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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Blood, Alcohol
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wish I liked Let Him In more. It's exactly the kind of supernatural story that would usually freak me out, but unfortunately I was let down.
The writing was wonderful at times, creating metaphors in language that was meaningful but not too flowery, and I really noticed and appreciated that aspect. It's everything else that I was let down by.
The characters and the plot are so...nothing. I know that's an odd descriptor but it's the only one I can think of. It's slow, and unsatisfying, and maybe that's the point. But, when you give us nothing else it's unforgivable.
I'm going into more detail below so spoilers ahead.
Like I stated, the characters are so uninspired, unimportant, and undefined. Alfie, one of our perspective characters, is so nothing that I can't even really describe his personality. I gave him a pass at first because he's grieving, so I thought he might be numb. However, as the story progresses he STILL doesn't display any personality. He's an irresponsible, alcoholic who spends most of the book chasing ghosts of his recently dead wife and ignoring his daughters. He's physically abusive to them at times as well, though it's mild. AND, to top it all off he gets together with his dead wife's twin sister. He's terrible.
Julia is our other POV, and I like her more, solely because she actually has a personality. She's anxious and judgmental and a pessimist at heart. She's not overly compelling but she's trying to move the plot forward. Julia knows the secrets of the house and the "ritual" that let the demon in, and she feels a lot of guilt for her part in the history of the house. She's also trying to help the girls, unlike Alfie, whose feelings towards them range from annoyance to jealousy.
The twins are also entirely non-characters. We're told things about them, but they almost never display the traits their assigned. They speak and act in unison so often that they might as well be one character. The only real narrative reason for them to be twins is the cult rituals and as a commentary on parental favoritism, though it's not a very meaningful commentary. It basically just says "parents have favorites and it can negatively affect their children" and stops there.
The atmosphere is hard to judge. The house feels like a real, lived in space and areas are described well enough, but at the same time the tension the book is trying to build never really materialized. I had an emotional response only once or twice and at no point was I frightened, and this is the exact kind of thing that usually terrifies me.
Like I said previously, the writing is good. It's descriptive and imaginative, bringing the house and the characters to life. I also enjoy some of the use of religious metaphor within the text, though I think it doesn't ultimately lead to anything.
The plot is where this really falls apart. I've seen other people refer to this novel as literary horror, and if I had been primed for it like that I might not dislike it so much, but it's being sold as a horror thriller. The plot is meandering, an exploration of grief and the process of grieving, but it feels like it's never moving forwards. All of the characters are totally stuck in their loss, and I can see that being a thematic through line, but it's still not saying anything. Our characters don't show us differing perspectives of grief or differing stages of grief. Everyone feels the same over and over, for 250 pages. Black Mamba as a concept isn't terrible, a manifestation of the twins bond and a symbol of their lost mother, but firstly, the name is ridiculous, and secondly he never really acts in a way that has meaning. I understand that he's a Black Mamba because of the way their mother, Pippa died: an animal bite that caused her to go into anaphylactic shock. But he's also many other animals and a man.
Is he a manifestation of their absent father? The ending of the book might allude to that. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Julia comes to live with the family for a few days to treat the girls and in the middle of the night Black Mamba leads her to Alfie's bedroom where they have sex WHILE ALFIE THINKS SHE'S PIPPA. That doesn't exactly sound like consent to me. Then afterwards, Julia goes for a walk to get some air and Alfie follows her, but gets distracted by the basement as he believes Pippa to be inside. He ultimately chooses Pippa and is dragged beneath the floor of the basement by Black Mamba.
Symbolically, I understand. He's chosen to remain in his grief, when presented with the opportunity to move forward he rejects it and he is punished for it. Black Mamba takes his place as the children's dad and he's doomed for eternity. It wouldn't be a terrible ending and might even be sad if I cared about Alfie at all, but I don't.
There's also the question of religion in this book. There's the rumbling of something in the background, something strange and cult-like. There's some rituals that have to do with twins and some mention of the house being an occult location but it's all ultimately meaningless because we never get any answers. We don't know what the cult was doing, we don't know their beliefs, we don't know if they're evil and they let Black Mamba in. I think it's insinuated that they did after the death of Michael, but it spoken about in metaphor and flowery language to the point where it's inscrutable. Everything is buried beneath hallucinations and dreams and demons and it's not good.
