Review: We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix

Title: We Sold Our Souls

Author: Grady Hendrix

Published by: Quirk Books

Released: 2018

Source: E-arc from publisher through Netgalley / Physical Copy from Library

Synopsis: A new novel of supernatural horror (and pop culture) from the author of Horrorstor, My Best Friend's Exorcism, and Paperbacks from Hell.

In the 1990s, heavy metal band Dürt Würk was poised for breakout success -- but then lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom as Koffin, leaving his fellow bandmates to rot in rural Pennsylvania.

Two decades later, former guitarist Kris Pulaski works as the night manager of a Best Western - she's tired, broke, and unhappy. Everything changes when she discovers a shocking secret from her heavy metal past: Turns out that Terry's meteoric rise to success may have come at the price of Kris's very soul.

This revelation prompts Kris to hit the road, reunite with the rest of her bandmates, and confront the man who ruined her life. It's a journey that will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a Satanic rehab center and finally to a Las Vegas music festival that's darker than any Mordor Tolkien could imagine. A furious power ballad about never giving up, even in the face of overwhelming odds, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul...where only a girl with a guitar can save us all. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: Thank you to Quirk Books for letting me read an early copy of this for honest review.

I just have to say it, ROCK ON!! I mean, this is the book where you should be allowed to say that right? This is the second Grady Hendrix book I've read, (the first one was Horrorstor) and boy do I like the guy. His books are this odd mixture of quirkiness, weirdness, and horror. I'm definitely going to read more by him.

Sooo We Sold Our Souls was a weird, wacky, scary, fun ride! I'd categorize this as weird horror, and if you like weird horror, then Grady Hendrix is your man. I loved it! This book was an experience. It took me on quite a ride. I don't claim to know a lot about Heavy Metal, but I felt the music within me while reading this. It was odd and it was a lot of fun.

There were two distinct parts of this book that genuinely scared me in different ways. I'm only going to say the tunnel and the truck, read it and you'll understand. So, I can say that it definitely delivered on the scares. The whole book wasn't scary, but there were moments that were genuinely terrifying. There were also moments that were kind of amusing in a messed up way. And there were moments that genuinely surprised me.

I'm not going to spoil anything about We Sold Our Souls, or at least try not to, but the reader gets a big hint of where the story is going just from the title alone. We Sold Our Souls is an experience to read and I definitely recommend giving it a try. It's one wild ride. Crazier than anything that happens on the tour bus.

Poor, poor Kris Pulaski. I loved that she was a rock chick, but really X out the chick part and just see her as an awesome rock star guitarist. She was really fun to follow, even though she had a lot of crap to deal with.

I really liked the whole journey of this book. It was weird, it was fun, it was scary, it was a salute to the feel of rock n' roll. I highly enjoyed it and definitely recommend.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Epic Guitar Solo in 3... 2... 1...