Helpful Score: 2
A Head Full of Ghosts is morbidly fascinating, like gawking at a car accident as you slowly drive by; horrifying yet with a sense of sadness over the tragedy before you. I kept wondering if this was a story of supernatural possession or mental illness, and I was distracted by certain events that I almost missed from which direction the ultimate damage came. The story was most powerful when told from eight-year-old Merry POV while it dragged when listening to present day Merry's blog alter ego. Not exactly the scare-fest I was anticipating but a gripping read nonetheless. 3.5 stars.
Helpful Score: 1
An interesting read. Between a blog and the story going from past to present, all in one, it worked out very well. I liked the transition between the blog the main character writes under an alas, to protect her past, to the scenes of present and past.
Its a case of possible possession. The reader will struggle to determine if it was a head full of demonic influence or just an over active imaginative teenager, looking for attention.
The book was very well written. The ending very surprising, if not shocking. It was a bit hard to read from a Christian perspective because of the horrid things the "devil" says through the mouth of the possessed girl. I skimmed most of those paragraphs. An interesting read, however it has nothing to do with ghosts as the title implies.
Its a case of possible possession. The reader will struggle to determine if it was a head full of demonic influence or just an over active imaginative teenager, looking for attention.
The book was very well written. The ending very surprising, if not shocking. It was a bit hard to read from a Christian perspective because of the horrid things the "devil" says through the mouth of the possessed girl. I skimmed most of those paragraphs. An interesting read, however it has nothing to do with ghosts as the title implies.
Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes, a book that I have been enjoying is torpedoed at the very last moment by a disappointing, poorly handled ending. And sometimes, a book that I've carried on reading, in spite of doubts and second thoughts, blows my mind with the very last line.
SPOILERS This book falls into that second category. If anything, Tremblay is perhaps too clever, and could have shown a little mercy to the poor, dumb reader (me), who had to be smacked over the head with what's really going on, in a shocking conclusion. A conclusion which, I realized on reflection, had cleverly been telegraphed all along. I'm looking forward to re-reading this one, now that I'm in on the joke ...
SPOILERS This book falls into that second category. If anything, Tremblay is perhaps too clever, and could have shown a little mercy to the poor, dumb reader (me), who had to be smacked over the head with what's really going on, in a shocking conclusion. A conclusion which, I realized on reflection, had cleverly been telegraphed all along. I'm looking forward to re-reading this one, now that I'm in on the joke ...
This was a really hard book to get into. I was almost tempted to put it down, but decided to give it a try.
"The Possession" was a television show broadcast with about the "possession" of Marjorie Barrett and the trials that her family has been experiencing. John (Dad), Sarah (Mom), Marjorie & Merry are a pretty normal family, althought Dad has lost his job and there are financial troubles. Marjorie starts acting very strangely and John visits a priest to see if he can find some explanation. The priest comes to visit and decides that an exorcism needs to be performed on Marjorie.
Since the family is in financial straits, the media is involved and they decide to do a reality show about the doings in the Barrett household.
I found this a little confusing, even having decided to keep reading. Hard to tell what the reality of any of this was.
"The Possession" was a television show broadcast with about the "possession" of Marjorie Barrett and the trials that her family has been experiencing. John (Dad), Sarah (Mom), Marjorie & Merry are a pretty normal family, althought Dad has lost his job and there are financial troubles. Marjorie starts acting very strangely and John visits a priest to see if he can find some explanation. The priest comes to visit and decides that an exorcism needs to be performed on Marjorie.
Since the family is in financial straits, the media is involved and they decide to do a reality show about the doings in the Barrett household.
I found this a little confusing, even having decided to keep reading. Hard to tell what the reality of any of this was.
