There are few books that truly throw me into a whirlwind of emotions – stories so good I have to keep reading, yet so powerful I force myself to slow down and savor every page. Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House is easily one of those rare books. Perhaps the most original novel I’ve read in a decade, this horror masterpiece is absolutely unforgettable.

Louise is a single mom to a five-year-old, living a quiet and steady life – until one phone call changes everything. Her parents have died in a brutal car accident, and she must return home to handle their estate, including navigating her strained relationship with her eccentric younger brother, Mark. What begins as a difficult but ordinary family cleanup turns into something far darker once Louise and Mark step inside their childhood home, a house that’s been in their family for generations.

If dolls and puppets creep you out, prepare to be petrified. Louise and Mark’s mother was a skilled puppeteer who left behind an entire army of unsettling creations, including her beloved clown puppet, Pupkin – a central figure in the story and one of the most disturbing and well-thought-out antagonists I’ve ever encountered.

This novel is the greatest emotional roller coaster of a read I’ve ever experienced. Some scenes had me laughing aloud, while others left me shocked and speechless (literally dropping my jaw). Hendrix’s attention to detail is flawless, and the pacing, character development, and balance between humor and horror are executed to perfection. I’ve never read Grady Hendrix before, but after this I’ll be picking up another immediately.

As a bonus, the book includes fictional documents, flyers, discussion questions, a reader’s guide and extras that deepen the world of the story. It would make an amazing book club pick because there is so much to unpack and discuss.

If you’re a true horror fan looking for a haunting exploration of grief and generational trauma, wrapped in relentless suspense and originality, you absolutely need to read this one.