A review by kingcrookback
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book had me for the vast majority of its duration. The themes of memory and nostalgia; Marjorie and teenage girlhood and not being believed or taken seriously; childhood, facing the unknown, and pasts you can't return to. The story progressed in accordance with the sort of tropes and motifs typically associated with both possession narratives and stories about reminiscence. The blog posts dedicated to deconstructing the Barretts' reality show vis à vis popular horror media put a fascinating turn on the question of memory and moving on from trauma. Even though the narrative was on the side of Marjorie being a mentally ill young girl, some of Merry's description of her memories is genuinely chilling.

The only thing I can't get over is that the ending - and the reveal - felt so incredibly abrupt. I feel like we got very little buildup to the reveal and no time to process its impact on both the narrative as well as our perception of the story. I don't know. I think I need to sit with this a bit longer, maybe convince a friend to read it so I can talk to them about it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings