Head Full of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay

[shiki-jitsu]

I had picked this up a while back on a sale when AR recommended it on facebook.

Finally got around to reading it and am just about done. I know AR that you wanted to discuss it so I am creating this thread. Should be finished up today or tomorrow. I have some thoughts already, but will leave them out until I am done.

Obviously this discussion will have SPOILERS.

[shiki-jitsu]

I did like this book. Overall I do think that I would (or maybe do) like this story better than Devil's Rock. I wish I would have read it first, I might have enjoyed it more.

SPOILERS! you've been warned.
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All in all it basically ends up being a murder story with a bit of a whodunnit. I like that he ends scenes in a way that makes you think one thing for a chapter and you find out... no, that is not what happened. For instance Marjorie jumping from the stairs. Sounds like she kills herself. Then he jumps (IIRC) to the blog entries so you think thats what ultimately happened that she committed suicide and then no... you find out she just broken her ankle and got hurt. Then the poisoning is just dropped in there out of nowhere almost. But yet it's not because Marjorie warned Merry early on with the father/vines story.

What I can't decide is if this is a pro or a con that once again we are stuck with a story that you are led to believe is supernatural (or maybe not!) throughout most of the book... but the resolution is...and I don't want to say mundane... its not mundane, but it's not otherworldy. And then you start to think back at some of the events and while most are clearly not supernatural... others may be... or are they just that way because they are filtered through an 8 year olds girls memories?

I didn't like the blog entries. I get what he was doing, but I didn't like her voice. I wouldn't think that Merry would write so corny. I get she isn't trying to be herself, but it's too much.

Those are my initial thoughts. Would have been a good bookclub book.

[Alien Redrum]

It's been over a year since I read it, and I don't remember a lot, I just remember REALLY LIKING IT for these reasons:

What I can't decide is if this is a pro or a con that once again we are stuck with a story that you are led to believe is supernatural (or maybe not!) throughout most of the book... but the resolution is...and I don't want to say mundane... its not mundane, but it's not otherworldy. And then you start to think back at some of the events and while most are clearly not supernatural... others may be... or are they just that way because they are filtered through an 8 year olds girls memories?

I LOVED THIS.

I loved how I'm all into it, thinking it's supernatural, then BAM! Maybe it's not. I just thought Tremblay did a masterful job manipulating this.