Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

128 reviews

ascannerdorkly's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I listened to this on audiobook and I absolutely loved it. Definitely one of the best audio narrations I’ve heard.
I loved how this explored mental illness and trauma vs the paranormal without conflating the two, and it showed how doing this (placing blame for a mental illness on a possession) is harmful.
The dynamic between siblings was great, as was seeing things through eight year old Merry’s perspective - it made everything much more frightening.

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mondovertigo's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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daizyj's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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hannahstromauthor9's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0




I was expecting to be scared, instead I was heartbroken again and again. I was sad, disturbed, and angry. This book will whip you around in a tornado of emotions. It is not your typical made-up horror, but one so frighteningly real it's upsetting. I felt so bad for all the characters, expecially Majorie. As someone with mental health issues and someone who knows people with mental health issues, this book was painful at times.

Yet...I enjoyed it. Maybe enjoy is the wrong word. This book lifted my soul and put it in a different headspace. It was a brilliant psychology horror. Everything about it was written just as it needed to be.

I...I have no idea what to rate this. It was so sad, but so powerful. Maybe 4 stars...I...I don't know. I need to recover.

4 stars for the saddest book I've ever read. Although a beautiful book, it was so traumatic.

I woke at four the next morning thinking about this book. I told my mom what it was about because I needed someone to feel it too.

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exhumedprince's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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ms_sarah621's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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mouse42's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love a good unreliable narrator! Plus the audiobook was amazing, loved the voice actor 

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maryellen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75


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fionag's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not sure I would’ve picked this one up if it hadn’t have been for my book club, but I’m glad I did. This was an amazing book for discussion and it’s very layered and people seem to have divisive opinions on it. I really love the horror genre and what it can bring and I think this is a great example of that, what is the real horror here? The family dynamics are complex, the relationship between the sisters seems authentic, and overall I’m struck by how sad and voyeuristic what this family, especially the sisters, go through. One to read if you love horror tropes, recalling the past, and twisted endings 

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onemamareads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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