That's the final word ultimately. It's not good. It's confusing, messy, unresolved and illogical. I did not enjoy it, and I can't recommend it.
The writing was wonderful at times, creating metaphors in language that was meaningful but not too flowery, and I really noticed and appreciated that aspect. It's everything else that I was let down by.
The characters and the plot are so...nothing. I know that's an odd descriptor but it's the only one I can think of. It's slow, and unsatisfying, and maybe that's the point. But, when you give us nothing else it's unforgivable.
I'm going into more detail below so spoilers ahead.
Like I stated, the characters are so uninspired, unimportant, and undefined. Alfie, one of our perspective characters, is so nothing that I can't even really describe his personality. I gave him a pass at first because he's grieving, so I thought he might be numb. However, as the story progresses he STILL doesn't display any personality. He's an irresponsible, alcoholic who spends most of the book chasing ghosts of his recently dead wife and ignoring his daughters. He's physically abusive to them at times as well, though it's mild. AND, to top it all off he gets together with his dead wife's twin sister. He's terrible.
Julia is our other POV, and I like her more, solely because she actually has a personality. She's anxious and judgmental and a pessimist at heart. She's not overly compelling but she's trying to move the plot forward. Julia knows the secrets of the house and the "ritual" that let the demon in, and she feels a lot of guilt for her part in the history of the house. She's also trying to help the girls, unlike Alfie, whose feelings towards them range from annoyance to jealousy.
The twins are also entirely non-characters. We're told things about them, but they almost never display the traits their assigned. They speak and act in unison so often that they might as well be one character. The only real narrative reason for them to be twins is the cult rituals and as a commentary on parental favoritism, though it's not a very meaningful commentary. It basically just says "parents have favorites and it can negatively affect their children" and stops there.
The atmosphere is hard to judge. The house feels like a real, lived in space and areas are described well enough, but at the same time the tension the book is trying to build never really materialized. I had an emotional response only once or twice and at no point was I frightened, and this is the exact kind of thing that usually terrifies me.
Like I said previously, the writing is good. It's descriptive and imaginative, bringing the house and the characters to life. I also enjoy some of the use of religious metaphor within the text, though I think it doesn't ultimately lead to anything.
The plot is where this really falls apart. I've seen other people refer to this novel as literary horror, and if I had been primed for it like that I might not dislike it so much, but it's being sold as a horror thriller. The plot is meandering, an exploration of grief and the process of grieving, but it feels like it's never moving forwards. All of the characters are totally stuck in their loss, and I can see that being a thematic through line, but it's still not saying anything. Our characters don't show us differing perspectives of grief or differing stages of grief. Everyone feels the same over and over, for 250 pages. Black Mamba as a concept isn't terrible, a manifestation of the twins bond and a symbol of their lost mother, but firstly, the name is ridiculous, and secondly he never really acts in a way that has meaning. I understand that he's a Black Mamba because of the way their mother, Pippa died: an animal bite that caused her to go into anaphylactic shock. But he's also many other animals and a man.
Is he a manifestation of their absent father? The ending of the book might allude to that. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Julia comes to live with the family for a few days to treat the girls and in the middle of the night Black Mamba leads her to Alfie's bedroom where they have sex WHILE ALFIE THINKS SHE'S PIPPA. That doesn't exactly sound like consent to me. Then afterwards, Julia goes for a walk to get some air and Alfie follows her, but gets distracted by the basement as he believes Pippa to be inside. He ultimately chooses Pippa and is dragged beneath the floor of the basement by Black Mamba.
Symbolically, I understand. He's chosen to remain in his grief, when presented with the opportunity to move forward he rejects it and he is punished for it. Black Mamba takes his place as the children's dad and he's doomed for eternity. It wouldn't be a terrible ending and might even be sad if I cared about Alfie at all, but I don't.
There's also the question of religion in this book. There's the rumbling of something in the background, something strange and cult-like. There's some rituals that have to do with twins and some mention of the house being an occult location but it's all ultimately meaningless because we never get any answers. We don't know what the cult was doing, we don't know their beliefs, we don't know if they're evil and they let Black Mamba in. I think it's insinuated that they did after the death of Michael, but it spoken about in metaphor and flowery language to the point where it's inscrutable. Everything is buried beneath hallucinations and dreams and demons and it's not good.
