Book Review: We Sold Our Souls By Grady Hendrix
I feel like I'm really bad at blogging. It's kind of a miracle that I've consistently been putting up content for the entire year! Happy first anniversary to me *fist bumps air* Whoot! Now that I've officially congratulated myself, I want to talk about Grady Hendrix. This is a horror writer that I've been following for a while now. I've read his other fiction books, Horrorstör and My Best Friends Exorcism, and I just started on his nonfiction historical review of 70's and 80's paperback horror novels: Paperback From Hell. It's been delightful to be able to see the influences and histories of these author's contribution and creation of the horror genre. I've already stared writing down a long list of of authors to read (adding to my already longer list of sci-fi, fantasy, YA, classics, and literary fiction authors to read). Sooo many books!
Grady Hendrix's latest book is We Sold Our Souls. Given the title you probably have already guessed what the gist of what the book is about. Now, it's an old trope. Selling your soul to the devil in exchange for fame or wealth or some other secular gain here on earth. To tell the truth I've wished several times for an easy way out of the hard work of writing, to just skip several steps and already be published, and selling your soul is the definition of The Easy Way. I love stories and music with this trope. One of my favorite bands Murder By Death has an entire album devoted to it and the consequences of messing with the devil. And we can't forget the legendary musician Robert Johnson! The mans entire mythos is shrouded in selling his soul at the crossroads so he could play guitar, then dying fairly young. The devil archetype pops up so often in pop culture and is typically always a cautionary tale that when its subverted like in the TV show Lucifer (Hey, he's not a bad guy! Just misunderstood) its viewed with enjoyable entertainment.
Well Grady Hendrix took that concept and twisted it around in a hella fun way in We Sold Our Souls, bringing with it waves of nostalgia for me. Heavy Metal shows, scummy venues, touring, punk houses, the band van, the recording studio and everything else that comes with having a boyfriend in a band. I was full up to my eyeballs in metal/punk/screamo/emo/sludge/and whatever label/genre you want to assign rock music from dating my off again and on again boyfriend (now husband) during the early 2000's till 2012 when his band finally broke up.
Metal music and horror! All combined into one book, whats not to love?
Synopsis: Kris Pulaski was once the lead guitarist in the heavy metal band Dürt Würk. On the brink of success, about to make it big, the lead singer Terry Hunt leaves the band to start a solo carrier. Ditching his band mates to rot in obscurity and becoming a rock star. 20 years later Kris works as a night manager at a Best Western. She's depressed, broke, her mom's recently passed away and her brothers a certified A-hole. But Kris is triggered once she sees that Terry Hunt is once again going on tour. Memories of her past resurface and these revaluations send Kris hitting the road again to seek out her old band mates, and to once and for all confront Terry Hunt for ruining her life.
Grady Hendrix's latest book is We Sold Our Souls. Given the title you probably have already guessed what the gist of what the book is about. Now, it's an old trope. Selling your soul to the devil in exchange for fame or wealth or some other secular gain here on earth. To tell the truth I've wished several times for an easy way out of the hard work of writing, to just skip several steps and already be published, and selling your soul is the definition of The Easy Way. I love stories and music with this trope. One of my favorite bands Murder By Death has an entire album devoted to it and the consequences of messing with the devil. And we can't forget the legendary musician Robert Johnson! The mans entire mythos is shrouded in selling his soul at the crossroads so he could play guitar, then dying fairly young. The devil archetype pops up so often in pop culture and is typically always a cautionary tale that when its subverted like in the TV show Lucifer (Hey, he's not a bad guy! Just misunderstood) its viewed with enjoyable entertainment.
Well Grady Hendrix took that concept and twisted it around in a hella fun way in We Sold Our Souls, bringing with it waves of nostalgia for me. Heavy Metal shows, scummy venues, touring, punk houses, the band van, the recording studio and everything else that comes with having a boyfriend in a band. I was full up to my eyeballs in metal/punk/screamo/emo/sludge/and whatever label/genre you want to assign rock music from dating my off again and on again boyfriend (now husband) during the early 2000's till 2012 when his band finally broke up.
Metal music and horror! All combined into one book, whats not to love?
Synopsis: Kris Pulaski was once the lead guitarist in the heavy metal band Dürt Würk. On the brink of success, about to make it big, the lead singer Terry Hunt leaves the band to start a solo carrier. Ditching his band mates to rot in obscurity and becoming a rock star. 20 years later Kris works as a night manager at a Best Western. She's depressed, broke, her mom's recently passed away and her brothers a certified A-hole. But Kris is triggered once she sees that Terry Hunt is once again going on tour. Memories of her past resurface and these revaluations send Kris hitting the road again to seek out her old band mates, and to once and for all confront Terry Hunt for ruining her life.
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