oldest child, and does the same for the youngest by having chapters in both Louise’s and Mark’s perspective throughout the book.
And though “How to Sell a Haunted House” is nowhere close to being an official member of the grief-horror genre, it also handles that aspect relatively well. Everyone handles loss in a different way, and he makes a point to show this through all of his characters–yes, even the puppets. This does wonders for each character’s development in the novel, shining a light on their more realistic (and less exaggerated) characteristics.
Now, is this the scariest book I’ve ever read? No. But it’s probably the most fun you can have reading a horror without it being cringy. I can honestly say that each event that transpired felt a lot like a fever dream. Yet, instead of being confused and bewildered, Hendrix’s efficient and effective writing kept me invested and trying to figure out what could possibly happen next. If there’s one thing you choose to believe about this book, let it be this: it is the most original a book can be in 2024.
As someone who grew up reading “Goosebumps” by R. L. Stine, specifically the “Night of the Living Dummy” books, it’s easy to see the glaring similarities between the two. But while Hendrix may have struck a familiar chord with his puppets, I can’t say his leading antagonist, “Pupkin”, is even remotely similar to Stine’s “Slappy” (except for maybe the ridiculous names).
Not many authors can say they’ve crafted a (nearly) original haunted doll to terrorize the protagonists of their story, and I’m happy to report Henrix is one of the few. Pupkin is a force to be reckoned with, and I can promise his origin story is worth the wait to the final part.
If you like scary movies that some may call “campy” like “Scream” or “The Evil Dead”, this might be just the book you need to get into the horror genre of novels. Or, if you’re a horror genre veteran, don’t be afraid to pick up “How to Sell a Haunted House” either. The least you’ll get out of it is a good time.
