I think the emotional core is actually pretty simple: it's an arc of rescue. One friend sees another drowning (again, metaphorically this time) and dives in after them, no matter how monstrous the water has become. Abby is the rescuer, Gretchen is the drowning victim.
The entire book's emotion is tied to the tension of that rescue: Will she reach her in time? Can she pull her out? Will the drowning person drag the rescuer under? It's a primal, archetypal arc that drives the feeling more than any complex character development.
The arc of responsibility is huge. Abby feels responsible for Gretchen because of the pool incident. The parents abdicate responsibility. The institutions (school, church) fail their responsibility.
The emotional core is the burden of that un-shouldered responsibility falling onto a teenager. Watching Abby, who shouldn't have to bear it, choose to bear it anyway is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The story asks who is responsible for saving someone, and answers with a powerful, 'Whoever is willing to step up.'
The emotional core isn't a single character's arc; it's the corrosion and restoration of the friendship itself. The arc is the relationship. You start with this pure, intense, 80s-bonded friendship, watch it get horrifically toxified and violated by the demon, and then cling to the hope for its painful, scarred recovery.
That's what hit me hardest. It's less about individual growth and more about whether something that beautiful can survive absolute corruption. The ending lands the way it does because of the relationship's arc, not just Gretchen being saved.
The emotional core is an arc of witnessing. Abby is the primary witness to Gretchen's destruction. A huge part of the horror is the helplessness of seeing someone you love change into something awful and being unable to make others see it.
Her emotional journey is that of a witness—from confusion, to denial, to horrified acceptance, to active testifying (through her actions). The book is about the burden and the necessity of seeing the truth clearly, even when it's monstrous, and speaking it.
2026-07-21 14:17:10
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Grady Hendrix's 'My Best Friend's Exorcism' is like a nostalgic trip to the '80s wrapped in a horror-comedy blanket. It follows Abby Rivers, a high school girl whose best friend, Gretchen, starts acting bizarrely after a terrifying incident in the woods. At first, Abby brushes it off as stress, but soon Gretchen’s behavior becomes downright demonic—think levitating, speaking in tongues, and tormenting their classmates. The heart of the story isn’t just the exorcism though; it’s Abby’s unwavering loyalty. She refuses to give up on Gretchen, even when everyone else, including adults, dismisses her concerns as teenage drama. The book balances spine-chilling moments with humor and a poignant exploration of friendship. It’s like 'The Exorcist' meets 'Stranger Things,' but with a killer mixtape vibe and a tear-jerking finale that’ll make you hug your bestie tighter.
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