A Head Full of Ghosts is a 2015 novel by Paul Tremblay, and if you're planning on reading it, make sure you don't have anything important to do that day because this one is hard to put down (also, maybe don't read it right before you go to sleep). When doctors are unable to prevent the more serious symptoms of schizophrenia in 14-year-old Marjorie Barrett, her desperate parents turn to Father Wanderly, a local priest who concludes that Marjorie's behavior may be the result of demonic possession. In need of money, the family agrees to let a camera crew film their experience for a reality TV series (The Possession), and fifteen years later, a writer interviews Marjorie's younger sister, Merry, about that terrible time in her family's life. The novel is told from Merry's point-of-view, both as an 8-year-old and a 23-year-old, and I really liked that Tremblay chose to tell the story that way so we could experience everything as it happened around young Merry and then learn more about what was going on from adult Merry fifteen years later. Despite the fact that most people have never had to deal with one of their family members possibly being possessed by demons, I felt that the Barrett family was pretty easy to relate to, and I really cared about what happened to them.
I loved A Head Full of Ghosts, and if The Possession were a real show, of course I would watch it (what kind of paranormal blogger wouldn't watch a show like that?). The novel had a great, surprising ending that I'm still thinking about long after finishing it, and that's something I always appreciate in the books I read. I'm looking forward to reading more of Tremblay's work, and I hope someone makes a movie out of this novel ASAP. : )
My rating: 9/10
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