An off the wall story filled with both humour and horror! This was my first Grady Hendrix title and I'm keen to explore more. Great sense of foreboding keeping the reader gripped until the final pages.

Let me tell you this in no uncertain terms, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was like a tick list of all the horror that I love. Fantastically camp, deliciously creepy and all wrapped up in an unhinged package of madness. I had the best time listening to this audiobook, so much so I will have to buy a physical copy for my trophy favourite shelf. The sibling relationship was so fantastically described and cut near to the bone with my own experiences in places. The journey of grief and the absolute chokehold it has on you and your decision making ability was superbly crafted. But most of all this was a wild hot riot of craziness with spooky puppets, imaginary friends and whole host of unravelling secrets and twists along the way. Definitely up there with TSBCGTSV as my favourite Grady Hendrix.

A spooky story which loved listening to. I’ve read other books but the author but this was my first time experiencing it through an audio medium and enjoyed it. A few gasp out loud moments and times I was hiding behind a pillow! Trigger warnings though for anyone with a thing against creepy puppets!

I went into this book with an open mind after seeing it all over social media, and I have to say it isn't what I expected! I listen to audiobooks at night, and this one had me sleeping with the light on, despite the fact that some creepy music or sound effects would have greatly enhanced the experience. I used to collect porcelain dolls as a child, and listening to this audiobook made me wonder how I ever slept in my bedroom with them! I found myself getting quite emotional at times, which I didn't expect from a horror novel, but this book emphasises how we must confront our past experiences and trauma in order to move on with our lives. Overall, this was a spine-chilling, gruesome, gory, creepy, mysterious, hard-hitting, and humorous book.

First of all I would like to thank W.F Howes LTD for such a fantastic audio book ,I also read the physical copy along with the audio.

How do I start this review wow!! Creepy dolls ,creepy house , love and lose . This book had me feeling so many different emotions from feeling the lose that the characters was feeling ,to feeling freaked out, scared, angry and sad and everything in between. I have loved Grady books for some time now and he never fails to amaze me . I love grady can draw you into his incredible chilling world and keep you captivated , .grady definitely had me so invested in this story it was hard to put down I needed to know what was going to happen next. . I also loved how it wasn't just based around the horror of the story but also teaching you about grief or lose should I say how it can bring others together in the most crazy of ways . This story can really do a one eighty on you which I really enjoyed .

The main character louies and Mark which are brother and sister both pretty stubborn and siblings can butt heads they did for sure . As they lose there parents which it was a very emotional journey for them both yet at tomes I wanted to bang there heads together . And at other times I was running with them and at times shouting get the hell out of there !! You do see how the grow so much closer together even with everything they Went through. .

The writing was incredible as ever and the Narrators of the audio book was absolutely fantastic it really helped to tell the story Like you were there with the characters The whole time. And when I would turn off at night time I would start looking over my shoulder thinking At times I found laughing to myself carla you mad . But it really did make my spine tingle. Oh and before I forget the PLOT TWISTS Oh my gosh they were absolutely phenomenal I don't want, I don't want to have to give air So now you're gonna have to go and read it for yourself Hope you don't come across some spooky dolls lol .

I'm rating this book 5 creepy stars 🌟

Louise and Mark have never been close as siblings, but when their parents die in an accident they are left to bicker over the wills, the house and their mother’s artworks. Whilst preparing the house for an estate agent they notice more and more odd things happening. Each thinks the other is setting up weird things in the house on purpose to scare them, but soon it becomes clear that, that is not the case and darker forces are at work.

A truly creepy tale which gave me goosebumps, I love how well the characters are written and their relationships are very believable. The horror elements are excellently done, with building suspense, which leaves you with a true sense of unease. Absolutely horrifying in places with masterful, uncanny storytelling, every time I thought it was going to be over, a new gruesome twist arised. Amazing!

The narrators were both excellent and conveyed the personalities well. The main narrator did an amazing job of character voicing a wide range of people and building tension.

Wow this book!
I should preface this by saying that I am not a horror reader, I also don't watch horror films or consume any horror media. So, take my opinions with a pinch of salt.

I liked the start of this, with the death of the parents and the family dynamics. The puppets were creepy AF and this part I enjoyed. Then we hit the next part and things got WILD!