That's the final word ultimately. It's not good. It's confusing, messy, unresolved and illogical. I did not enjoy it, and I can't recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Dementia
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Dementia, Death of parent, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Dementia
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What happens when your children’s imaginary friend becomes a little too real, a little too controlling, and even a little violent?
Alfie and Pippa have two young twin girls, Sylvie and Cassia. After Pippa’s sudden death in the home where they still reside, Hart House, Alfie is left struggling to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. Nine months after their mother’s death, Alfie wakes to find the girls by his bed saying there’s a man in their room. No man is found and he believes the girls had a nightmare. Shortly after, the twins start whispering to a new friend. An invisible one. They say he is a man who can take the form of many animals, and is called Black Mamba. They ask Alfie if he can stay and he allows it. Their playtime with Black Mamba starts innocently enough. Their father, along with their aunt Julia, Pippa’s sister who is a psychotherapist, believes this is just a way the girls are coping with their grief. But playtime starts to shift in another direction. The girls say Black Mamba makes them do things their father doesn’t like and that he tells them one day he will take them away. Julia steps in to counsel the children, but she grew up in Hart House and some of the things the girls are saying about what’s happening with Black Mamba and what Alfie’s saying about his own recurring nightmares have a ring of familiarity. They find themselves faced with something more than just a child’s imagination, something darker and stronger with links to the past.
This book was not what I expected. In a good way. This story has many layers. It’s like a lasagna full of creepy deliciousness. Many characters are dealing with their own individual type of grief, some of them in ways they shouldn’t. These actions reach across several generations, with each one feeling the effects…and the consequences. For this to be a debut novel, the author definitely knows what he’s doing and I look forward to reading more from him. Actually, I hope to see a prequel or a sequel to Let Him In because of the ending. That ending was something! The writing style, the pace, the descriptions, all of it was just right. The creepy factor was incredible because the author slowly created this dark, ominous atmosphere that kind of ebbed and flowed throughout the story and he did this without being too “wordy” by using lengthy, overly detailed statements. Personally, I find that to be much more powerful and effective at really getting under your skin and making your bones shiver. If you’re like me and you have certain aspects of horror you don’t like, I’ll go ahead and put out there that this isn’t a horror novel that will leave you grossed out. There isn’t any gore or extreme violence and very little blood, but it may leave you looking around your bedroom in the dark a little longer before you close your eyes. It did me.
Alfie and Pippa have two young twin girls, Sylvie and Cassia. After Pippa’s sudden death in the home where they still reside, Hart House, Alfie is left struggling to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. Nine months after their mother’s death, Alfie wakes to find the girls by his bed saying there’s a man in their room. No man is found and he believes the girls had a nightmare. Shortly after, the twins start whispering to a new friend. An invisible one. They say he is a man who can take the form of many animals, and is called Black Mamba. They ask Alfie if he can stay and he allows it. Their playtime with Black Mamba starts innocently enough. Their father, along with their aunt Julia, Pippa’s sister who is a psychotherapist, believes this is just a way the girls are coping with their grief. But playtime starts to shift in another direction. The girls say Black Mamba makes them do things their father doesn’t like and that he tells them one day he will take them away. Julia steps in to counsel the children, but she grew up in Hart House and some of the things the girls are saying about what’s happening with Black Mamba and what Alfie’s saying about his own recurring nightmares have a ring of familiarity. They find themselves faced with something more than just a child’s imagination, something darker and stronger with links to the past.
This book was not what I expected. In a good way. This story has many layers. It’s like a lasagna full of creepy deliciousness. Many characters are dealing with their own individual type of grief, some of them in ways they shouldn’t. These actions reach across several generations, with each one feeling the effects…and the consequences. For this to be a debut novel, the author definitely knows what he’s doing and I look forward to reading more from him. Actually, I hope to see a prequel or a sequel to Let Him In because of the ending. That ending was something! The writing style, the pace, the descriptions, all of it was just right. The creepy factor was incredible because the author slowly created this dark, ominous atmosphere that kind of ebbed and flowed throughout the story and he did this without being too “wordy” by using lengthy, overly detailed statements. Personally, I find that to be much more powerful and effective at really getting under your skin and making your bones shiver. If you’re like me and you have certain aspects of horror you don’t like, I’ll go ahead and put out there that this isn’t a horror novel that will leave you grossed out. There isn’t any gore or extreme violence and very little blood, but it may leave you looking around your bedroom in the dark a little longer before you close your eyes. It did me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit