WINNER OF THE 2015 BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A NOVELA chilling thriller that brilliantly blends psychological suspense and supernatural horror, reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Shining, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist.The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old … suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.
To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.
Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.
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I think it was just OK. I plodded along through it until the end. It got a lot of good reviews, and I can’t say why it didn’t appeal to me. It was well-written.
Not a predictable story – had e hanging on every twist and turn.
It was just ok. Too much of it was The Exorcist revamped
Little long
To begin with, this is not a ghost story. It is a thriller disguised as a dark satire novel. The Barrett family allows a reality crew into their home to film what is believed to be the demonic possession of their 14-year-old daughter Marjorie, and the novel is told from the point of view of the younger sister Merry. While there are a few frightening moments, this novel focuses primarily on whether or not Marjorie is truly possessed or merely a young sociopath taking everyone for a wild ride. There were references to horror films, but I didn’t connect this to the plot and found it an interesting read at best.
Superb ghost thriller. Delivers everything you want from a ghost story with a scary cover.
A unique take on the exorcism trope with beautifully rendered characters. Heart-breaking and enrapturing.
At the start, I thought this might prove to be a clever take on Blatty’s masterpiece, The Exorcist. I was off. Way off. You might feel the same way in the beginning, but you need to see it through because the actual plot is waiting, in the dark…
A harrowing examination of misogyny, the machinations of “reality” television, and how they combust. Could be a tough read for some, but overall a worthwhile one.
This book peeked my interest from the very beginning. As a fan of the paranormal reenactment shows like the 2005 series ” A Haunting” it was an interesting take on being a part of a show like that, especially as a young child. This retrospective account is told very emotionally from our adult main character, Merry Barrett’s POV as she relieves the events that rocked her family 15 years ago. The whole time you are along for the ride you are constantly wondering if Merry’s older sister Majorie is sick or possessed? I doubt you will be able to guess the end, because even when you think you figured it out it’ll surprise you.
Brilliant what a page Turner it was I recommend it 100%
I came for the spooks but was left with a swelled heart. Still haven’t recovered. The last part of the book completely tore me open. Before I go any further I do want to say the book is indeed for a mature audience. R-rating. I think a few shocking (rather gross) scenes would upset readers so please be aware. Not to mention language use.
I liked the relationship between the two sisters, well, before things went downhill. The book makes you think either possession or mental health and it does a good job of jerking you in each direction. The hope for the sisters’ relationship to return to normal is what kept me reading. The book did a good job of being scary without having to really rely on supernatural elements. I personally could’ve done without some scenes. The shock factor is kind of “meh” and “ew.” What was scary was the little things, the little threats, the little gestures. Despite some complaints, I somehow couldn’t put the book down. I’d check it out if you have an overly curious mind like me about the buzz surrounding it, but be extremely cautious before approaching it.
I went into this book knowing it had something to do with mental illness, but came out really thinking about the ways we view medicine and religion when it comes to mental health issues. Now, I am a religious person–I believe in the power of prayer. But there are times when just saying a prayer isn’t enough, and you need to take action to manage an ailment or handle a problem. There is such a stigma around taking medication for mental illness, and I think this book is a chilling example of why we need to remove that stigma immediately. Definitely a must-read.
Near perfect contemporary horror story.
An unresolved mess of a book that started off well then fell apart at the end.
Reads kind of like an updated Amityville Horror, in a good way.
I loved this book. For me, it was un-put-down-able. I HAD to know what was going to happen next.
Great Writing and a compelling story make this a top-notch horror novel. From the first page you will be hooked. (A chilling thought, no?) In fact, it’s one of the finest first pages I’ve read!
Really enjoyed this one. Original story
This was an amazing read. It’s so twisted and dark but at the same time full of love and genuineness. It’s honestly one of my new top tier favorite horrors, and surprisingly so. It starts off confusing and remains somewhat convoluted and disorienting for a large majority of the novel. That’s what makes it such an amazing piece. The depth, the subtext, the massive ability that Tremblay gives to the reader to pluck meaning from every sentence and see it’s underlying but heavy value in the whole story after the fact, all add to the need to consume and decipher this story. The clues that are given are done so in such a sly way it’s easy to ignore. It has everything a long term horror reader needs, it even references pieces of famous horror literature and media. What more can you ask for? There’s so much darkness and depression, so many times you know what’s really going on but from the perspective you get it, there’s doubt littering your mind all the way through. This is, at a surface value standpoint, a decent depressive mental health story and a spooky possession story. But there’s a story within that and then even more to that story line. You’ll trust no one and love them all. Connecting to the characters is simple but scary. The story is easy to predict mostly, but still difficult to believe in. Although, there are some twists. You will be second guessing every thought and can enjoy sinking your teeth into the meaty undertones of mental health and demonology at the same time.