The demonic puppets were creepy, but slightly illogical- if Pupkin has possessed so many people, why did no one say, 'yeah, that puppet is evil bro, lets not give it to my child.'
As the body count mounted, I started to find this more and more ridiculous. To me, this seemed like Chucky meets Scary Movie- almost a horror spoof rather than an actual horror.

I'm glad I read it, it is fun and campy, but I'm not sure I'll be reading much more Grady Hendrix.

This new horror-comedy comes from the award-winning master of the genre, and doesn’t disappoint. If you’ve read The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Horrorstör and Hendrix’s other works and podcasts, then you know what to expect! This unnerving and hysterically crazy novel is ideal for audiobook.. especially when narrated by Jay and Mikhaila Aaseng whose styles express the tone perfectly.

Tense and jumpy, this book scoots all over the place when the protagonists explore what has happened in the past whilst trying to make sense of the present. A really clever narrative takes us on a journey, and with no spoilers, there are some wonderfully gory scenes as well as downright creepy and nutty horror.

I absolutely recommend this for an addictive and unputdownable (or extended drive!) listen.

My listening experience in emojis was something like this

😁😲😵🫢😂😷😂🫣😂🫣😂

Usually a massive Grady Hendrix fan, I was disappointed by this one. The freshness and originality of his other books was lacking; the dispute over the will and the creepy puppets felt tired, which didn't set the book off on a positive foot. The writing was brilliant as always though, with some really enjoyable passages and turns of phrase. The pacing picked up towards the middle and I did really enjoy the end, I just felt like the characters were caricatures and the plot was quite predictable.

I think this was a really good audiobook - it took me a while to get into but i couldnt stop listening. I did find it a bit repetitive in places and didnt like the voice at first but after a couple of hours i was stuck in

“puppet is a possession that possesses the possessor.”

Honest review as I received a free copy from Netgalley not long after buying a hard cover copy for myself.

This was my first Grady Hendrix read and I wasn't disappointed. I'm a huge horror fan and while I lean more towards the serious psychological and gore tropes, I'm not adverse to the campy side of the genre. Child's Play, Leprechaun and Shaun of the Dead all hold a special place in my black heart.

Hendrix's 'How to Sell a Haunted House' fit right into the theatrical style of the category for me – not just because it was filled with creepy marionettes. It's funny at times and while does deal with serious themes of loss and grief that isn't the most prominent subject. This is after all, a haunted house story.

When Louise and Mark find their parents tragically killed in a road traffic accident they squabble over old hurts and past remarks while trying to sell the family property. Each their own person, they soon find they had more in common than they thought when their mothers puppet collection reveals its been silently waiting for its time to shine and be loved once again, led by their mothers personal favourite - Pupkin.

This was a fun haunting story with intertwined elements from different horror sub genres. Classic possession, curses, creepy dolls and some gore.

My one issue with this story was its length. I did feel the story dragging in parts that probably could have been cut or at least events could have been told in quicker succession - I don't need my hand held through every scene, but that's just me.

Overall this was a 4 ⭐ read for me!

Now we all know I LOVE an audiobook generally but there’s just something about horrors and thrillers that always calls out to me. That feeling of being on the edge of your seat, not being able to turn off, for fear of what will be waiting for you when you do. Well Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House delivers this in spades, it is creepy as heck throughout with a hearty dose of funny too.

I enjoy horrors that don’t take themselves to seriously, think back to the golden era of 90s teen slasher films and you’ll know exactly what I mean, or Cabin in the Woods is the perfect example. This story is up there with those, with its horrible little demented puppet ‘Pupkin’ pulling the strings (LOL) throughout. It would make an AMAZING film and it’s a super fun listen on audio too, the story lends itself so well. The narrator Mikhaila Aaseng gets the tone exactly right and hits the perfect mix of humorous whilst still keeping it pretty scary. I also loved that her brother Jay took over for some chapters, how cool to have an actual sibling duo narrate a book told from the perspective of a brother and sister. That added a nice and unique touch for sure and made it feel so much more authentic.

I was very glad to find there was no graphic animal death in this one (I’m not here for that) but just good old fashioned, Chucky meets The Haunting style hijinks. I will say as well that the ending took me by pleasant surprise, and I actually found it quite sad and sincere compared to the rest of the story. So, given that, it really is a ride for the emotions but with a satisfying conclusion, which is something that so many horrors lack.

It goes without saying I’d definitely recommend this one, especially to anyone who hasn’t listened to any horror yet. Grady Hendrix is a brilliant author to make inroads with, and Mikhaila Aaseng is an excellent narrator. All of the stars from me!

