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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
It's okay. Not remotely scary, and, intentional or not, it exists in the shadow of the gargantuan achievement that is It.
Character development is hinted at, but doesn't really happen. There are glimpses of ideas with the alcoholism of the main character, but that also doesn't ever gel. Some things don't make sense, like the mixing of third person omniscient with first person narration(not even a perfunctory, 'they told me all this later' in the denouement.) I think some might take issue with the character of Dennis, but the portrayal didn't bother me overmuch.
Oh well, it could have been a lot better, but it could also have been a lot worse(fuck you, Summer of Night.)
Character development is hinted at, but doesn't really happen. There are glimpses of ideas with the alcoholism of the main character, but that also doesn't ever gel. Some things don't make sense, like the mixing of third person omniscient with first person narration(not even a perfunctory, 'they told me all this later' in the denouement.) I think some might take issue with the character of Dennis, but the portrayal didn't bother me overmuch.
Oh well, it could have been a lot better, but it could also have been a lot worse(fuck you, Summer of Night.)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've heard Ronald Malfi heralded as a successor to Stephen King and I can see why in this book. He seems to be channeling IT and Dreamcatcher. A group of grown-up friends must come back to their home town to confront an evil they thought was left behind. Jamie could be any alcoholic King character (only he's not a writer), Clay is Mike Hanlon with vitiligo, and Jamie's disabled brother, Dennis feels like a better written Duddits.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was just okay, I felt like it leaned way more into the paranormal/supernatural aspect towards the end which I wasn't a fan of. Also if I had to read the phrase "Detox Boogie" one more time I was gonna throw my kindle at the wall
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi is one of those books that’s hard to put down. It’s short, choppy characters make it easy to get lost in the story and in no time, you’ve gone through 100 pages without even looking up. It’s a darker story, marketed as horror, but not “scary” in a sense where you won’t be able to sleep at night. It’s more of a psychological horror novel with some mystery and suspense thrown in. You might even consider this a coming-of-age horror because it’s told in flashbacks for when these 3 people were kids and then when they confront their past as adults. Kind of like Stephen King’s book IT but instead of a scary clown it’s a magician. If any of these things appeal to you then I definitely recommend this one. It’s my first book by the author and it won’t be my last! I like the way the author allows the story to really play with your head while reading!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated