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Sign up todayHow to Sell a Haunted House
Length
12 hours 59 minutes
Language
English
Narrators
Jay Aaseng & Mikhaila Aaseng
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
Learn moreBookseller recommendation
“Have you ever wished the Chucky movies were scarier? Do you love reading about family trauma and family drama? Are you a fan of Haunted Dolls? Wow, do I have a book for you. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say this: Pupkin is one of the most unsettling characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and Grady Hendrix got a full-body reaction out of me with ONE WORD in this book. Like Horrorstor, this is a book that is so much scarier than you think it’s going to be, but it also tackles some really nuanced issues like grief and familial relationships and guilt. I love this book and I can’t wait for you all to read it.”
— Ryan • Gibson's Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“If formerly inanimate objects suddenly coming to life with a rage-fueled bloodlust isn't your thing, then you might want to put this book down. For those of us who enjoy the horrific fantasy of something watching your every move or possessive, malicious spirits, this book is just the thing for you! Following the story of two siblings reeling over the deaths of both of their parents as they begin cleaning out their house, this book is liable to shock, disgust, anger, and terrify even the most stalwart of readers. ”
— Lambie • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“When Louise gets the news that her parents have died, she doesn't want to go home to deal with the rest of her family, especially her brother Mark. What's even worse is that habitually unemployed Mark inherits everything, except for their mother's Christian ministry puppets. Now, the two siblings have to team up to sell their parents' house while figuring out what to do with all the creepy dolls. Fans of R.L. Stine's Night of the Living Dummy will enjoy this tense, dark comedy/horror novel that explores family trauma and it's physical manifestation in past, current and future generations. It's the perfect book to get in the mood for Spooky Szn. ”
— Roxy • Dog-Eared Books
Bookseller recommendation
“The best haunted house story is entrenched in family regrets, trauma, memories, and gleefully corrupted childhood monoliths. Hendrix does all of this with heart-stopping fear, love and loss, and so, so many puppets. Think Annabeth meets Chucky with a sprinkle of every campy 80s horror movie you loved as a kid. Whimsical horror, dark comedy and gruesomely visceral details. There is no better haunted house book.”
— Emma • Quail Ridge Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Remember that feeling of staying up late, reading a spooky Goosebumps book by flashlight under your blanket? How to Sell a Haunted House is kind of like that, but 100x more terrifying. Each element of this novel on its own is enough to give me nightmares (puppets, body horror, creepy children, etc), but combine them and you will never sleep again. Listening to this masterful horror novel had my yelling 'No, no, no, no, NO!' in public places. My heart rate tracker spiked while I was listening to it. I'm not sure how else to tell you to read this book if you're looking for a good old fashioned scare!”
— Nicole • Bound to Happen Books
Bookseller recommendation
“When Louise returns home for her parents' funeral, she and her brother uncover long hidden family secrets and an entity that has haunted both of them for much longer than they have realized. While scary and very much a horror novel, this book is a beautifully heartfelt exploration of family and grief. It truly brought me to tears by the end!”
— Will • Newtown Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“This was truly a creepy and well plotted story. I loved the two narrators, the delivery from both was spot on. If you like a haunted house/ghost story/creepy puppet situation, you won’t be disappointed listening to this. This is my first foray into Grady Hendrix and I was not disappointed! ”
— Katie • Whitelam Books
Bookseller recommendation
“How to Sell a Haunted House is my first Grady Hendrix read and I am blown away by the storytelling, both heartwarming and terrifying, that is crafted in this novel. I started the book heartbroken by the devastating news our main character received. I slowly, then all at once was overcome by the horror of a haunted house filled with puppets and dolls. I HATE DOLLS AND PUPPETS and was entirely unnerved the whole time I was reading this book. How to Sell a Haunted House navigates tense family history, sibling rivalry, creepy af dolls/puppets, a haunted house, and overcoming past traumas and misunderstandings.”