A very gripping horror novel, and an engaging narration in the audiobook. The Popkin voice was incredibly creepy, props to the narrator for her portrayal of the haunted puppet!
Grady Hendrix always gets the balance just right in his horror novels between creepy and shocking events and character development and their relationships.
A great haunted house novel with a dash of complex and dysfunctional family dynamics and realistically flawed main characters

I would not call this book scary but it's definitely entertaining!

This author clearly has a knack for writing creepy stories with a funny tint to them.

The build up, in my humble opinion, was quite slow and yes I almost dnf’ed it and maybe I should have, since I didn't end up enjoying it that much anyway.

Reading this book made me realise that watching a movie about killer puppets is right up my alley, reading about them, definitely not for me.

I'm sure so many people will love this book, it just wasn't my cup of tea :)

Louise returns to Charleston after her parents sudden death to sell her childhood home, with the help of her useless brother Mark. Louise doesn't want the hassle - especially having to sort out piles of her father's academic paperwork and a houseful of her mother's creepy dolls and puppets. As soon as she arrives, something doesn't feel right. Louise knows that it will take more than new paint to get the house on the market. Some houses don't want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them...

As an avid Grady Hendrix reader, I couldn't wait to read this as soon as I heard about its release. This story is utterly creepy and bizarre. At times I found it hilarious, maybe listening to it was funnier than reading it. If you fancy something wierd and wonderful then pick this one up!

Exceptional and just what you would expect from Hendrix. 3njoy3d their work so much from initially listening to Horrorstor first. Excellent plot, great characters, catchy and enthralling. 5 star from me

Campy, over the top, fun horror story about two siblings figuring out what to do with their parents house after they unexpectedly pass. The only catch? The house is haunted by possessed puppets!

This was so much fun! My favourite Grady Hendrix book thus far!

Having read a couple of Hendrix in the past, I was not surprised I enjoyed this one. In classic Hendrix style, he provides a 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 horror which grips the reader from the start and takes them on a bumpy ride🎢 .

Just to note, when I say thrilling, I mean thrilling.. because this book has 𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤! I experienced goosebumps in certain parts and I can’t say a book has ever done that to me before. Safe to say, I don’t want a ‘Pupkin’ in my house anytime soon.

Having read this book via audiobook for the listenalong, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. The narrator was easy to follow and allowed me to picture the story with ease. This has me in thinking 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 audiobooks are for sure a future option! 🎧

Reading along with the group made this book all the more enjoyable as there were so many discussion points! You should consider this as a potential buddy read pick for sure!✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

General Thoughts 🤔

Full disclosure, this isn’t going to be a glowing review like I was hoping it was going to be. Unfortunately this book and I were not meant to be and we did not get along. I spent the majority of the time I was listening feeling very confused and not knowing if I was supposed to be laughing or if it was supposed to be scary.

Some of the people on the listenalong were feeding back that they were scared but I genuinely thought that it was so bizarre and so strange that it wasn’t scary at all. However I can also appreciate that this can be quite a personal thing. Some people are frightened by super natural whereas real life scares me so much more.

Characters 👫👭👬

Because I was so confused and put off by the story, I didn’t strike up a relationship with any of the characters either. There was promise to start off with and I thought that maybe there would be some interesting sibling rivalry between Louise and Mark. However I got completely distracted once the crazy started and the two of them continuously annoyed me.

Writing Style ✍️

I wasn’t completely offended by the writing style. There were no serious red flags with the tone of the structure of the book. It was the plot that I didn’t get along with. I would potentially be interested in reading another book by this author to see how I find it.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I don’t know if it’s horror that isn’t for me or if it was this particular horror book, but I didn’t have a great time listening to this book. I was really confused about what I was supposed to be feeling and I found myself laughing at as opposed to with on many occasions. There were lots of people on the listenalong who loved this book, so I am concluding that this is 100% a personal preference. I’m happy that this book is being so well received by others, but I’m sad to say that it was a no from me.

4.5* rounded up!

First things first, let's just say that as my first Grady Hendrix novel this absolutely did not dissapoint!.. what a tremendously horrific, creepy little book 😵‍💫 as a little girl I was absolutely terrified of my Grandads Clown/Puppet collection - and this book has just 100% reaffirmed my fears of those gnarly, creep AF vile little creatures 😂