4/5 stars
I am so behind on book reviews and am trying to get caught up before 2017 ends, so I’ll keep this brief!
I am a horror fanatic but, admittedly, not a huge fan of exorcism stories. I’m not sure why, but they have never been my go-to for horror, and I rarely find them genuinely scary. In A Head Full of Ghosts, Tremblay takes the familiar exorcism narrative and flips it on its head. Clearly a fan of the genre, I felt like I was reading the work of someone who did their homework, and I mean that in the best way possible!
We follow the Barrett family as they search for the root of 14 year old Marjorie’s sudden strange behaviour. It she acting out as teenagers often do? Is it mental illness? Or is this a genuine possession? It all starts years after the drama, when Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry, is being interviewed by a best-selling author for a tell-all about her family’s experience. Take everything you know about demons and exorcism, and add in a reality TV scenario along with a complicated family dynamic and you’ve got the makings of a great book. Through unique blog entries, Tremblay is able to dive deep into the business of making horror movies, and I must say I flagged many pages so that I can remember to check out some of the iconic scenes he mentions later.
I loved this book and I’m glad that I went for it, regardless of my fatigue with exorcism stories. This is a great addition to the horror section of my bookshelf!
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