stevendemo7's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 ⭐️
A Head Full of Ghosts is about a normal family who were the subjects of a reality TV show which documented their teenage daughters possession and exorcism. The events are recapped from the youngest daughter Merri, now as an adult. Since she was a little girl at the times of these gruesome events, her narration is unreliable and the film capture may have colored some of her memories. Through her perspective, Merri provides insight into the events leading up to Marjories exorcism that was not shown on TV. We as readers gain a better understanding of the lasting impact it had on everyone else involved.
More thoughts + SPOILERS:
OK so I really liked this book!! Paul Tremblay wrote this quick succinct story which worked really well for me. I loved the conversation of whether Marjories really being possessed or struggling with mental illness. It is also implied that she might have a second motivation, which becomes clear at the novels end. Due to the narration style it felt almost like stream of conciousness. The novel closely mirrored events of The Exorcism and how audiences were more fascinated by the slow breakdown of the priest rather than the young girl. Similar vibes here with Marjorie highlighting that people didn’t really care about her but took more of an interest in whats going on with her dad. Paul Tremblay paid homage to classic horror movies that have shaped the genre by name dropping major horror films throughout (mainly in the Merri Blog post sections). Final thoughts are really just how bad ass Marjorie was the whole time. I especially loved the exorcist scene when Marjorie was tearing the priest apart and then ate the flesh off his arm!! I loved every second of it.
A Head Full of Ghosts is about a normal family who were the subjects of a reality TV show which documented their teenage daughters possession and exorcism. The events are recapped from the youngest daughter Merri, now as an adult. Since she was a little girl at the times of these gruesome events, her narration is unreliable and the film capture may have colored some of her memories. Through her perspective, Merri provides insight into the events leading up to Marjories exorcism that was not shown on TV. We as readers gain a better understanding of the lasting impact it had on everyone else involved.
More thoughts + SPOILERS:
OK so I really liked this book!! Paul Tremblay wrote this quick succinct story which worked really well for me. I loved the conversation of whether Marjories really being possessed or struggling with mental illness. It is also implied that she might have a second motivation, which becomes clear at the novels end. Due to the narration style it felt almost like stream of conciousness. The novel closely mirrored events of The Exorcism and how audiences were more fascinated by the slow breakdown of the priest rather than the young girl. Similar vibes here with Marjorie highlighting that people didn’t really care about her but took more of an interest in whats going on with her dad. Paul Tremblay paid homage to classic horror movies that have shaped the genre by name dropping major horror films throughout (mainly in the Merri Blog post sections). Final thoughts are really just how bad ass Marjorie was the whole time. I especially loved the exorcist scene when Marjorie was tearing the priest apart and then ate the flesh off his arm!! I loved every second of it.
_johnson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
mayastone's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
karlaolivera's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
One of the most memorable books of 2023.
This book broke my heart.
It is the story about a family who allows their homelife to be broadcasted, but they have no ordinary life.
It is told from the youngest daughter's (8 years old) perspective as her most probablly mentally ill 14-year-old sister is put in the spotlight on the TV show called "The Possession".
The whole story is about what happened then, how it ended and the differences of the real story to what the show protrayed.
It was an unsettling, eery, end devastating story.
This book broke my heart.
It is the story about a family who allows their homelife to be broadcasted, but they have no ordinary life.
It is told from the youngest daughter's (8 years old) perspective as her most probablly mentally ill 14-year-old sister is put in the spotlight on the TV show called "The Possession".
The whole story is about what happened then, how it ended and the differences of the real story to what the show protrayed.
It was an unsettling, eery, end devastating story.
jpraska006's review against another edition
I was a bit hesitant to read this book. For as much as I like horror I’ve never been drawn to possession/exorcism stories. However, I’m definitely glad I wound up giving it a shot. I liked how in writing horror, Tremblay was able to comment on the genre at the same time. It acknowledges regular tropes while also playing around with them in some unique and new ways. I also didn’t expect this book to be as emotionally heavy as it was. Rather than being a simple ghost story, it’s tackles themes of mental illness, familial instability, manipulation, greed, exploitation and so much more. And on top of all that, it still manages to pull off some solid scares. Well done, Mr. Tremblay!
zaisgraph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2.5 stars
This could've been like 20 pages. This novel had no scares and no tension. If you're gonna go the Goosebumps for adult route, the story better have heart.... but nahhh that's missing too.
I don't know what is the indentity of this author based on the two novels I've read written by him.
This could've been like 20 pages. This novel had no scares and no tension. If you're gonna go the Goosebumps for adult route, the story better have heart.... but nahhh that's missing too.
I don't know what is the indentity of this author based on the two novels I've read written by him.
leannaaker's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, just wow. This was one creepy book, all the way until the end!!! Great read.
roemer37's review against another edition
3.0
it’s fine. honestly just fine. i did not take anything conclusive commentary from it, i did not have a great time but it wasn’t the worst either. don’t have a lot to say
nova_lumen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5