This was not what I was expecting at all. I did go into it blind though.

Louise gets a phone call from her estranged brother Mark letting her know that both parents have been killed in a car accident. She flies home to sort out funeral arrangements, the will, the house, etc.

Louise and Mark decide to sell the house so start to clear it out but things start to happen. Unexplained things, maybe the house is haunted? Or maybe it has something to do with the puppets and Dolls overtaking the house?

This was my first Grady Hendrix book and I really liked it. It went in a completely different direction than I thought.

https://lynns-books.com/2023/01/16/how-to-sell-a-haunted-house-by-grady-hendrix/
4 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Dysfunctional family and puppet hell

How toseela

This is only my second read by Grady Hendrix, so take what I say next with a pinch of salt, but I’m beginning to associate this author with the clear phrase ‘expect the unexpected’. With a title such as this, yes I expected apparitions and entities, I don’t think I ever quite considered evil puppets, possession, squirrels from hell and imaginary demon dogs that invisibly stalk the house. Sounds a bit crazy and to be honest, it is. This is your basic modern-style horror that manages to combine horror, mystery, mayhem, dysfunctional family dynamics brimming over with sibling rivalry and secrets buried long in the past and a chaos that spills over into dark humour.

When Louise receives an unexpected call from her estranged brother to say their parents have died in a terrible car crash she immediately makes her way back to the family home. When she arrives she’s in for a number of surprises, none of them pleasant. The attic has been nailed shut, the car accident seems a little suspicious, things keep going bump in the night, the house is unsaleable with it’s current bad vibes and brother and sister can’t agree on anything. And that’s only scratching the surface because things are about to get much worse.

I’m really trying not to give away too much about this book. I really enjoyed reading it, it’s strangely fun, it’s absolutely compelling, the characterisation is great. It’s a perfect demonstration of how there are two sides to every conversation and that memory can be a trickster. On top of this it’s a great look at families and the strange hierarchies that we perceive that are perhaps more imaginary than real. I also love the whole idea that we’re haunted by family both past and present.

One thing for sure I really enjoy this author’s style. He has a sort of tongue firmly planted in cheek way of writing that makes his horror funny even if it shouldn’t be and that makes me think he enjoys the writing as much as I enjoy the reading.

On the whole a wickedly imaginative story with a good dollop of horror and quite frankly the most atrociously creepy puppet ever.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Grady Hendrix never disappoints. The perfect mixture of unnerving horror, absolute absurdity and brilliant characterisation all taking place in a vividly immersive setting.

Wow what a read. So at first I was under the impression that both main characters were unreliable narrators and I didn’t know who to believe and found my feelings flip flopping between them. But do not be fooled this book is not what you expect. I feel like for the last half of the book I couldn’t breathe it was just one page after another of “what the heck is going to happen now?!?!”
The book keeps a nice pace throughout to give you a backstory but it really kicks it up a gear towards the last third. Brilliant read thank you netgalley.

What a wild ride.A book that brings a lot of emotions while reading.
The characters are so skilfully designed that one second you hate them and the next you feel sorry for them and again you don’t know what to say or who to believe in the end.
They take turns in telling their part of the story and so many secrets and hidden thoughts surface just to change the curse of the story again.
It’s a lot to take in in my opinion. A story about loss, memories, grief , trauma and anxiety, so many on and off decisions made. Will they sell the house or not? Why is Louise keeping so much not to sell it and then all of the sudden she wants . And the cards are reversed again. I must admit that I found it annoying at that point because I just wanted them to make up their mind. But I also understand how much we get so attached to memories and things that others find unnecessary.
It’s a great story that many readers will enjoy.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy
Will be posting this review on my blog pages this week

This was a highly anticipated read for me! My 3rd book from this author.

I liked how the start of the book built on the family dynamic and how the horror got added in.

Definitely recommend this gem!

Loved this book! Definitely a 5 star read for me. It gave me the goosebumps throughout.
Can’t wait to read more from Grady Hendrix in the future.

How To Sell a Haunted House has topped my list of tense, nerve-wracking and down right creepy books. It’s feels like an accumulation of famous horror movies, such as Annabelle and Chucky, with some dark-humour and family drama thrown into the mix. This book had me laughing at points, and being overwhelmingly terrified in others. There where also some surprisingly touching moments, mainly towards the end, that got me a little chocked up.

This story follows single mum Louise, who returns back to her childhood home after her parents untimely passing. She is tasked, alongside her estranged younger brother, with selling her parents house…a task which, lets put it this way, certainly isn’t easy. This book is split into sections, which very cleverly detail Louise’s journey through the five stages of grief. You read each section feeling like things can’t get much crazier, but holy fuck they do. I can’t really say to much without spoiling the book, but it is INSANE.

There is strong character development, with a brilliantly written plot. Hendrix has created a fantastic piece of modern horror, I highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Kakawewe!
I loved this book!

