My Best Friend's Exorcism

At its heart, My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a story about the friendship between Abby and Gretchen, which undergoes a variety of changes over time but remains intact for 75 years until Abby’s death. Many middle-grade novels emphasize the importance of friendship, and this young adult novel does the same—but with a twist. The novel frames friendship as important, but this does not mean friendship is always easy, consistent, or pleasant. It can be disastrous, but still worth fighting for. Friendship comes with bad and good times, with the strongest relationships surviving both. Abby and Gretchen’s friendship defies Abby’s expectations: On Abby’s 10th birthday, she is reluctant to befriend new student, Gretchen, who brought her a Bible as a present (at her mother’s behest). However, Gretchen is the only attendee at her party, arguing that Abby’s invitation came before Margaret’s. This and shared interests convince Abby to befriend Gretchen, and they remain best friends through Gretchen’s demonic possession and their moves, marriages, and divorces. When Gretchen is possessed, she physically and emotionally abuses her friends Abby, Margaret, and Glee. Still, Abby doesn’t give up on her, this persistence being what saves Gretchen from the demon