Book Review: The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow

The Devil and Winnie Flynn is a 2015 young adult novel written by Micol Ostow and illustrated by David Ostow. I don't read young adult novels often, but I enjoyed Ostow's Amity, so I decided to give The Devil and Winnie Flynn a try (and I'm glad I did). When Winnie Flynn goes to New Jersey to work as a production assistant on her aunt's reality show, Fantastic, Fearsome, she begins experiencing strange things that make her think the Jersey Devil might not be a myth.

The Devil and Winnie Flynn is mostly told through Winnie's journal entries (which she addresses to her best friend), but also in Fantastic, Fearsome transcripts, which was a really cool way to tell a story. I loved the illustrations too...they really added something extra to the story. The Devil and Winnie Flynn is a great book, even if you're not the typical audience for a young adult novel (I'm 35, and I enjoyed it). I really cared about Winnie and wanted to find out the truth behind her mother's death. I liked the ending and would love to read another book about these characters...and if Fantastic, Fearsome were a real show, I would definitely watch it. : )

My rating: 8/10

Book Review: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

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