My first Grady Hendrix, and as fan of horror I went into this with fairly high hopes but zero preconceptions - and by Christ did it deliver.
There was so much to identify with in this novel. The sudden death of a parent. The estranged sibling relationship. Fear of dolls / puppets. Check, check check.
The creepy bits had me reaching for the lamp switch, and the imagination of Hendricks really translates into quite the trippy nightmarish read.
What really made this books for me though, was the dark humour throughout, in particular the dialogue between brother and sister. The humour really helps create some balance to the story in general and balances out some of the gorier details.

I highly recommend this.

But watch out for Pupkin. 🤡

As a huge fan of the Grady Hendrix books up to this one. My expectations were high. This book did not let me down.

The highly organised, self-motivated and independent Louise has to return to the hometown she was happy to leave behind. Her parents have died in a car accident and she has to work with her (as she sees it) spoiled, ne’er do well, slightly alcoholic brother to clear up their estate.

What ensues is an expertly crafted commentary on family tensions, miscommunications and bad behaviour, that spirals in a delightfully horrific turn of events spilling family secrets in a way that completely and wonderfully traumatises you.

I could not put this book down and devoured it in one sitting – with my heart in my mouth!

I've read a few of Grady's books now and I do find you either love them or loathe them (A bit like Marmite for those who know of the spread), he appeals to a certain sense of humour. For me this works in my favour as I am that person who will laugh when things aren't really funny (Funerals). Give me a black comedy horror any day!

With How To Sell A Haunted House my issue was that I disliked the two main characters, Louise and Mark (I really didn't care what happened to them and was rooting for the bad things!!). The only thing that kept me reading was the creepy dolls and of course Punkin (Did I also mention the Squirrel Nativity?|). There were many aspect of this book that had me laughing out loud, especially the funeral for Mark and Louises parents with the guests and puppets. I can just imagine mid way through people yielding their kazoos! I also loved the extended family of cousins etc and Louise being told repeatedly, 'Well your family is weird'. Who's isn't in this day and age, although I admit that theirs really was a bit strange. I've never really liked dolls, so did find this story a little creepy at times, but mostly it was humorous.

As with other books by Grady (Horrorstör springs to mind), there is a lot of information, sometimes repeated. It can feel repetitive. However, I tend to look at these books as if I were watching a movie as they feel very much like that. I could describe the characters, have a feel for them. My Best Friend's Exorcism is a classic example of that from book to film.

How To Sell A Haunted House is another good offering for those who are fans of Grady. I would also recommend it to those who like a horror/black comedy. I will add, even if you have read one of his books before and it didn't 'hit you were you wanted', give another a try. A solid 4 stars, sometimes not liking the main characters actually helps the story!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I only read this because it was a Grady Hendrix book, haunted creepy puppets isn't something that I would usually go for. But I really thought this book was fab. There's a creepy vibe right from the beginning and a sense of dread when Louise first enters her family home. And things just gradually built up until suddenly the action kicks off and BAM, it's like getting caught in a tornado with things flying at you one after the other. I really liked Louise as a protagonist and was rooting for her, and I loved Mark's growth as a character. And yes, despite Pupkin being a puppet I grew to hate him and was desperate for him to be killed!
I never thought I'd get so invested in this story but I definitely did. It's a credit to Hendrix's writing style and skills that he is able to pull readers into the story so much they start to feel the emotions of the characters.

I’m sure we all have a handful of authors who are go to’s. You know when a new novel is coming out. You read everything they put out. Grady Hendrix is one of mine. Even if I didn’t love one (or two 😅) of his releases, I know I’m in for a good time.

I think How to Sell a Haunted House is my new favourite of his books.

After the tragic death of their parents, Louise and her estranged brother Mark need to sell their family home. Filled to the brim with memories… and puppets they can’t come together with how to get it done. Mark wants to dump it all. Louise wants to preserve their parents favourite things. The puppets have an idea of their own. Chaos ensues.

This book is unhinged. I encourage you to go into this one as blind as possible. You will think you know where this book is going, and I assure you: there is NO FUCKING WAY you do.

I got very emotionally attached to these characters, I was so angry and sad and frustrated with what was happening to them. Having dealt with the loss of my grandmother last year, and working with my family to split up her life’s belongings, this story just hit me deeply.

And in true Grady fashion this book is just so relentlessly funny. At first I thought this book might be too goofy for me, because puppets are truly goofy shit, but by the time we get to Mark’s story I was fully on board with the life of puppets and their capacity for pure unadulterated evil.

Thank you so much to Titan Books and NetGalley for an arc of this title.

This book is very spooky and delves into what makes a family, and is instantly relatable to everyone because every family has eccentricities and their own little culture that nobody else understands. The relationship between the main character and her brother was well written and many-layered, there is often no correct person in each conflict they have and you can understand why they each feel about each other the way they do.

The story is well layered too, at all times you never quite know if your narrators are reliable and if what you're reading is real or not. It's truly spooky and I will think twice the next time I see any dolls, puppets or masks. I think it would make a great movie.

I did however feel like the book was slightly too long.

