Michelle Herbert reviews A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay…
A Head Full of Ghosts is an intense account of what happened to Merry’s family fifteen years ago. The story is told in two ways, the first is a set of interviews, where adult Merry recounts the events of that time to a reporter. The second is via a blog called ‘The Last Final Girl’, in which another young woman, Karen, attempts to analyse the same circumstances, that were shown in a TV re-enactment show called The Possession.
We are introduced to this earlier time through adult Merry’s recollections of her eight-year-old self. As a child, Merry idolised her older sister Marjorie, and although there is a large age gap between them, the sisters seem close. From the start, A Head Full of Ghosts lets us know that something isn’t right with Marjorie as she is seeing a psychiatrist. As Merry doesn’t know why Marjorie is going to see a doctor, we the readers are also in the dark. As the story continues we begin to see that although Merry believes she is smart, she is also only eight and doesn’t fully understand the situation she finds herself and her family in.
Marjorie becomes a scarier presence in the family home, becoming increasingly unpredictable. When Marjorie and Merry’s father looks to the Church for guidance, the book strays into more horrifying territory. Although this does mean that at times the book does start to feel more predictable, but just as you begin to feel comfortable in the rules of the story, A Head Full of Ghosts leaves Merry’s story, to be interrupted by The Last Final Girl blog, where Karen pulls apart the tropes of the story so far, and you understand that Tremblay is taking you on a much deeper journey into psychological horror.
Marjorie’s mental state becomes harder to define, and with the girl’s Dad becoming increasing dependent on the Church, and their Mum becoming increasingly withdrawn Merry’s parents make the bizarre choice of allowing a camera crew to film the strange events occurring in their home. The book takes a giant step towards feeling like The Exorcist and other horror films that deal with supernatural possession, as the tension increases. At this point, the question becomes: Was Marjorie mentally ill, or was she possessed
Merry is the definition of the unreliable narrator, as she recounts her memory of her home being turned into a TV set piece and the events and trauma happening to her sister. Merry is the easiest character to be manipulated by those around her, but as an adult recounting her story to the reporter Merry is also able to manipulate the events of her story. Which allows us to ask the fundamental question of are we seeking the truth, or just a version of it?
A Head Full of Ghosts is a disturbing tale of family breakdown, that comes with both specific horror tropes that people will recognise, as well as perturbing twists that you won’t see until this story has dragged you in, so you have to know what happens next. I found this book extremely readable as well as chilling, especially regarding the treatment of Marjorie. Although I didn’t relish reading parts of the story, I was unable to put the book down and even now, I think I will be haunted by the ending for a long time to come.
Michelle Herbert
Originally published January 19, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
