Kristin's Bookshelf

📖 How to Sell a Haunted House
✍️ Grady Hendrix
🎙️ Jay Aaseng & Mikhaila Aaseng
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not gonna lie, I REALLY struggled with my rating for this one. I spent more than half the book wondering if it was going to become a DNF… and then, seemingly out of nowhere, IT DELIVERED.

I appreciate a slow burn and character development as much as the next person, but this dragged for me in the beginning. I kept thinking, “Can we PLEASE get to the horror already?!” My turning point was “Pizza Chinese Night,” when I finally got the glimpses into the past I’d been waiting for. By the time Spider and Pupkin showed up? I was ALL IN.

The narration followed a similar trajectory for me. I wasn’t completely invested at first, but once the tension skyrocketed, the performances rose right along with it. And Pupkin’s voice?! Creepy perfection. I was simultaneously delighted and deeply uncomfortable. 😂

And this book DEFINITELY tops my terrifying scale. Louise’s 5-year-old daughter falling victim to Pupkin? NOPE. Absolutely not. And it turns out there are very few things more horrifying than a Puppet Ministry coming to life. Who knew?!

I also related so strongly to Louise. She’s the one who, at least in her own mind, is doing everything right, yet somehow still feels like the odd one out in her family. The forgotten one. The one who isn’t bragged about or talked about.

That’s me. Hi! It’s me. 👋😂

I don’t want to give too much away, but this “possessed hand-puppet” tale is NOT for the faint of heart. We’ve got grief manifesting in some seriously strange ways, estranged siblings, imaginary friends, family secrets, a stump of an arm, religious aunties well-versed in expelling demons and ghosts… THERE IS JUST SO MUCH.

I genuinely wasn’t sure I was going to finish this one, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Once it got going, IT GOT GOING.

Pupkin, please stay out of my dreams. Thanks. 😬