A review by siobhanward
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

dark emotional medium-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

2.5

 So unlike a lot of books I've read where a character has schizophrenia, this one was a little more tactful about it. Tremblay offers an interesting portrait of how mental illness is used against people and has previously been confused with demonic possession - although this book is less about confusion and more about willful ignorance.

I've seen reviewers call this "bad Exorcist fanfiction" but honestly it was more of a love letter to the horror genre - from the references in the blog (including the strong need to debunk the whole show), to the parallels throughout and to my favourite, the choice of names, this whole book is one big reference. If you haven't consumed a lot of horror/paranormal and honestly debunking blog/podcast content, it may not work, but I thought this was cool.

Was it my favourite book? No. I still don't love when we vilify people with mental illness. Marjorie wasn't as harmful a portrayal as others I've read, but she still wasn't great. 
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