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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Disturbing possession scenes; one death and its violent context; psychological horror escalates throughout
Language
Some
Moderate language; Merry's adult voice is blunt
Sexual Content
Barely any
Nothing explicit; brief teenage relationship
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Extreme psychological horror including possession and its ambiguity, exploitation of a child's suffering for entertainment, an ending that disturbs long after
What this book is about
The Barrett family believes fourteen-year-old Marjorie is possessed. Her father, recently unemployed and increasingly devout, invites a Catholic priest to investigate — and then a reality TV crew to film the exorcism. The novel is told years later by Marjorie's younger sister Merry, in a blog post dissecting what really happened. Paul Tremblay's horror novel is a meditation on the nature of possession and belief, shot through with meta-commentary on horror as entertainment — and it earns its terrifying final act.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
extreme psychological horror throughout
possession of a minor as central subject
disturbing and ambiguous ending
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