Who Would Like This Book:
If you love heavy metal, horror, and stories about underdog musicians fighting for a second chance, this book absolutely shreds! Grady Hendrix puts a unique spin on the 'deal with the devil' mythos, blending a heart-thumping road trip with creepy supernatural elements, all powered by the raw energy of music. Smart, gory, and darkly funny, it's a love letter to metalheads, misfits, and fans of stories where art and integrity battle corporate greed (and actual demons). Kris Pulaski is a badass, flawed, and unforgettable heroine, making this especially fun for readers who appreciate strong female leads and a little rock 'n' roll nostalgia.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the pacing uneven, with slow stretches between explosive action. The horror can get quite gruesome, and the book leans hard into metal culture, which might not connect if you're not a fan. A few people felt the ending fizzled out and that the social commentary sometimes came across as preachy. Also, if you're a die-hard fan of nu metal, be prepared - there are some pointed jabs at the genre!
About:
'We Sold Our Souls' by Grady Hendrix is a horror novel set in the world of rock and roll, following the story of Kris Pulaski, a former lead guitarist of the band Dürt Würk. The plot revolves around Kris seeking revenge on her former bandmate Terry Hunt after discovering he sold all their souls, leading to a thrilling and chilling ride across the country. The book combines elements of music, horror, and occult, creating a unique and imaginative storyline that delves into themes of redemption, friendship, and the price of fame. The writing style captures the energy of rock 'n' roll, with references to bands and musicians adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
High content warnings for violence, gore, body horror, and themes of betrayal and mental distress.
From The Publisher:
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires comes a hard-rocking, spine-tingling horror novel about a washed-up guitarist of a '90s heavy metal band who embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.
Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.
Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she's tired, broke, and unhappy. Then one day everything changes-a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, pill-popping, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul.
Ratings (37)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (12) | |
Liked It (15) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (1) |
Reader Stats (79):
Read It (39) | |
Want To Read (30) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (9) |
3 comment(s)
Absolutely loved this book. A must read for metal heads. 🤘
OK this was a fun read.
Full Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley
We Sold Our Souls is sort of like a heavy metal concept album in novel form, but that doesn’t mean it’s the kind of slapdash narrative you would normally find on a long-player. Instead, it’s a propulsive read that rides on the momentum of a lost album full of revolutionary rock songs.
The author of that lost album, Kris Pulaski, is a washed-up former rock guitarist riding the desk at a Best Western. She’s stuck in that customer-service wasteland because Terry Hunt, the lead singer of her old band, Dürt Würk, sold her out, stole her music, and sued her into oblivion. It doesn’t help that the rest of the band hates her because of something terrible she did on “contract night” – the night the band fell apart in spectacular fashion.
When Kris sees a billboard for Koffin, Terry’s sell-out cash-grab nu metal band formed in the ashes of Dürt Würk, she’s at absolute rock bottom. She’s broke, friendless and soon-to-be homeless after her brother kicks her out of her dead mother’s house.
The billboard is the catalyst that sets off a bottomless store of anger she’d kept tamped deep down inside. She decides that it’s time to confront the former members of Dürt Würk and ask them why the events of contract night don’t line up in her memory.
This is a horror novel called We Sold Our Souls, though, so I’m sure it isn’t surprising to learn that something bizarre is going on behind the scenes and Kris gets caught up in its wake as soon as she gets back in touch with her old band.
I was so caught up in this book that I read the last 2/3rds in one marathon sitting, which I think is a pretty resounding endorsement. There are also two harrowing set-pieces that kept me on the edge of my seat and wincing.
I’ve read a few of Grady Hendrix’s novels now, and although this one isn’t as good as My Best Friend’s Exorcism, it delivers some solid scares while also painting a compelling picture of how music can save your life.
What can you read after
We Sold Our Souls?
About the Author:
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, We Sold Our Souls, and the New York Times bestselling The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires, which is being adapted into a…
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