Welcome to my review of We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix!
Summary
The 1990s heavy metal band Dürt Würk was on the brink of success when their lead singer, Terry Hunt broke off to launch his solo career as Koffin. He soon sat at the top of the heavy metal genre, leaving his bandmates behind to lead less-than-famous lives.
20 years later, Kris Pulaski, former guitarist for Dürt Würk works as the night manager for Best Western, flat broke and unhappy with her life. Until she finds out that Terry’s success may have come at the cost of her soul. She sets out to collect her former bandmates and confront Terry. Their adventure leads them across the nation, ending at a dark music festival in Las Vegas. Kris’s experiences along the road prove you can’t give up in the face of defeat.
Review
If you’re looking for a quick recommendation, yes, I would definitely recommend this book!
If this book had a feel to it, I would describe it as grunge-y. It feels dirty and grimey, but hopeful at the same time. I don’t know how the author accomplished such a feel in his writing, but he did. And I loved it. I’m no fan of heavy metal music, but I felt that I could be reading this book.
The main character wasn’t in the band for the fame or the fans, but the music. And especially the lyrics. Kris loves to write music, and she’s good at it. Her ballad about never giving up almost becomes a mantra. It wards off fear and despair and drives her forward. Reading the lyrics to the song and not having to listen to the music made me appreciate heavy metal just a little. You also get to back and see where Kris started with music. How she learned to play the guitar, when she joined the band, etc. It showed her growth as a character and her origins.
Not only does this book offer a great appreciation for music and musicians, but horror as well. I will admit, there is a fair amount of body horror in this book. I’m not a huge fan of blood and gore, but I found that I was able to stomach it with this book. Mostly because I so enjoyed the story and the characters. It also keeps the pace exciting and drives the plot forward.
I don’t know that I’d recommend this book to just anyone, just like heavy metal isn’t for just anyone. It’s one of the more unique horror books I’ve read, and I think it requires a unique mindset. Overall, I would recommend it to a busy mom. But only if you’re looking for something really different. Something unique where you don’t mind feeling grunge-y or grimey the whole time you’re reading. I’d especially recommend it for autumn and right around Halloween!
Rating
Four out of five stars
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If you enjoyed my review of We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix, you might also like The Anomaly by Michael Rutger. Check out my review!
If you’re interested in purchasing We Sold Our Souls, here are some quick links to buy the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And, if you’re interested to see what others think, here’s the link to the book on Goodreads.
