Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

57 reviews

elle_e_d_light's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not really sure how I felt about this one. I really disliked the blop parts, but I think I was supposed to. 

I also came out of this book feeling like I just read a retelling/homage of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which I still can't figure out if it was on purpose or if the author was more inspired by that book than he thought/planned. I know the author is a big fan of Shirley Jackson, but—unless I missed it—there was no description of this being an homage to that.

The story is vague and gets even more vague as it goes on. I didn't mind the vagueness, but I could see why others would.

Overall, I'm torn about how I feel about this book. There's things about it that I really liked, but just as many things that I didn't. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

imstephtacular's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

I'm not sure I even understand what happened, but this was exactly the book I needed post-election. Propulsive and choppy writing, mixed media elements, and a confusing plot that kept me reading was a winning combo. My first Tremblay, but won't be my last!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Abandonment

david_brent's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Religious bigotry

tideray's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

The author has written a story that criticises the ghost possession genre of horror stories highlighting the dramatisation and pervasive sensationalism of the characters evident psychosis symptoms, using the interesting mixed perspective of a child and their grown-up recollection and reflection on the events.

Unfortunately

the book is written in a way that tried heavily to imply that the potential for the character to be haunted is an genuine potential, creating a gross dialectical of the author having his cake (criticising possession stories) and eating it too (the character being haunted)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

septi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Injury/Injury detail

gentle_garbage_baby's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this! Such a fun spin on the classic possession story. I love that the main perspective is from 8-year-old Merry, who doesn't quite understand what is going on with her sister, Marjorie, and as such makes you as the reader question

whether Marjorie is faking everything, whether she's mentally unwell, or whether she really is possessed by a demon

. The family as a whole is very disconnected and their personalities clash with each other, making each interaction exciting and tense. An excellent read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry

50shadesofrae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

I have complicated feelings about this one, 95% of which would require spoilers to explain. 
The last third-ish has some issues for me, but overall it was a really fascinating autopsy of the exorcist genre? And the deep voyeuristic horror of it? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

guccishoestrings's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have read this book twice over the course of 16 months as my creative writing (later horror film and literature) professor recommended and later required to read this book.

This book seems like a book about a teen getting an exorcism but that is not at all what this book is about. This book is more about a family that is damaged beyond repair, financially crushed, and seeking for any kind of hope they can find. There are really only two main characters in this book in Marjorie (the teen who is "possessed") and Merry (who is the narrator) with their mother and father being important but secondary main characters. The father of the family lost his job and has since pretty much become a cult like member at the church, the mother has been dealing with severe depression and with everything going on she has gotten much worse, and Marjorie is apparently possessed. Eventually a show is made to show the exorcism of Marjorie and the book goes from there.

I suggest reading this book once then after reflection and thought read it again in a week. There are so many little things that you miss through your first read through. I also suggest reading with a group of 4 or more people as after reading for a class, almost everybody has different thoughts on what the story and characters are conveying. Just do not go in expecting an exorcism horror book, because this is a different type of horror, just wait till the end of this book as it is truly heartbreaking.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

daniellecherny's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Ending is left open/ambiguous. If you need a clear ending that explains exactly what happened, don't read this book.

matcha_cat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol