A Head Full of Ghosts (original) (raw)

A Head Full of Ghosts is the fourth horror novel by American writer Paul G. Tremblay. The plot involves an American family from Massachusetts under financial and emotional strain when their fourteen-year-old daughter, Marjorie Barrett, exhibits signs of severe mental illness. The story is told from the point of view of Marjorie's eight-year-old sister, Meredith "Merry" Barrett. However, the point of view also has another layer, as Merry's story is told in flashbacks. She is a 23-year-old now and is telling her story to a writer named Rachel Neville. Themes include elements of Catholic exorcism and reality television exploitation. Several reviewers noted plot and thematic similarities to Shirley Jackson's "We Have Always Lived In The Castle" as well as the same name of the protagonists. Tr