Black Mouth
A group of friends return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they first stumbled on as teenagers in this mesmerising odyssey of terror. An atmospheric, haunting page-turner from the bestselling author of Come with Me For nearly two decades, Jamie Warren has been running from darkness. He's haunted by a traumatic childhood and the guilt at having disappeared from his disabled brother's life. But then a series of unusual events reunites him with his estranged brother and their childhood friends, and none of them can deny the sense of fate that has seemingly drawn them back together. Nor can they deny the memories of that summer, so long ago - the strange magic taught to them by an even stranger man, and the terrible act that has followed them all into adulthood. In the light of new danger, they must confront their past by facing their futures, and hunting down a man who may very well be a monster.
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Community Reviews
3.5 stars rounded up.
While this premise itself feels like a tired trope jowai, the characters are likeable (the good ones, anyway), with The Magician being an interesting and layered antagonist that I didn't expect. I will say a few things were unnecessary in my eyes, such as Stull and the dog, and the final death in the book, which felt wildly rushed, pointless, unexplained, and because of that, unnecessary.
There's a lot of telling vs showing in this book, but I didn't mind most of it for once. I like how the author writes, especially descriptive sections. I don't understand why - and didn't like - the author decided to jump between third and first person depending on the character. Just pick one. Jaime didn't need to be first person while all others were third, just makes the book inconsistent.
Overall I did enjoy this book.
While this premise itself feels like a tired trope jowai, the characters are likeable (the good ones, anyway), with The Magician being an interesting and layered antagonist that I didn't expect. I will say a few things were unnecessary in my eyes, such as Stull and the dog, and the final death in the book, which felt wildly rushed, pointless, unexplained, and because of that, unnecessary.
There's a lot of telling vs showing in this book, but I didn't mind most of it for once. I like how the author writes, especially descriptive sections. I don't understand why - and didn't like - the author decided to jump between third and first person depending on the character. Just pick one. Jaime didn't need to be first person while all others were third, just makes the book inconsistent.
Overall I did enjoy this book.
Malfi is the king of gorgeous opening lines. If you're looking for an "It" style book that throws in creepy carnivals, this is the one for you. The characters are likable, the villain is scary, and there's a sense of wholesomeness that runs through this dark tale. I loved it. I was a bit apprehensive about the treatment of the character with special needs, but ultimately found the portrayal respectful. I appreciated the way Dennis was treated by those who love him.
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