Thanks to Netgalley and Titan books for this ACE.

It's been a long time since I've read a really good horror story. What starts off fairly mild, gets dark pretty quick, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see the action unfold. I've always found dolls and puppets creepy, and this book compounded that and then some! Brilliantly written with great descriptions and on the edge of your seat suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Put real puppets in a church and they’d burn it down. Puppets unleash anarchy.”

This was really camp. It could have been perfect if there was more horror-comedy and less exposition. There were some great moments in here that left me really touched or amused. I especially loved the themes of grief and generational trauma as well as the puppets as a metaphor (what? is this sentence?). But the premise of this novel isn’t original, and there are some noticeable flaws in the execution. The fact that the story took a hundred pages to get going didn’t help either. I’d recommend this, sure, but it’s a slower and nicher literary fiction-horror hybrid that’s less bingeable than you would expect from Hendrix.

This is a book that can be truly terryfying, simply creepy, histerically funny and poignant. I had fun, I felt for the characters, I laughed, and had to stop reading as it was nigh time and I was a reading a pure and unadulterated horror part.
I love Grady Hendrix as he can mix different genres, moods and always keeps you on the edge but you never know if you're going to laugh or be terrified in the next pages.
I love the titles of his books as their always very creative and funny.
How to Sell a Haunted House is Grady Hendrix at his best: a master storyteller that plays with emotions, characters, and horror tropes creating something unique.
Read it, I'm sure you will love it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the Titan Books for this arc, all opinions are mine

I've always wanted to read a book by Grady Hendrix, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest on NetGalley. However, I do now wish that I had read something else by him beforehand, as I think this would have better prepared me for what was to come!

How To Sell A Haunted House is bonkers. Just like the riot of a House of Horrors ride, it fills you with fear, dulls in places, and then you are hit with the most bizarre twists and turns, as you exit the building in complete bewilderment, manically laughing with nerves.

The story is as you would expect it to be for the first 40% with family confrontations, emotional memories, and strange goings-on in an already creepy house. And then things go really go off the rails.

I was expecting a haunted house, but I wasn't expecting what haunted it. It's creepy, it's adrenaline-pumping, and it's sure to give many readers heart palpitations. But while I like scary, I just found this far too crazy. I think it's supposed to make you laugh with how chaotic it is, but that's just left me not knowing what to think.

I don't know if I loved this or hated it. My mind is frazzled, but I think that's a good thing. To come away from a horror underwhelmed would be the worst outcome, so to come away from it absolutely gobsmacked, I think I have to appreciate it for that!

I really don't know if people are going to love this or hate it, but I can't wait to see others' reactions!

What did I just read?! This was one of the wildest rides I have ever experienced in the literary world! I am a big fan of Grady Hendrix anyway, but this time he really went all out.

This book is perfect for anyone who likes a traditional - but terrifying - horror trope. It's so very creepy, but the horror is expertly weaved with dark comedy. Some of the scenes were brilliantly bizarre, particularly the funeral, and I couldn't pull myself away from the 'show'. Where this book really shines, though, is in it's depiction of an estranged and tense brother-sister relationship: the bickering and oneupmanship between these siblings was so well brought to life. Their moments of grief were also really well-rendered, which is something I love about Hendrix's writing. He is so skilled at creating realistic and fully dimensional characters, and highlighting the humanness of them, even within the most chaotic of environments!

This book was fun, hilarious, terrifying, atmospheric and moving - all in equal measure. I enjoyed the experience of reading it completely.

Plot:
Siblings Louise and Mark are forced to return to their childhood home after the passing of their parents. Creepy Dolls, an attic nailed shut, the tv turning on by itself, a foreboding feeling, a painful childhood. Coming home is going to be one hell of a time for these siblings.

Thoughts:
From the very beginning Grady creates this uncomfortable atmosphere, the way he writes about grief and the uncomfortable situations that arise when a family members dies is truly so realistic.

I had an idea of what to expect of this novel (the title being How To Sell A Haunted House) but my expectations were not only met but exceeded what I was even hoping for.

The horror elements were done brilliantly and I felt this was Grady’s most horrifying work yet. From creepy puppets, to childhood trauma, horror takes many forms in this novel and I think Grady has gone for a different style of horror in this one then he normally does. I especially enjoyed exploring this troubled childhood the main characters had and having this uncomfortable feeling. However the main star of the show is Pumpkin. A creepy, terrifying puppet, something I didn’t think I was afraid of, but something I now am terrifying of seeing in real life.

I also felt his character work had improved a lot, as normally the characters in his other works felt a bit underdeveloped at times, but with How To Sell I feel he got us connected to these characters by exploring their childhood/trauma/past and it made them feel more real and relatable to the reader.

Overall this novel is Grady’s best in my opinion, I loved everything about it. The characters were relatable and fleshed out to make reading about them enjoyable. The horror was subtle and slow at first, that made for an uncomfortable read, but then goes all out by the final act in some truly horrifying moments.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for an early copy to review.