— Keeley • Ink Drinkers Anonymous
Bookseller recommendation
“This might be my favorite Hendrix book yet! This is a complicated family drama...with creepy puppets. In turns heartbreaking and terrifying, it managed to both give me nightmares and be a layered story about a dysfunctional family. This book peels back like an onion - you'll want to cringe and cry at the same time. The layers of family drama and creepy doll horror make for an excellent combination! And the audiobook reader did a voice for Pupkin that haunts my dreams. ”
— Candice • Tubby & Coo's Book Shop
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Wildly entertaining."-The New York Times
"Ingenious."-The Washington Post
New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.
Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.
But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…
Like his novels The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House is classic Hendrix: equal parts heartfelt and terrifying—a gripping new read from “the horror master” (USA Today).
Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter living in New York City. He is the author of Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism (which is being adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), We Sold Our Souls, and the New York Times bestseller The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (currently being adapted into a TV series). Grady also authored the Bram Stoker Award–winning nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the horror paperback boom of the seventies and eighties, and his latest non-fiction book is These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World.
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Reviews
“Grady Hendrix’s horror novels are a gateway drug to the genre...By weaving violence, family trauma and humor, Hendrix creates a texture that engages the reader emotionally and viscerally…[a] gripping, wildly entertaining exploration of childhood horrors.”—The New York Times
"A delight...Hendrix, with relentless efficiency—and a bit of humor—forces us to confront our fears."
—The Washington Post
"A madcap funhouse of a novel. Zigzags from hilarious to horrifying to heartbreaking and back again in the blink of an eye. I loved it!"
—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The House Across the Lake
"Classic Grady Hendrix: an authentically frightening, genuinely funny reconfiguration of what a haunted house can be."
—Esquire
"[A] campy, cinematic ride."
—People
"Hendrix is a contemporary horror master, and the combination of profound storytelling and unapologetic, campy gore he delivers here will surely have horror fans reading with a gleeful smile on their faces."
—NPR
“This book is a missile designed to obliterate you emotionally and absolutely annihilate you with terror. And let me tell you, Grady Hendrix does not miss.”
—Mallory O’Meara, National bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon
“It's tempting to point out the balance of horror and humor here, and the commingling of the two really is something else, but the true power behind How to Sell a Haunted House is in its emotionality, the sister-brother dynamic, the family matters. It's life and death in the childhood home, and Hendrix has masterfully rendered the journey from one end to the other.”
—Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Daphne
“May be Grady Hendrix’s best novel yet, and that’s saying a lot! Highly recommended.”
—Mick Garris, writer and director (The Stand, The Shining miniseries)
"A searing look at grief, trauma, and how the things that haunt us aren't always supernatural."
—Rolling Stone
"Another Southern Gothic Horror Comedy classic from Grady Hendrix…This clever, creepy, rollicking book will tug at your horror and heart strings."
—Paul Tremblay, National bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and The Pallbearers Club
"A pulse-pounding exercise in pure horror drive that never loses sight of its emotional core, and that makes it quintessential Hendrix."
—Paste Magazine
“Skillfully balances complete creep outs and moments of outright hilarity. The down-home charm of the Charleston family is on point, and the scares are fun and frequent, while the author almost painfully captures sibling dynamics. Readers will be completely sucked in by Hendrix’s adept prose.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Hendrix's book sets the high watermark for horror.”
—Booklist (starred review)
"Grady Hendrix tap dances the line between horror and heart. It’s terrifying, darkly funny and empathetic with a left turn, a left hook when you’re least expecting it. I loved it."
—Lauren Beukes, Author of The Shining Girls
“A spirited nightmare story about death, but also, what comes after: grief, guilt, family secrets, and estate administration. Oh, also, did I mention the evil puppets?"
—Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents
"After reading this, you might keep a weather eye on that doll propped over in the corner. And you probably also don't want to be trusting Grady Hendrix with a few hundred pages of your head anymore."
—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of My Heart is a Chainsaw
"With his trademark charm and ingenuity, Hendrix upends the haunted house story."
—Alma Katsu, Author of The Fervor and The Hunger Expand reviews
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