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Book Review: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay


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

 

 

Posted on July 15, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Rotter Nation (Rotter World Saga Book 2) by Scott M. Baker

Rotter Nation (Rotter World Saga Book 2) by Scott M. Baker

Schattensette Books, 2015

ISBN: 978-0996312103

Available: New Paperback, ebook

 

It’s nine months into an apocalypse  that was caused by a zombie virus, unleashed by vampires. Mike Robson and his team have successfully retrieved the vaccine from Site R, though they have suffered many losses. Upon returning to their camp, they find it completely destroyed and most of the residents dead—victims of a vicious rape gang that Robson’s team had a previous run-in with on the way to Site R. Now, they must pick up the pieces and find someplace new to start over. They must also get the vaccine safely to the government-in-exile in Omaha and try to rescue a survivor from the slaughter.

Baker has continued his post-apocalyptic world in a seamless fashion, introducing new characters while giving even more depth to returning ones. Robson is a real person, struggling with the conflict of choosing between doing the right thing for the world and risking losing his love, Natalie by sending her and the Angels to Omaha with the vaccine. Robson, Natalie, and other characters are all well-rounded, three-dimensional people (and vampires) and it is easy to relate to them through their emotions and how they deal with the situations they find themselves in. They will draw real and visceral reactions from readers.

The world has gone to hell and it is highly apparent in the vivid descriptions of the areas traveled through by the now separate groups headed by Robson and Natalie, and the very bad people that have survived. Away from the relative safety of the camp, the now divided group find themselves facing increasingly worse scenarios and dangers. Baker’s story is compelling and suspenseful, holding the reader’s attention from beginning to end, and the climax will leave the reader wanting more. Recommended.

Contains: violence, gore, adult language, adult situations

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Posted on July 15, 2015 by , Reply

Book List: Zombies Can’t Swim (Or Can They?)

        

Apparently, much discussion has been devoted to this topic. Honestly, I don’t see how there can be any right answer. Dylan, the original Monster Librarian, was a huge fan of zombies in movies and books, and he observed that there were many, many variations on a theme.  Zombies have been portrayed as fast, slow, smart, brainless (haha), almost human and about as far from human as possible. Given the many ways they’ve been written and imagined, there’s no reason they couldn’t be expected to swim… is there?

Well, I guess there is that issue of gross motor coordination, but we can’t let details get in the way of imagination. And there is at least one book with an author imaginative enough to create swimming zombies: Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeline Roux.

There seems to be more evidence that zombies can travel underwater, though. In theory, the undead wouldn’t need to breathe, so there’s no reason they couldn’t just stroll along the ocean floor.  Underwater zombies appear in Max Brooks’ World War Z, and also in Brian Keene’s Dead Sea. In popular cinema, there’s evidence of this in Pirates of the Caribbean. And in not-so-popular cinema, but probably familiar to zombie lovers is this scene from the Italian zombie movie Zombi 2, which Dylan described to me over and over again.

 

To conclude this brief overview of the deep and meaningful topic of whether zombies can swim, I submit that if you would like to offer me your thoughts on the topic, along with your recommendations, you might just get someone new hooked on the zombie genre. Next up, we will try to address the question: is there such a thing as a “good” zombie?

 

Posted on July 12, 2015 by , Reply
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