I actually think what’s going on here is that I really do not like most possession/exorcism stories. Despite loving the friendship aspects of My Best Friend’s Exorcism*, I had a hard time getting through that book and I like it the least of all Grady Hendrix’s stuff, and now I think I know why. The possession story arc mimics dysfunction, and the breakdown of familial relationships (often) or friendships is highly unpleasant to me. I also don’t get anything out of it. Starting about thirty pages in I just had the feeling of GET ME OUT OF HERE that is very common in real life for, but uncommon for me in fiction.
*Besides this book and that episode of Angel where it turns out the kid being possessed by the demon was already evil and was actually holding the demon hostage, this is my only experience of this type of story, so it makes sense I’m only realizing now that I don’t like it.
Since the book is the story of a fourteen year old girl being possessed, and her parents responding by becoming respectively, a religious zealot and a depressive alcoholic who sells out her daughter’s trauma to avoid financial ruin, there is actually a lot going on here. The POV character is Merry, who was eight at the the time of the events, and who is now telling us the story from her perspective fifteen years later. The reality TV aspect just made me feel nasty, though I know it’s there for a purpose. In another book, I could see this structure working really well for me, but as previously stated, I just wanted to be out of this book.
I’m giving this two stars because of my extreme dislike, but not one because it was a well-written book. Now I have to go read some outrageous fluff or something to get the feeling of this book out of my body.