A Head Full of Ghosts

286 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 2015

ISBN:: 978-0-06-236323-7
OCLC Number:: 906020638

(1 review)

"The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's bizarre outbursts and subsequent descent into madness. As their home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts plight for a reality television show."--Book jacket.

1 edition

Thom reviewed A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Review of 'A head full of ghosts' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Told from the remembered point-of-view of 8 year old Merry, whose sister is either mentally ill, possessed, or faking it. Reality TV and references to classic horror films and plots resound. This short read is recommended :)

Fifteen years after the event, Merry is interviewed by a writer, and this (plus blog posts about the television show) make up the roughly chronological narrative. What happens to her sister puts a strain on the family - mom looking for medical advice, dad turning to the church - and they end up connected with (starring on?) a true crime reenactment & interviews program. This program culminates in an exorcism, and I can't go further without spoiling the end.

This book was recommended by a fellow voracious reader, and she clearly knows her horror. It didn't quite tick up to 5 stars for me, but is definitely a solid 4. That's two exorcism …

Told from the remembered point-of-view of 8 year old Merry, whose sister is either mentally ill, possessed, or faking it. Reality TV and references to classic horror films and plots resound. This short read is recommended :)

Fifteen years after the event, Merry is interviewed by a writer, and this (plus blog posts about the television show) make up the roughly chronological narrative. What happens to her sister puts a strain on the family - mom looking for medical advice, dad turning to the church - and they end up connected with (starring on?) a true crime reenactment & interviews program. This program culminates in an exorcism, and I can't go further without spoiling the end.

This book was recommended by a fellow voracious reader, and she clearly knows her horror. It didn't quite tick up to 5 stars for me, but is definitely a solid 4. That's two exorcism books in the last seven months - perhaps I should go find [a:William Peter Blatty|104728|William Peter Blatty|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1315160128p2/104728.jpg]'s original to make it a trifecta. I do plan to read more from [a:Paul Tremblay|648612|Paul Tremblay|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1415058580p2/648612.jpg], who incidentally has a Masters degree in Mathematics.

Subjects

Fiction
Fear
Schizophrenia
Paranoia
Eschatology