A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

William Morrow, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0062363237

Available: Hardcover and Kindle

Once in a while, a book comes along that does more than stand out from the pack. It wields a power so strong, sings its story with such dissonant melody, and builds characters that you both love and dislike. These books keep you rooting for a happy ending on every page even though all signs point to a black place that seems unavoidable. A Head Full of Ghosts is a novel that deserves praise from every reviewer.

The plot centers on a New England family being slowly torn apart by a mysterious illness affecting their teenage daughter. A television crew moves in to film a reality show about her descent and to record the family falling apart, naming it “The Possession.” A priest is invited in to help despite a decided conflict of faith between family members. Although there have been plenty of stories of possession, this one stands alone.The subtlety of the storytelling and the characterization of the family themselves, the Barretts, drives A Head Full of Ghosts on a slow burn that will have readers scrambling to figure out the mystery of what lives between the pages.

Is fourteen-year-old Marjorie truly possessed? Mentally ill? Or just seeking attention in a family on its last thread of sanity?

Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry, narrates the tale. She watches her sibling descend and transform into someone else—someone she once knew. Merry spins her tale, from the first signs of the “possession,” to the invasion of the television crew, to the religious fervor that festers both inside the house and out in the society where the Barretts must still survive. Her innocent voice fuels the story as readers are allowed to view Merry’s family through her young eyes and ears, as yet unaware of the evils of the mind and soul. The relationship between her and Marjorie is touching and frightening and written superbly by Tremblay. Providing some counterpoint is a blogger who interjects her views on the history of the family through an analysis of the television show. Her connection is slowly revealed and seamlessly strengthens the novel in a manner which elevates the initial intrusion on the narrative into something that becomes essential.

Paul Tremblay has created something special here. Call it a psychological thriller or a mystery, a horror-filled supernatural tale, a dark family drama, or something else. But don’t dismiss it as just another possible “demon-within” story. It is one of the few novels that is sure to leave you chilled and unsettled. Hopefully, by this time next year, all of the critics will have been proven right, the novel will rack up accolades from every dark corner, and readers will cherish A Head Full of Ghosts as a modern classic. Highly recommended for adults.

Contains intense psychological horror

Reviewed by David Simms